Is reusable really elite?
- Cas
- Apr 4, 2022
- 5 min read
Let's take a look at some one-time use products vs their reusable alternatives.
We're pretty sure we already know the answer to the question, 'is reusable really elite?', but we'll get to our final decision at the end after we've weighed up all the facts.
I suppose we should start by identifying the fact that we live in a world of complete consumerism. Humans (generally) have become greedy and we abuse just about every resource available to us on Earth to satisfy all of our complex needs and desires. We will do anything for convenience, and this includes using disposable things over reusable ones, even if it takes a toll on our planet.
With this being said, I don't think we're entirely to blame. Companies are very good at exploiting our wants and desires in order to sell sell sell. Companies want us to see their products and think, "Oh my, how have I survived without this? It's never been so convenient!", and a lot of the time they're really convincing!
Anyway, let's start looking at some products...
1. Plastic water bottles
Potentially one of the biggest culprits, each year nationwide we use 7.7 billion plastic bottles, which is an average of 117 bottles per person. Many of these bottles will not be recycled and will take up to 500 years to fully decompose on landfills - or they will enter our water systems, causing danger to our marine life.
We're so lucky in the UK to have access to safe drinking water straight from our tap, which most of us have access to at home. With this, there's little excuse for us to not be using reusable containers for our water. If you're still concerned about the safety of the water from your tap though, you can purchase water filter jugs that you can filter your water through, before it goes into your reusable container - here is an article on the 9 best water filter jugs available: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/best-water-filter-jugs
2. Plastic bags
It should come at no surprise that plastic bags are amongst the highest one-time use polluters. We use 13 billion bags in the UK each year, and the majority of the bags are only used once, then are sent to landfill or end up in the ocean. They take up to 100 years to decompose and plastics from items such as carrier bags and bottles that end up in oceans kill around 1,000,000 sea creatures every year.
In the UK, we introduced a 5p carrier bag tax and it showed a significant reduction in our single-use bag consumption. That's great, but we could still do better. There are places that have a full ban on single-use carrier bags, and I don't think it's a terrible idea! Reusable bags are readily available and often only marginally more expensive than their single-use counterparts.
Alternatively, there are so many amazing tote bags out there with super cute or personalised designs. I like to shop for them on Etsy, this way i'm avoiding single-use plastic, i'm supporting a small business & I have a really cute bag. Win win!
3. Coffee cups
The UK uses 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups per year, even though many mainstream coffee stores will happily make your drink in a reusable cup - some even offering a discount/extra reward points as an incentive!
Did you know single-use paper cups actually have a layer of plastic paste (also known as polyethylene), which is used to help the cup keep the contents warm? It's great for functionality of the cup, but it does mean that they aren't recyclable: a big no no for the planet.
There are so many reusable cups available out there on the market, there is something for everyone!
4. Food wrap/sandwich bags
Something that you might not have even considered is the amount of waste produced by wrapping food across the world every day. Zip-lock bags, clingfilm, tin foil and paper bags are all things commonly used in households to wrap up lunches.
Think about it: we wrap our food, sometimes for just a matter of hours, and then that wrap goes straight in the bin. When you consider the sheer amount of people every single day who are doing that, it's a lot of waste!
But what alternatives are there?
The first one to come to mind is a reusable lunchbox. You can find them in a multitude of different designs, sizes and materials - there's something for everyone, even if it's just a plain old simple plastic container. But what about if you want to wrap your food for freshness? The best alternative we could find is a reusable beeswax wrap. Again, you can get these in so many different designs, they're much friendlier to the environment and they've got a multitude of different uses! Have a look here: Beeswaxwraps
5. Self-care & sanitary Items
Self-care and sanitary tasks are a key part of every person's life on this planet, and as of writing this, that's 7,938,081,541 people. Each of us are doing things every day to keep ourselves well-kept & sanitary, all of which result in some kind of waste. Brushing teeth, washing ourselves, the use of sanitary products for the ladies, grooming tools. Have a think now about your own self-care regimes and where you generate waste.
Personally, I haven't gotten around to investing in a decent toothbrush yet, so I use a bog-standard handheld plastic jobby that will be replaced in 3-4 months (or more likely 6-8 months lets be real please no judgement). I am a woman and use sanitary products every month, and I currently have a disposable razor that I have almost definitely been using for way longer than the recommended time. All of those things eventually will become waste and will sit in landfill or even worse, they'll make their way into our oceans.
So of course using products for self-care and sanitation is just unavoidable, but what eco-minded alternatives are out there? Toothbrushes with interchangeable heads are ideal, as there is less plastic going to waste when it comes to replacing it. The same applies to razors with interchangeable heads. There are also eco-friendly alternatives to the commonly used sanitary pad. I appreciate it's not to everyone's taste (purely for the fact that it's not the 'norm' - these products are just as sanitary as their disposable counterparts), but it's lovely to know there's an option there. Again, these come in various different shapes and sizes, and there are multiple brands out there too. Have a look for yourself here!
In conclusion: reusable is absolutely elite, and we should all be making at least some attempts to cut down our individual use on disposable products. Call yourself out & see what small changes you can make to your lifestyle to reduce your single-use product usage, you might surprise yourself!
Until next time!
- Cas x
Sources
https://www.citytosea.org.uk/top-10-single-use-plastic-items-on-seashores/ - Accessed 01/04/2022
https://www.recyclingbins.co.uk/recycling-facts/#:~:text=Every%20year%2C%20we%20throw%20away,billion%20plastic%20bottles%20per%20year. - Accessed 01/04/2022
https://www.water.org.uk/advice-for-customers/water-and-health/#:~:text=Can%20I%20drink%20tap%20water,most%20regulated%20drink%20out%20there. - Accessed 01/04/2022
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