The Plastic Problem + 10 Free or Low Cost Alternatives

Take a look around you. How many items can you count that are made from plastic? Think back over your day. How many items did you already use today made from plastic? Imagine walking through the grocery store. How many products come packaged in plastic?

By now I think we’ve all heard about how terrible plastic is for the environment. Over 99% of it is manufactured from chemicals derived from fossil fuels such as petroleum and gas. Plastic waste may harm or kill animals such as when animals eat so much plastic it blocks their digestive tract or they get entangled in plastic.

And then comes the problem of plastic waste.

It takes hundreds of years to break down.
If plastic is burned it releases toxic substances into the atmosphere.
If it’s buried it releases toxic substances into our groundwater and soil.
Not all types of plastic are recyclable and even plastics that are recyclable can only be recycled a few times before they are too degraded to reuse. In comparison, aluminum and glass can be recycled infinitely without loss of quality.

Additionally, it’s becoming more and more clear that plastic is also harmful to human health.

Components found in plastic such as BPA, PFAS, and phthalates are known endocrine disruptors meaning they can wreak havoc on your hormones including on your thyroid health and fertility.
Some types of plastic such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are known human carcinogens.
Toxic substances such as heavy metals, PFAS, and pesticides can also attach themselves to microplastics which we then ingest or absorb through our skin.
Not only does plastic impact the health of those who use plastic products, but it also threatens the health of workers involved in plastic manufacturing, increasing their risk of asthma, diabetes, cancer, and reproductive complications.

So what can you do about this plastic problem? To be clear, there is often an undue amount of blame placed on individuals for the overuse of plastic and not enough responsibility placed on corporations producing plastic. Capitalism will always reward the use of cheap materials (ahem plastic). However, at the same time, if I do need to replace something I would rather spend my hard earned money to support a company making plastic free/non-toxic options or at least not support more plastic production in an effort to make that the norm and to support my health.

While buying plastic free alternatives can be more expensive you also don’t have to spend a ton of money to reduce your plastic exposure. There is no need to be fanatical or perfectionistic about replacing all plastic products in your life, as that can lead to even more plastic waste. Use what you already have first. I am still working on making some of these switches myself.

Below are 10 free or low-cost ways to reduce your plastic use, organized by room.

Kitchen

1. If you only make one change from this list, choose to stop heating food in plastic!

Research suggests heating plastic causes microplastics and toxic additive substances found in plastic to leach into our food to a greater degree than food kept in cold plastic.
According to Huessein et al. (2023) heating food containers with clean water for 3 mins in a microwave released “4.22 million microplastic and 2.11 billion nanoplastic particles from only one square centimeter of plastic area”.
Personally, I only microwave my food in glass or ceramic and avoid drinking hot beverages in plastic containers when possible. I also use a metal hot water kettle instead of a plastic one.
Ideally, wait for leftovers to cool down before placing them in plastic storage containers, or better yet, use glass or metal storage containers instead .
This relatively simple behavior change can significantly decrease our exposure to microplastics and other harmful components found in plastic.
Investment: $0 (unless you don’t have any microwave safe glass or ceramic plates/bowls/containers, then consider finding some at a thrift store for inexpensive options)

2. Switch to glass or stainless steel food storage containers

While heating plastic leaches harmful substances to a greater degree, any food exposure to plastic can potentially leach harmful substances into your food.
If cared for, glass and stainless steel will probably last longer too.
Storing food in microwave safe glass means that reheating leftovers without plastic is incredibly easy.
If you can’t afford to buy glass tupperware, you can reuse glass jars from other food items you buy such as pasta sauce, olives, pickles, etc. While jars aren’t microwave safe, they are an inexpensive and convenient way to store food.
Investment: $0 to reuse glass jars – $30+ to buy glass/stainless steel containers

3. Wooden cutting boards

Yadav et al. (2023) estimates that people may be exposed to up to around 50 grams of microplastics each year from polypropylene and polyethylene cutting boards.
Unfortunately, according to Habib et al. (2022) washing meat after cutting it on plastic does not significantly decrease the microplastics on the meat unless it is washed for at least 3 mins.
Luo et al. (2022) used special imaging techniques to “estimate that 100–300 microplastics / nanoplastics per mm per cut along the groove formed on the chopping board, and ~3000 per mm2 per cut in the scratched area, may be released from a chopping board during food preparation”.
Another point in favor of wooden cutting boards is that they are more sanitary than plastic ones when properly cared for. Bacteria can multiply more easily in the grooves of worn plastic cutting boards than of those in wooden boards.
Investment: ~$15+

4. Tea bags

Many tea bags contain billions of microplastic particles that are released when the tea bag comes in contact with hot water.
Consider using loose-leaf tea or opening the tea bag and putting the tea in a metal diffuser.
Research brands that make plastic free tea.
Investment: ~$5 for a metal tea infuser or ~$15+ for a french press

Bathroom

5. Consider replacements for plastic loofahs in the shower

Loofah plant sponges, silicone loofahs, or soap saver bags are all great alternatives.
Or just use a washcloth you probably already have!
Consider that plastics in the shower are probably getting heated from the hot water, and heat causes plastic to leach more toxins than it does at room temperature.
Investment: $5-10+

6. Wooden hair brush/comb

Next time you need to replace your plastic hairbrush or comb look for one made from a material that will biodegrade faster such as wood or bamboo.
Investment: $10-15+

Laundry

7. Wool or silicon dryer balls

Use in place of fabric softener made of nylon (which comes from plastic)
Investment: ~$10-20

Out of the house

8. Remeber to bring a reusable stainless steel or glass water bottle

At this point most of us have probably already hopped on the reusable water bottle train so no need to go buy a new one but it’s always a good reminder to bring hydration with us when we’re out of the house.
One study from Columbia University found hundreds of thousands of nanoplastics in the water of 3 popular bottled water brands. Yuck!
And if that’s not reason enough to avoid bottled water, many brands of bottled water are really just tap water with so-called “mineral impurities”, such as magnesium and calcium filtered out. In reality, these minerals can actually be beneficial.
Investment: $20+

9. Bring your own silverware

Use instead of the plastic ones that might be in your break room at work.
Investment: $0 (unless you don’t already have silverware, in which case consider buying some from a thrift store for an inexpensive option!)

10. Bring your own containers for leftovers with you when you got out to eat

Polystyrene found in styrofoam, a common takeout container material, is one of the worst types of plastic for human and environmental health and is considered a carcinogen by the World Health Organization. It can also disrupt normal hormone function.
Bringing your own glass containers for example, will also make it easier to reheat them later! Don’t have glass containers? Reusing old glass jars works too (though they’re not microwave safe)!
Investment: $0

Will you and I single-handedly solve the plastic problem with our consumer habits? No, of course not. Should you beat yourself up every time you use an object with plastic? Again, no. Is it even possible to completely eliminate all plastic use in your life? Definitely not. But can we make conscious decisions that reduce our exposure to and reliance on plastic. Absolutely yes!

I started a short list of easy and inexpensive ways to reduce your plastic use. I would love to hear your ideas in the comment section below!

Sources

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Berman, R. (2024, January 12). Massive number of plastic particles found in bottled water. Are they harmful to health? Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/are-plastic-particles-in-bottled-water-harmful-to-health

Brandt-Rauf, P. W., Li, Y., Long, C., Monaco, R., Kovvali, G., & Marion, M. J. (2012). Plastics and carcinogenesis: The example of vinyl chloride. Journal of carcinogenesis, 11, 5. https://doi.org/10.4103/1477-3163.93700

Bryce, E. (2024, March 13). What does plastic do to the endocrine system? Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-chemicals-in-plastics-impact-your-endocrine-system/#:~:text=In%20particular%2C%20plastic%20contains%20endocrine,system%20in%20possibly%20dangerous%20ways

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