From July 3rd, 2021, single-use plastic cups, cutlery, plates, drinking straws etc. will be banned in the EU! Alternatives?
Manufacturing single-use plastic products is prohibited, but stocks can still be sold. So it will not get better immediately but will have a rather long transition period.
Coffee to-go, schnitzel or Asian noodles in single-use plastic or Styrofoam boxes - finished your drink, eaten, throw away the packaging. It's convenient and easy, you don't even have to do dishes! Unfortunately, this causes a huge amount of single-use plastic garbage, apart from the fact that the packaging is sometimes not even recyclable!
All other countries.
Unfortunately, Germany and the EU only make up a very small percentage in a global comparison! Unfortunately, other countries such as America or Asia are not on the same wavelength and society has little or no interest in it!
After all, Germany and the EU are taking a step in the right direction and setting a good example! Isn't it too little to late for that?
Why is single-use plastic so bad for the environment?
We humans produce such a large amount of garbage that it sounds almost ridiculous...
Waste production:
We humans produce such a large amount of garbage that it sounds almost ridiculous...
about 2.2 kg per person every single day.
2.2 kg x 8 billion people x 365 days = 5.8 billion tons of garbage / year
We humans already throw 8.1 million tons of garbage in the oceans every year!
Further threats
This creates further threats to the fragile marine ecosystem! Fish and turtles mistake plastic bags and rubbish for food and choke on them or starve to death as their stomach is filled up with plastic it can't be digested and stays inside.
Plastic crumbles over time
Over time, the plastic breaks into smaller and smaller pieces that can no longer be seen with the naked eye.
Fish swallow these tiny plastic particles and these are found in their intestines. The plastic can no longer or only partially be excreted and was recently even detected in the meat of the fish!
Marine Life
The trash is often a cause of the agonizing death of many marine life. Fish and birds starve to death if they swallow too many small pieces of plastic. Or they strangle themselves and get tangled up in ghost webs
Volunteers
Our volunteers from the marine life conservation project collect rubbish and Single-use plastic on the surface of the water several times a week.
To-Go Cups Single Use
In Germany alone, 320,000 disposable cups are sold every hour!
All of our efforts for our oceans are self-funded!
We are happy about every small donation we get because we have financed ourselves completely over the past 25 years.
Unfortunately, donations are very rare and often very low!
Disposable single-use plastic waste in the Ocean:
Facts on Plastic
Tons of plastic parts like shopping bags, straws and PET bottles end up in the oceans via rivers, rain and wind.
Further
We have produced more plastic in the last 10 years than in the entire last century.
Singe-use Plastic
50 percent of the plastic we use we only use once and then throw it away.
Distance
So much plastic is thrown away every year that the distance would be enough around the earth 4 times.
Recycle
We currently only recycle 5% of the plastics we produce.
Decompose time
It takes 500-1,000 years for plastic to decompose. If that happens at all. Some plastics are not decomposable and stay in the environment forever!
Challenger Deep
Even at the lowest point on earth, the Challenger Deep, a huge amount of single-use plastic waste has been found
Underwater Clean ups
We at the Poseidon Dive Center collect over 500kg of single-use plastic and rubbish from the seabed every month during our underwater cleanup dives.
Beach Cleanup
We do beach cleanups almost daily and find all sorts of single-use plastic and a huge amount of face masks since the pandemic
Waste export using Germany as an example
Since January 1, 2021, there has been an EU-wide export ban on difficult-to-recycle plastic waste, which is mixed or soiled plastic parts.
The risk here is very high that the importing countries throw these parts illegally into the environment in order to earn more money and we see that this is often the case here. Tons of garbage are simply dumped in rivers or in illegal landfills
In the German Packaging Act, stricter regulations have been in place since 2019 to control the proper recycling of plastic packaging.
After all, according to the Federal Ministry, exports of plastic waste from Germany to China and Southeast Asia have fallen significantly since 2016: around 2,600 tons were exported to China in 2019, compared with 562,910 tons three years earlier.
Exports to Southeast Asia fell by around 58 percent to 374,588 tons. Are these numbers correct? Nobody knows what happens on the black market and what goes overboard on the high seas, nobody knows!
For the environment, it is better to use the products several times instead of throwing them away right after use like the single-use plastic. In Germany, hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic granulate is used for single-use plastic bottles. On the other hand Returnable bottles, can be reused up to 50 times.
A reusable box with twelve bottles (0.75 liters) replaces 450 one-way Single-use plastic bottles (1.0 liters).
For this, forests have to be cut down and a lot of energy, chemicals and water are required for production from recycled material.
Aluminum trays or containers would be an alternative, unfortunately the recyclability is not particularly high and a lot of energy is used for production!
The best alternative are crockery, cutlery and bowls made from natural plant products such as banana leaves or bamboo.
Unfortunately, all of these ideas are not the best solution either, as they produce no less waste than single-use plastic.
NEW IDEAS
RETHINK
Our idea would be if people would think differently and bring their own reusable can, bowl or stainless steel mug and then get it filled by the restaurant or supermarket!
Stainless steel is also our recommendation because it can keep drinks and food warm or cold, can be reused several times for a very long time and is easy to clean!
It would also be cheaper for everyone involved to leave out the single-use plastic because the packaging costs are saved!
Even reusable plastic containers can significantly reduce waste production!
So what can each individual do to reduce their single-use plastic?
- Bring your own bag to the supermarket
- Use reusable boxes that you bring with you as often as possible
- Shopping at a local market where the products are available without packaging
- Shopping in packaging-free supermarkets
- Buy bulk packs in the supermarket
- Buy returnable bottles instead of single-use plastic bottles
- Use natural products in the hygiene area
- Use sponges made from natural raw materials when cleaning
- And if it really has to be single-use plastic, make sure that the single-use plastic parts are disposed of correctly
- Buy these following Item recommendations and contribute actively to reduce the waste production of single-use plastic.
Here we present some alternatives to single-use plastic containers and cups
Lunch boxes and thermos Bento boxes to prevent single-use plastic
GRUB2GO Premium Bento Lunch Box
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- LARGE 68 OZ (2+ LITERS) CAPACITY - 70% LARGER THAN OTHER BENTO BOXES: New design is much bigger than classic and other 40 oz. bento box models. Take more food and snacks with you!
- NEW PREMIUM 2021 MODEL: Dual layer air-tight eco containers keep your food fresh & help you portion control. Use one or both big containers at once. Don't worry about spills with our airtight & leakproof lids with integrated vent system: the silicone-lined lids will keep your food in the lunchbox and not all over your stuff!
- INCLUDES SOLID BAMBOO LID (DOUBLES AS CHOPPING BOARD), 2 DIVIDERS, SAUCE CONTAINER & UTENSILS: Eat healthy and prepare your own meals with this complete lunch kit. Take your home made meals to work or school.
- OWN THE ORIGINAL & HIGHEST RATED (OVER 3,000 REVIEWS!) BENTO BOX! Be envied with the bento box lunch box by GRUB2GO. Great design, versatile function and a minimalist style come together in a traditional japanese style set.
- FREE LUNCH BAG WHEN YOU ORDER ORIGINAL FROM “M2 BRANDS”: Convenient drawstring bag to take your meal with you anywhere.Buy this Item and contribute actively to reduce the waste production of single-use plastic.
Bento Box Lunch Box
Bento Box
Kitzini Stainless Steel Bento Box Set
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- Reliable, Leak-proof Bento Container – With 2 Silicone-sealed, Leak-proof Layers,
- Don’t Settle for Metal Bento Boxes Made of Flimsy, Low-quality Materials That Start to Rust, Break and Dent Within a Couple of Weeks. Our Japanese Bento Box Metal is Solidly Constructed Out of Premium, Durable Food-grade Materials – Including Hardwearing, Rust-resistant Stainless Steel.
- 4 Separate Compartments That Provide Plenty of Space for Managing Portions, Food Prep, and Planning Your Meals Ahead of Time. And With Our Removable Snack Compartment, You Can Stow Snacks
- Kinder to the Earth – With Our Bento Lunch Boxes for Adults and Kids, You Can Say Bye-bye Not Only to Wasteful Disposable Containers, but Also to Those Other So-called “reusable” Meal Prep Snack Containers That Only Make Through a Couple of Months of Use Before Breaking. The Durable, Premium-quality Kitzini Stainless Steel Bento Box Set is Made to Last, So You Can Reuse It Again and Again for Years to Come.
- Buy this Item and contribute actively to reduce the waste production of single-use plastic.
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Bento Box
MaMahome Bento Box
- Bento Box Food Grade Material : Made of 304 stainless steel and food grade PP material (BPA-FREE), durable and safe to use,non fragile material which is totally nontoxic and healthy.
- Bento Box Adult Lunch Box 3/4 Grid : 3/4 Grid Bento Lunch Box let you pack a balanced meal with ease, Can separate salad, snacks, fruits and other food.It is convenient for you to taste and mix them up as you want.
- Stainless Steel Bento Box Leak-Proof and Heat-Preserving Design: The lid of the lunch box is equipped with a tight lock, and the double hollow-designed silicone sealing ring will not leak out when filled with water upside down.The inner tank is detachable, boiling water is added to the plastic bottom seat, The inner tank is placed and covered for long-lasting heat preservation. and it with a groove for placing utensils, which can conveniently store your spoon or fork.
- Bento Lunch Box Durable & Easy to Clean: Just add all the components to the top shelf of your dishwasher for quick and easy cleaning.The stainless steel container is removable for easy cleaning. Dishwasher safe. Do not wash the lunch box as a whole into the water.
- Keeps Food Cool and Fresh Until Lunch Time : MaMahome Bento Lunch Box size : 11.4 x 8.6 x 2.8 inch / 54 oz; This all-in-one set has everything you need to send your family knowing they'll enjoy a fresh, tasty lunch.
- Buy this Item and contribute actively to reduce the waste production of single-use plastic.
Bento Box
YBOBK HOME Bento Lunch Box
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- Safe & Healthy The interior of the stackable lunch box is made of high quality food-grade stainless steel, BPA-free, never rust, does not retain flavors or scents; the exterior and lids are made from food-grade safe plastic, non-toxic and odorless.
- Leak & Spill Proof There is a separate sealing lid between the tiers so that the food doesn't touch the bottom of the tier above it, and it can prevent sauce and soup from leaking, and also lock in freshness and odors. In addition, there is a removable small silicone vent plug on the lid, which can help you open or close the lunch box more easily when it expands with heat and contracts with cold
- Stackable & Flexible The leak-proof lunch box has 3 compartments, you could stack them up or down, and flexibly combine them into single, double or triple layers as needed
- Keep Food Warm or Cold The stainless steel lunch box with an insulated lunch bag usually keeps hot food warm for about 3-4 hours, but keeps it fresh all day long; of course it can also be used for cold food (Please note that the holding time will be affected by the local temperature)
- Lunch Bag and Flatware Set Included The insulated lunch bag is made of fashionable denim fabric exterior and food-grade aluminum foil interior, which not only enhances the heat preservation time of the lunch box, but also makes it easy to carry. A free portable flatware set is also provided, which can be put into the lunch bag with the lunch box, you don’t need to spend much time in choosing cutlery of inappropriate size. Provide everything you need, making it easy for you to take it with you
- Buy this Item and contribute actively to reduce the waste production of single-use plastic.
Thermos cup - Travel Mug - Coffee to go - to prevent single-use plastic
Emsa Vacuum mug "Travel Mug" 12.2 fl .oz.
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- High-quality double-walled insulating flask made of stainless steel with a silicone sleeve in coffee style (BPA-free) ensures a cool and comfortable hold
- Easy to clean: a lid that can be easily taken apart and 100% dishwasher-safe components
- Safe use on the go: Leak-proof insulating mug thanks to 100% tight lid and round soft-touch surface for a comfortable and secure hold
- Optimal insulation performance over hours: hot for 6 hours and cold for 12 hours
- Practical drinking pleasure: Thanks to the 360 ° all-round drinking opening, drinking from any side is possible and easy to open with just one hand using the quick-press closure
- Make an active contribution to reducing the waste production of single-use plastic coffee mugs with the reusable coffee mug.
- Buy this Item and contribute actively to reduce the waste production of single-use plastic.
Travel Mug
