7 Tips for Saving Plastic

Approximately 39 kilograms of plastic waste are generated per person in Germany each year. This waste is often exported to countries where waste disposal infrastructure is not as well developed as in this country. The result: plastic bags, PET bottles, disposable cups, and the like end up in nature, harming humans and animals. However, even small adjustments in everyday life can help avoid plastic waste and thereby reduce environmental impact. We have compiled tips in this article on how you and your family can save plastic.

Save plastic at home and on the go

Shop consciously

There are now so-called cities in many cities. Zero Waste Stores . Here you can find everything from groceries to household products like dish soap or laundry detergent without packaging. You bring your own jars and containers and fill them up. These can also be old plastic bottles, giving them another life cycle – so you save a lot of packaging material in the future!

You can save quite a bit of plastic at the supermarket if you loose fruits and vegetables buy. Bring reusable and washable fruit and vegetable nets for shopping. Additionally, there are many products where you can choose between packaging made of plastic and packaging made of cardboard or glass. Take a bit more time during your next shopping trip and see what you can replace in your shopping cart with more environmentally friendly products. Remember to only buy what you really need. Because far too many food items end up in the trash can – and often also in plastic packaging. Our tip: Make a plan beforehand Shopping list and plan a day in the week for you to Meal options uses.

Use reusable items instead of disposable products

From the idea of your own Reusable cup to take with you, instead of repeatedly using a new to-go cup, you've probably heard of it before. But did you know that there is baking paper that you can reuse multiple times? This Back mats are washable and dishwasher safe, so you always have a clean surface for the oven.

Look around the household if you want to reduce plastic in everyday life. You're sure to find more items that can be replaced with reusable products: Dishcloths instead of cling film, Stainless steel straws instead of the plastic version, Canvas tote bag instead of plastic bag. Also for the kitchen roll can washable kitchen towels to be an alternative that also does without plastic packaging.

Make your own cleaning products and more

Let's be honest: kids do create quite a mess, and that's just part of it. Cleaning simply part of the daily family routine. :) To get the house clean again, you don't need a cabinet filled with dozens of different cleaning products in plastic bottles. With Baking soda, vinegar, citric acid, and bar soap can replace items like all-purpose cleaner, fabric softener, and descaler. These household remedies are more environmentally friendly compared to chemical products and also save your wallet.

Also Sponges and cloths usually made of plastic. A plastic-free alternative are natural sponges or cellulose sponges. Or you can simply make your own dishcloth. Cut old fabric scraps for this purpose or give discarded towels a new use as rags. The "new" cleaning cloths can be washed and reused.

And also for the good old Trash bag There is a plastic-free option available. The only thing you need for it is waste paper. It can be easily folded into a practical trash bag, and you've reduced the plastic content in your daily life in another way.

Pay attention to the ingredients

For many products, it is immediately clear that they or their packaging are made of plastic. However Microplastics cannot be recognized directly from the outside. It is found in many cosmetic products such as shampoos, shower gels, scrubs, and lipsticks, and is just as harmful to the environment. It is always worth checking the ingredients before purchasing. The following terms indicate plastic additives:

• Acrylate Copolymer (AC)

• Acrylate Crosspolymer (ACS)

• Dimethiconol

• Methicone

• Polyamide (PA, Nylon)

• Polyacrylate (PA)

• Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)

• Polyquaternium (PQ)

• Polyethylene (PE)

• Polyethylene glycol (PEG)

• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

• Polypropylene (PP)

• Polypropylene glycol (PPG)

• Polystyrene (PS)

• Polyurethane (PUR)

• Siloxane

Save plastic with a baby and toddler

Cook porridge and snacks yourself

A shopping cart full of jars, pouches, fruit bars, and rice cakes is also full of packaging waste. You can save quite a bit of plastic waste by and snacks – your little explorer will enjoy it just as much. :) But don't put too much pressure on yourself. Family life is stressful, and sometimes it's just not possible to do everything yourself. Our tip: if you find the time, it's worth cooking in larger portions and freezing the meals. Under hygienic conditions, for example, purees can last up to two months at -18°C.

You can fill the porridge meals into already existing, sterilized jars or use canning jars. Homemade treats can be easily stored in a tin and taken along. And if your little explorer doesn't get enough of the squeeze pouches, use Reusable squeeze pouches , which you can refill repeatedly with fruit or vegetable pulp. This way, the... sustainable nutrition in family life .

Use plastic-neutralized diapers

If you want to completely avoid plastic when changing, you can cloth diapers use or be your child to hold . Sometimes these two methods are not so easy to implement in everyday baby life. If you choose cloth diapers or potty training, it can help to occasionally switch back to disposable diapers – especially in the beginning or when you're on the go.

To save as much plastic as possible at the changing table, we use our and with as little plastic as possible. They are made from natural ingredients such as unbleached cellulose in the diaper core and come in a more sustainable paper packaging. To ensure consistent absorption, we unfortunately (still) cannot completely eliminate plastic. Instead, in collaboration with we remove the full amount of plastic from the environment that is contained in our product. At the same time, with our LILLYDOO green line, you don't have to compromise on skin friendliness – like all LILLYDOO products, the diapers and pants are free from artificial ingredients, perfumes, and lotions, making them gentle on both the environment and baby’s skin.

Pay attention to natural materials when choosing clothing

Since synthetic fibers are cheaper in textile manufacturing, they are now found in many garments. The problem: During washing, they leach out Microplastics in wastewater . But not only the environment is affected by synthetic fibers, but possibly also your child's skin – skin irritations can occur depending on the type of dyeing. Therefore, you should consider when purchasing Baby and children's clothing pay attention that these are made from natural materials such as Wool, linen, or cotton consist of and not from the following fibers:

• Polyester

• Polyamide/Nylon

• Polyacrylic

• Elastane

As you can see, it's not that difficult to reduce plastic in everyday family life. Of course, no one has to live plastic-free overnight – even small changes are good for the environment.