There are many single-use plastic alternatives that replace the need for buying disposable products like straws, plastic bags and sandwich baggies, cling wrap, or water bottles.
Many people have just become accustomed to throwing away certain items, but have you ever wondered if there was a better product that would last longer, so you didn’t have to constantly keep buying it?
Something that wouldn’t harm the planet when it reaches the end of its lifecycle?
What’s the point of buying something with the intent of throwing it away?
All single-use plastic does is burns holes in our wallets and hurts our planet in many ways.
Thankfully, there are many sustainable alternatives to help everyone replace single-use items from their lives.
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Here’s a list of single-use plastic alternatives that will help you go zero-waste.
1. Reusable Water Bottles
With 80% of plastic water bottles ending up in landfills, it’s so important to eliminate plastic bottles from our lives.
If you buy bottled water, you’re essentially paying for glorified tap water packaged in plastic. You’re paying for the plastic.
By switching to a reusable water bottle, you’ll save a lot of money and of course, reduce your plastic waste.
Sustainable Water Bottle Alternatives
- You can get a reusable bottle in stainless steel that is insulated which helps keeps drinks cold or warm for hours on end.
- Water bottle with a built-in filter, like this reusable Hydros water bottle that has a filter made from coconut shells.
READ MORE: why you should stop buying bottled water.
2. Zero-Waste Laundry Detergent
Do you want to pay 33 cents per load of laundry, ditch plastic jugs, and save space on your shelf?
Check out these zero-waste laundry detergent strips from Earth Breeze that are vegan, cruelty-free, hypoallergenic, and comes with zero plastic packaging. Earth Breeze is also a 1% for the Planet member and a carbon-neutral company.
Also, when you buy these zero-waste laundry detergent sheets, they donate 10 loads to a charity or nonprofit of your choosing. These include animal shelters, homeless shelters, Veterans’ homes and developing countries. Earth Breeze also plants a tree for every 100 followers!
Subscribe to a recurring shipment to get 40% off. You can pause or cancel the subscription anytime and choose between receiving them every 1, 2, 3, or 4 months.
The subscription is incredibly flexible and it makes the most sense if you want to save money and not have to worry about buying more laundry detergent. It’s also risk-free with their 100% money-back guarantee.
The subscription cost, per shipment, is $12 USD (20 cents a load) and around $17.50 CAD (29 cents a load), with free shipping to both countries.
3. Refillable Coffee Mugs
Takeout coffee is something many people buy because it’s convenient for when you’re on the go and need a burst of energy, but there’s a lot of environmental impacts when it comes to disposable coffee cups as well as their plastic cover.
Less than 1 percent of coffee cups end up being recycled which means they end up in landfills, in our waterways or incinerated.
Invest in a reusable coffee mug (this one collapses for easy storage) and bring it with you when you’re grabbing takeout coffee. Or just start making your own coffee at home!
4. Reusable Grocery Bags
The average life of a single use plastic grocery bag is about 14 minutes. How sad is that?
Out of all the plastic grocery bags that people use, only 1% are recycled. The rest end up in landfills and in our rivers and oceans.
The best way to ditch plastic bags is to buy a reusable grocery bag that fits more groceries in them, is more durable, and they also make it a lot easier to carry groceries from your car.
Another way to replace plastic grocery bags is to use paper bags instead. Any way to help lower that plastic production!
Ideas for reusable bags:
- Purchase from your local grocery store
- Make your own no-sew grocery bag out of an old shirt
- Use a collapsible cooler
5. Reusable Produce Bags
Same with plastic grocery bags, those smaller plastic bags that you take from the grocery store to hold your fruits and veggies also carry environmental impact.
And just like with reusable grocery bags, you can use reusable produce bags made of fabric instead of disposable bags made of plastic.
They can double as pantry and fridge storage for your fruits and veggies too.
Need a recommendation? These reusable produce bags from Eco Roots come with 9 bags of various sizes, are made with 100% organic cotton, includes the tare weight, and ships with plastic-free packaging.
6. Reusable Sandwich & Snack Bags
Plastic baggies like Ziploc bags are a #4 plastic that isn’t easily recyclable compared to other types of plastics.
There’s also a lot of pollution created in the production of plastic bags considering that the average household uses 500 plastic baggies a year! Crazy.
Instead of spending a lot of money on sandwich and snack bags that you’re only going to throw away after one use, invest in reusable silicone bags such as Stasher bags.
You can reuse these bags over and over again, which will save you a lot of money in the long run, and use a lot less plastic.
Another way to lower your plastic consumption is to store food items in glass bottles and jars that you get from the grocery store!
Also, these reusable food covers are a lifesaver when ditching single-use plastic wrap!
Related post: Best Zero-Waste Food Storage Ideas
7. Safety Razors
Disposable razors are not a long-term solution to shaving and contribute to plastic pollution. Since disposable razors contain different materials, they’re not easily recyclable and therefore they mostly end up in landfills.
The easiest, cheapest and most eco-friendly alternative to disposable razors is to purchase a stainless steel safety razor. These reusable razors last for years and only the blades need to be changed. The blade is also recyclable.
Disposable razors and replacement blades are also pretty expensive so opting for a safety razor instead of a disposable one is also a great way to save a lot of money.
Get started using a zero-waste safety razor with this shaving kit by Eco Roots.
8. Compostable Cutlery & Travel Kits
Plastic disposable cutlery may seem convenient for when you’re on the go, having a party, or eating at fast-food restaurants but is the plastic waste even worth it?
People seldom reuse plastic cutlery, especially if they were being used at a fast-food restaurant. The majority of plastic cutlery ends up in landfills and waterways.
To reduce your plastic waste but stick with disposables, you can purchase utensils that are 100% compostable. You can also make a small investment and buy a utensil travel kit that includes basic cutlery, a reusable straw, and even chopsticks.
9. Compostable Cups & Plates
Disposable plastic cups and plates are another environmental hazards considering that they don’t always get recycled.
The convenience of plastic cups and plates is not worth the energy and resources used to create these short-lived plastics, nor the inevitable pollution afterwards.
Obviously, the most eco-friendly you can do is just use and wash your own plates and cups, but sometimes disposable dishes may seem a lot more practical and time-saving.
Just like with cutlery, you can buy compostable plates and compostable cups so you can enjoy not having to wash dishes and with no sacrifice to the environment.
10. Beeswax Wrap
Disposable plastic wrap is difficult to recycle because it often gets caught in machinery. And it’s actually more expensive to recycle plastic wrap than simply making it. That means it always ends up in the landfill.
A simple and zero-waste solution to plastic wrap is to invest in beeswax wrap that is completely reusable. You’ll save a lot of money considering that these wraps can be used over and over again after a simple wash in cool water with some soap.
Bee’s Wraps are also 100% compostable due to the sustainable materials used to make them. They’re made of organic cotton, sustainably harvested beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin.
Simply warm up the wrap with your hands and use it like you would with plastic cling wrap. As it cools, the wax hardens and creates a natural seal.
Related post: 10 things to stop buying to save money and be more eco-friendly.
11. Biodegradable or Reusable Straws
Plastic straws aren’t easily recyclable since they’re small, slim and bendable, making them not accepted by a lot of recycling programs. Plastic straws are the 7th most collected garbage on beaches.
The good news is that there are many different types of plastic straws made with alternative materials to choose from and they’re one of the most affordable zero-waste swaps you can start with.
- Stainless steel straws
- Glass straws
- Bamboo straws
- Paper straws
12. Compostable Bamboo Toothbrushes
We all need toothbrushes, and plastic toothbrushes are usually the go-to. However, most of the time, toothbrushes aren’t recycled because the handle and bristles are two different types of plastic.
Because of this, over 1 billion toothbrushes end up in the landfill in North America alone.
A great alternative to a plastic toothbrush is a bamboo toothbrush since the handle can be composted. All you have to do is pluck out the bristles and put them into another recyclable container to get them recycled. Then you go pop the handle in your compost!
13. Biodegradable Floss
Speaking of teeth, most floss is actually made from plastic, and it’s toxic to our health as well as the environment.
Since floss is so thin, it’s difficult to recycle therefore it’s best to stop using plastic floss altogether.
Instead of using plastic floss or even worse, floss that comes with a plastic handle, use biodegradable floss instead like this charcoal floss.
There are so many awesome zero-waste swaps for the bathroom. Discover more plastic-free products to help you reduce waste.
14. Biodegradable Tampon Applicators & Menstrual Cups
Tampon applicators are doomed for the landfill and even worse, some people are intentionally flushing these plastic tampon applicators down the toilet, doomed for the ocean and therefore a potential hazard to marine animals.
These applicators can be consumed by marine life and risk clogging their airways, causing them to suffocate or starve to death.
You can simply transition to purchasing tampons with cardboard applicators that are biodegradable. This helps to not contribute to the plastic crisis we’re facing, but it isn’t a complete zero-waste solution.
The zero-waste option would be to invest in a menstrual cup instead and stop buying tampons altogether.
Final thoughts on these single-use plastic alternatives
As you can see, there are a lot of eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics that are still super convenient, just as practical, and most importantly – they don’t harm our planet.
It takes up to 1,000 years for plastic to degrade in a landfill and even then, that plastic never entirely degrades.
So the more plastic you can eliminate from your life, the better!
Want to learn more about using less plastic? Check out my post 13 easy ways to use less plastic in your home.
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Good tips
Thanks you so much. I use Coffee cups plastics. However, according to some research, it can also offer some other important health benefits, such as a lower risk of liver cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart failure.