[Gifted] Plastic has become so prevalent today that micro-plastic isn’t just in the ocean, it’s even in the air now! So, it’s more important than ever to look for alternatives to common plastic items.

Although our plastic use began with good intentions when plastic buttons replaced ivory, turtle shell, and bull horn buttons which were endangering animals. We’re so over-reliant on plastic, that the most unnecessary items are coated in it. When supermarkets first introduced plastic way back in the 1950s and 60s people actually protested and removed plastic at the checkouts at stores, but unfortunately, not enough to stop the plastic tidal wave.

Alternatives To Common Plastic Items

1. Copper Water Bottles

Reusable water bottles are being made from anything now from glass, to metal and, even from more plastic. I’m not keen on the plastic reusable water bottles, but I’m a big fan of glass ones.

What I like about glass ones is that they’re like drinking a glass of water on the go, the downside is they’re coated in protective plastic! I’ve accidentally broken two reusable glass bottles before, and my third and current one has a big chunk of plastic on it for safety. It’s more durable and will have a longer life span as the others, but plastic is still plastic.

There’s still an environmental impact to metals, but they have such a long lifespan.

When WakeCup offered me a copper bottle I said yes! I’ve worked with them before for their One Day No Single-Use Plastic challenge. I love that they donate 10% of their profits to the Marine Life Conservation.

What You Need To Know About Copper Bottles

Copper bottles have been getting popular due to her purported health benefits. As it’s an essential mineral, we should be getting in our diets from foods like dark chocolate, sesame seeds, and leafy greens. However, if you struggle to get it in your diet then drinking from copper water bottles is a handy solution. Copper has anti-bacterial properties as well as antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Their copper bottle is lightweight and leak-proof which I needed badly. My glass bottle was too fragile for me to trust travelling with, so I drank my water out of a reusable coffee cup when I was trying to be as zero-waste as possible in London! I found this bottle kept the water at a nice temperature all day, so no matter what time it was, every sip was cold and refreshing.

That said I wouldn’t say you should drink everything out of copper. In fact, bars have been told that they shouldn’t be putting drinks with lemon and lime into copper cups. This is because the acidity can cause more copper to leach unto the drink. and too much of anything is a bad thing. If you like lemon water then keep it in a glass bottle.

2. Wax Paper

If you rely heavily on cling film then wax paper might be the solution for you. While you can pretty much skip out on the need to use it when you can put your food in a lunch box, or cover a bowl with a plate, sometimes you need it. For example, if you’re making your own zero-waste snack bars, then you might want to wrap it in something.

Traditionally wax paper is made from bees wave, but vegan alternatives have been created made from candelilla wax.

Lots of stores sell these now, but you can also make it yourself. It’s a great way to upcycle old clothes too so it’s a win-win!

3. Glass Jars

Unlike plastic, glass is easily recycled. Glass can be recycled over and over again, whereas plastic can only be recycled a few times before it ends up unusable. Most plastic from our recycle bins actually doesn’t even get recycled at all!

If you’re grocery shopping and see the same product in a glass container, and one in a plastic one, take the glass one. I know it’s sometimes a little bit more expensive, but you can actually reuse the jar if you’re going zero-waste. It can be cheaper in the long run by reusing glass contains for other things, such as filling it with oats or nuts in a store with zero-waste options, rather than buying a new container!

I often see people forgo buying a reusable coffee cup, and just getting their coffee to go in a jar!

You can also use them as candle holders or even make your own candles to sell for some extra money!

4. Bamboo Basics

Bamboo is amazing as it can grow several inches in one day and absorbs more Co2 than trees! Eco-products are relying heavily on bamboo, hemp and cotton.

Cotton is questionable due to the huge amounts of water the crop needs, the history behind the people growing the cotton, and the use of pesticides. Hemp is promising but due to stigma, it seems to be less easily available than cotton and bamboo.

Bamboo coffee-cups, toothbrushes, straws, and lunch boxes etc are a good choice because it’s biodegradable. It leans on chemicals when creating bamboo clothing. At the end of the day, bamboo is biodegradable and polyester isn’t.

5. Reusable bags

The most eco-friendly product is the one that you don’t buy. However, people are always going to buy things, we just need to be smarter.

While buying a reusable tote bag is good for the ocean, they have a higher carbon footprint than single-use plastic bags. It’s best to get a bag second-hand or one that’s made from recycled materials.

Many places are actually ditching plastic bags for recycled paper bags which is a step in the right direction. However, we all know paper bags can be flimsy so when you’re getting something fragile you do need a strong reusable bag.

The Bottom Line On Plastic Alternatives

It’s unfortunate that we’re dealing with plastic pollution at the same time as the climate crisis. Sometimes trying to balance alternatives to common plastic items with maintaining a low-carbon footprint requires a compromise.

As a vegan I have to ask myself should I stick to low-quality plastic-based faux leather or bite the bullet and get second-hand leather which is biodegradable.

Do you use any of these alternatives to common plastic items?