What alternatives are there to single-use plastic?
What alternatives are there to single-use plastic?
Germany’s municipalities spend hundreds of millions of euros every year to dispose of carelessly discarded plastic cups and cigarette butts.
© Source: picture alliance / photothek
The Bundestag has decided on a special levy for products made of single-use plastic in order to relieve the financial burden on cities and communities when it comes to cleaning streets and parks. With the law passed on Thursday evening, the manufacturers of certain beverage cups, food packaging or cigarettes will have to pay into a state fund in the future and thus contribute to the costs of disposing of discarded coffee cups and bags of chips.
It is unclear what the consequences of the plastic levy will be for consumers. Perhaps it will lead to a reduction in the supply of single-use plastic products, and perhaps they will also become more expensive.
:format(webp)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/madsack/3NOYFYVVVBAQ7AB3DPE6VMH6PQ.jpg)
Air conditioning check
Receive the newsletter with the most important news and background information about climate change – new every Friday.
Many tips are easy to implement
Reducing your own plastic consumption – for whatever reason – can feel difficult. Because there is not always an ecologically better and at the same time more convenient alternative to plastic products. Nevertheless, Tina Kienzl from the Bavarian consumer center believes that reducing plastic consumption is easier than some think. Because many of the disposable plastic products can be replaced by reusable products. “You can save a lot of disposable bottles by using reusable bottles, for example,” says Kienzl. A returnable PET bottle can be refilled up to 25 times, a glass bottle up to 50 times.
Other tips are also easy to heed: when camping or picnicking, cutlery made of stainless steel can be used from disposable cutlery and porcelain plates replace plastic plates. Instead of cotton swabs, washcloths can be used to clean the outer parts of the ear. And if you want to take food “to-go” from the local restaurant, you can do so in reusable cans made of stainless steel, glass or polypropylene.
Not every alternative makes sense
On other occasions, however, you can do without single-use plastic without replacement, says Kienzl. “For example, you can buy fruit or vegetables unpackaged.” But then you have to make sure to wash them very carefully at home. Drinking straws are also often unnecessary. Those who still prefer to slurp their drink can choose from numerous alternatives: from glass and stainless steel to hollow grass and macaroni noodles.
However, replacing all single-use plastic products with paper is not a solution. Failure to use recycled material increases the pressure on forests. Even bioplastics made from plant-based raw materials are generally not easily degradable. Therefore, reusable products are the best alternative, according to the consumer center. You should also avoid an increased aluminum consumption, since the production requires a lot of energy.
Nor does it mean that a better alternative is completely environmentally friendly. “For example, there are already balloons made of natural rubber. In any case, they are more ecologically recommendable and a good alternative for a children’s birthday party,” says Kienzl. “However, you shouldn’t let them fly in the environment.”
