When a few years ago I made the documentary “Plastic Planet” I was quite shocked. The amount of plastic that exists on earth today cannot be calculated in numbers. And the downside is that plastic is not biodegradable and therefore pollutes the environment in the long term. Worse still: it breaks down into tiny particles (microplastics) that can no longer be filtered and thus enter the water, the soil, and, at some point through the food chain, our bodies as well.
It was then that I decided to reduce my plastic consumption radically. It wasn’t until I went to the stores with this new awareness that I noticed how much plastic surrounds us. Be it in household or hygiene products, in food packaging, or everyday objects, plastic is used almost everywhere these days.
Even things that initially appear plastic-free, such as glass bottles, turn out to be plastic hiding places.
Where is plastic everywhere? And how can this plastic be avoided? Below is a list of things plastic hides in and safer and more sustainable alternatives. By the way: What each of us can do to reduce plastic is not only switch to alternatives but also contact manufacturers who use plastic. The greater the demand for plastic-free products, the more likely companies are to rethink their products and make them plastic-free.