Do you make a 'walk of shame' to the PMD container every day with a box full of empty packaging? Don't worry, you're not the only one. On average, we open about 7 (plastic) packages per day and then throw them away immediately. A waste, right? Together we can ensure that we halve our plastic consumption. Read our tips:
Pssst... How much plastic do you use?
Collect all the packaging you use in a day or a week. Is it good or bad?
1. Choose packaging-free
The best way to reduce plastic waste is to buy less plastic packaging. Sounds logical, but if you consider that we use 26 billion plastic packaging per year in the Netherlands , there is still a lot to be gained. The challenge is to find a packaging-free or plastic-free alternative for every product that you normally buy in (plastic) packaging. A few tips:
- Pack vegetables and fruit from the supermarket - or better: from the market - in reusable bags.
- Look for supermarkets or specialty stores where you can 'tap' your own pasta, nuts, etc. into glass jars you bring with you.
- Try to cook with seasonal vegetables as much as possible. These are often not or less packaged, because they do not have to travel long distances.
- Grow your own vegetables, fruit and/or herbs.
Last but not least: our soap bars are packaged plastic-free and they last 3x as long as a bottle.
2. Make refilling a routine
We may not be used to refilling packaging yet, but in a few years we will know no better. By reusing plastic packaging, we reduce the production of (new) plastic and reduce the waste mountain. But Marcel, isn't a refill packaging also made of plastic? That's right, but it requires about 50 to 75% less plastic than a bottle.
3. Ban single-use plastics
Every year, eight million tons of plastic ends up in the oceans, half of which is disposable plastic: from drinking cups to plastic bags. With these must-haves for on the go, you no longer need disposable plastic:
- Foldable shopping bag
- Reusable mesh bags for fruit and vegetables
- Reusable coffee-to-go cup and water bottle
- Lunch box, bowl and cutlery
This means you are not dependent on disposable packaging and you save a lot of plastic waste (and money – after all, since 2024 you have to pay extra for disposable packaging that contains plastic).
4. Use disposable wipes made from vegetable fibers
Many cleaning wipes and baby wipes contain plastic. This is also disposable plastic. You throw them away immediately after use. Unfortunately, many disposable wipes are found in the oceans. Therefore, choose (cleaning) wipes made with vegetable fibers.
5. Recycle, recycled and recyclable
A life without plastic may not be feasible (yet), but we can do without new plastic. More and more products are packaged in recycled plastic, just like our soapies, but toys, furniture and clothing are also increasingly made from recycled materials.
Please note: not all recycled materials are recyclable. This breaks the circular economy. So check the packaging carefully to see if the product and/or packaging is also recyclable.
In order to recycle plastic, it must be disposed of separately. If you throw it in the residual waste, there is a good chance that it will end up in the incinerator. Our refills and bottles must also be thrown in the plastic waste. These are made of recycled and recyclable plastic!
Recycling, recycled, recyclable… Are you getting dizzy? Read this blog for further explanation.
