Reduce plastic wastage by replacing these 5 single use plastic items

Petroleum and plastics have enabled humans to make incredible leaps in technology and become the wealthiest middle class in human history. However the cost to the environment, including individual life and biodiversity, is a debt humans will be paying for generations.

A simple step for all of us is to reduce our everyday wastage of plastics i.e. those single use plastic items.

To assist in this endeavour I have compiled a list of useful websites which are great resources for finding plastic alternatives. This will be an evolving post, with the goal of hitting the biggest culprit with the easiest alternative:

1. Rubbish Bin / Trash Can Liners: simply do not use a liner. Most household waste which leads to stink and mess in bins are typically compostable. This means that if you simply compost those stinkier messier items and put the rest of the household waste in the rubbish bin (with no liner). For more information see: https://greengroundswell.com/kitchen-trash-bags-green-alternatives/2012/09/17/
2. Cling Wrap: a more mainstream alternative to cling wrap is reusable bees wax wraps however the easy change you need could simply be putting a plate on items being microwaved or using reusable containers. For more information see:
   https://www.biome.com.au/blog/plastic-wrap-alternatives/
3. Zip Lock Bags: there are more items on market now and these are increasing. Alternatives include old school lunch and snack boxes, paper bags and re-usable bags such as those made from cotton. For more information see: https://sustainahome.com/blogs/news/3-alternatives-to-plastic-zip-lock-bags
4. Freezer Bags: there are alternatives you can buy, such as stainless steel containers, however you probably put into recycling items that you can can use instead of freezer bags and these are glass jars. For more information see: https://zerowastechef.com/2016/01/06/how-to-freeze-food-without-using-plastic/
5. Doggie Poop Bags: the challenge with these bags is that in order to comply with the law, i.e. picking up after your pet, pet owners need a single use items that is not reliant on plastic and doesn’t harm the environment. Biodegradable poop bags may not be as advertised so it pays to check the standards they are meeting and a good option are flushable bags (i.e. bags that dissolve in water). For more information see: https://www.rover.com/blog/truth-about-biodegradable-poop-bags-in/#

Good luck with these simple steps and please provide comments on alternatives that have worked for you.