Reducing plastic use means replacing plastic in your home and daily life with more environmentally friendly and safer alternatives that are better for both your health and the environment. It means reducing the plastic in your surroundings and also cutting down on your plastic consumption.
Where do I start?
Reducing plastic use in the home doesn't happen overnight - it's a process that you need to take at your own pace. But most people start by reducing plastic in the kitchen. This is because plastic and heat are a bad combination, as plastic releases the most toxins when it's heated. In the kitchen, you can replace plastic with better alternatives made from materials like stainless steel, glass, bamboo, organic cotton, linen, and wood.
![Three images show different objects. The first image shows bamboo cutlery in a white bowl. The second image shows a holder with homemade ice cream. The third image shows a partially sliced dark bread with a knife.]
Items that are good to replace in the kitchen
We also give you examples of better alternatives, and most of them can be purchased from us at Glimja.
Plastic kitchen utensils for kitchen utensils made of wood, bamboo, and stainless steel.
Plastic cutting boards for bamboo cutting boards.
Plastic bags and plastic wrap for Bee's Wrap, Abeego, fabric bags, and net bags made of organic cotton.
Plastic lunch boxes for lunch boxes made of stainless steel or glass.
Plastic mixing bowls and whisk bowls for mixing bowls and whisk bowls made of stainless steel or glass.
Plastic measuring cups for stainless steel ones.
Non-stick pans with Teflon coating for frying pans made of cast iron or stainless steel.
Plastic storage jars and containers for storage jars and containers made of stainless steel.
Plastic drinking glasses, plates, and cutlery for drinking glasses, plates, and cutlery made of glass, stainless steel, bamboo, and wood.
Coffee filters for coffee filters made of organic cotton fabric or compostable FSC-certified paper coffee filters.
Plastic straws for straws made of stainless steel, bamboo, or glass.
Plastic dish gloves for dish gloves made of natural rubber.
Plastic dish towels for dish towels made of linen or organic cotton.
Plastic dish brushes for dish cleaning tools made of wood with natural bristles.
Plastic washing and scrubbing sponges for washing sponges made of more environmentally friendly materials and scrubbing sponges made of coconut fiber.
Plastic oven and baking molds for stainless steel or glass ones.
Plastic water bottles and pitchers for water bottles and pitchers made of stainless steel or glass.
Plastic trays for trays and serving trays made of bamboo.
Once you're finished reducing plastic in the kitchen, many people then continue with the nursery, bathroom, and the rest of the household.
How do I avoid single-use plastic products?
It's very easy to avoid single-use plastic products when traveling or in town, for example when shopping and eating. Single-use plastic products are a major environmental threat, and most of the plastic never gets recycled but ends up in nature and in our oceans, where it becomes harmful to both animals and the environment.
Bring a fabric bag or net bag when shopping for loose vegetables and fruit.
Make it a habit to always carry your own water bottle or coffee mug made of stainless steel or glass - this makes it easy to drink water and coffee plastic-free. It works just as well to bring your own bottle or mug if you know you're going to buy drinks at a café or restaurant.
Lunch or snacks can easily be brought along in a lunch box or thermos food container made of stainless steel or glass. There are many different smart solutions for various meals, such as divided lunch boxes, insulated ones that keep food warm or cold, leak-proof ones, sauce containers, large and small ones, and tall and short ones. All so you can find one or more lunch boxes that suit your needs.
If you like to drink your beverages with straws, it's smart to bring your own straw in your bag. It may seem like an unnecessary detail, but a tremendous number of straws are thrown away every day around the world.
Instead of plastic cutlery, you can bring your own cutlery made of stainless steel or bamboo.
Hidden plastic traps you don't think about - Canned goods: The inside of most canned goods is coated with a film of bisphenol A. However, there are brands that have cans without bisphenol A, such as Kung Markatta. Tetrapack is also a good alternative if you want to avoid bisphenol-coated canned goods.
Lids for jam jars and baby food jars
Water kettles are often made of plastic or have a plastic interior. Plastic and heat are not a good combination as plastic releases harmful substances at high temperatures.
Shower curtains: Shower curtains are often made from the harmful plastic PVC. Soft PVC contains phthalates which are a type of plasticizer - certain phthalates are hormone-disrupting and harmful to health. PVC is manufactured from vinyl chloride which is carcinogenic.
Skincare: Skincare products can contain microplastics. Avoid products that contain ingredients such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate, and nylon. If you see these ingredients, you know that your skincare product contains plastic. Treatment plants cannot handle these microplastics and they end up in the oceans where they are harmful to fish and other marine animals. None of the body care products we sell at Glimja contain plastic!
Remember!
Don't heat plastic lunch boxes in the microwave, as heated plastic releases more chemicals into food than cold plastic. Don't serve hot or warm drinks in plastic mugs.
Original post written by Sara Mårtensson, founder of Lapland Eco Store, which has been part of Glimja since 2021.
