Since July 3rd , single-use plastic plastic cutlery (forks, knives, spoons and chopsticks), plastic tableware, disposable Styrofoam to-go cups, disposable Styrofoam food containers, plastic drinking straws, plastic stirrers, plastic cotton swabs, plastic balloon sticks are in the banned throughout the EU. In the last year in particular, consumption outside of one's own household has increased. Due to the pandemic, more and more people turned to disposable products: a coffee to-go or having a meal delivered to their home. This resulted in huge amounts of rubbish being produced. Around 320,000 disposable cups are used every hour in Germany. Consumption is not decreasing, but rather increasing.
Much of this waste ends up in our environment. The worst affected animals are those who unintentionally eat plastic particles or get caught in them. 85% of marine litter is made up of plastics . These are the innovations since July 3rd and alternatives to single-use plastic.
Warnings for products containing plastic
From now on, there is a new labeling requirement for products that contain plastic and have a negative impact on the environment. As consumers, we are often not aware of which products contain plastic. This should change in the future. The labeling requirement applies, among other things, to cigarette filters, wet wipes, tampons, sanitary napkins and disposable beverage cups.
What can you do to reduce your own plastic waste?
When shopping, pay attention to unpackaged food. We know that this is anything but easy. Nevertheless, there is often an unpackaged alternative to fruit and vegetables. You can also make sure you create less waste in your kitchen. Here we have put together helpful tips for reducing plastic waste in your kitchen.
Alternatives to single-use plastic
There are now many alternatives to single-use plastic. It usually doesn't take much effort to forego this and use reusables instead. We have put together a few alternatives for you:
Reusable cutlery: Even if you get something to eat at lunch at work, you can easily use reusable cutlery. Either you ask the restaurant if they can rent one, or you have one with you. There are also very practical travel cutlery sets that fit well in your pocket or handbag.
Tableware made from rapidly renewable raw materials: If you don't want to have your food packaged in disposable packaging, you could ask when ordering whether you can bring your own box. Alternatively, there are also dishes made from palm leaves or wood.
Thermo mug for on the go: If you like drinking coffee and are on the go a lot, you should always have a thermo mug on hand. This doesn't bother you much, is usually very well sealed and can easily be carried in your bag at all times.
Glass, stainless steel or straw straws: Nobody needs plastic straws. They also don't look as cool as glass, stainless steel, or straw straws. They can be bought cheaply. Your next visit will be amazed at this investment.
Cotton buds: Plastic cotton buds don't have to be! There are now many alternatives made of cardboard, bamboo or cotton. There are also long-lasting cotton swabs made of stainless steel or bamboo that can be used more than once.
What we do: We also try our best to become completely plastic-free. Our kraft paper packaging is made from environmentally friendly materials and is designed to contain as little plastic as possible. The PE inner layer ensures that our products stay fresh and is made of a monomaterial that is very recyclable. We have already reduced the proportion of plastics and have therefore been able to achieve reduced CO2 emissions and reduced energy requirements for the production of our products. We also use FSC® certified paper to be even more sustainable. But of course that is not the goal we want to achieve. We want to become completely plastic-free. That's why we're working hard to forget about our packaging and make it biodegradable.
