Alternatives to plastic: How to get through everyday life without plastic as much as possible.

Saving plastic in the kitchen

Instead of plastic straws: Straws made of paper, bamboo or apple fibre
Plastic straws are produced for a few minutes – but it takes around 500 years to degrade after that. Fortunately, there are already a variety of alternatives to enjoy your drinks: Various suppliers produce compostable drinking tubes made from paper, printed with food colouring (Nature Star, Hello Straw). They are also available in reusable form from bamboo, which is naturally hollow on the inside and a very fast-growing natural raw material (e.g. from Napanion or Pandoo). They are also made of glass (tasteless and easy to clean, available from Manor and various online shops such as Galaxus) or – particularly sturdy – stainless steel (Galaxus, apple box). There is even an edible version (Wisefood “Superhalm”).

Instead of plastic film: Growth cloths
They are becoming more and more popular: Beeswax wipes, wax-soaked cloths that you can use instead of cling film. They can be used to cover bowls and to pack and keep food fresh (except meat and fish) – all washable and reusable and without questionable additives. They are available in most organic and health food stores, but also at Coop Vitality, for example. If you like handicrafts, you can also make your own wax cloths.

Instead of plastic plates: palm leaf or bagasse
They look tropical and quaint and are even microwave-safe: Plate made from pressed palm leaf. The leaves of the Areca palm, which loses its leaves several times a year, are collected, dried and pressed into shape. The result is a compostable alternative to the traditional plastic disposable tableware used at picnics and barbecue parties. In addition to online retail, they also have larger Coop and Migros branches in their range. Another variant consists of sugar cane: The fibrous material left over after the cane has been squeezed out during sugar production – known as bagasse – can be used to make compostable tableware with a smooth, cut-resistant surface. You can find it mainly in the mail order business.

Saving plastic in the bathroom

Many hygiene products are disposable products. The most plastic-rich among them are therefore also particularly high polluters.

Instead of disposable cotton buds: Reusable products
Although these cotton buds are made entirely of plastics, they can be reused up to 1,000 times: “LastSwab” from LastObject. You can wash them with soap and water and disinfect them with alcohol if necessary. As a result, they last up to a thousand times the lifetime of a conventional cotton swab.

Instead of disposable cotton pads: washable pads made of bamboo or cotton
There are many make-up remover pads that are not made of pure cotton, but are additionally enriched with synthetic fibres. If you want to use a plastic-free product and also save waste, you will find a wide offer of washable pads made of cotton (Nova, Fair Squared) or bamboo (BamBaw, Napanion) in health stores and online.