John Myers
Plastic is increasingly polluting the environment and is ingested in the form of microparticles by humans through food. Many therefore want to avoid plastics and buy food unpackaged and store it plastic-free. Here we will tell you exactly how this can work.
For the sake of the environment: food without plastic
The apples are covered with foil, the potatoes are packed in a plastic net, and sausage, cheese, and meat are in solid trays in the refrigerated counters. At home, the packaging then ends up in the garbage. If you want to avoid plastic when shopping, it’s difficult. But a rethink is slowly taking place. Environmentally friendly packaging is gradually finding its way into the range, such as reusable nets for fruit and vegetables. “Smart branding” replaces the labels on the loose organic goods with laser engravings, and the boxes are made from recycled and FSC-certified, renewable raw materials. In addition, there are a number of things you can do yourself to eat plastic-free. Buy milk and yoghurt in jars, use cloth shopping bags instead of plastic bags and have sausage, meat, and cheese-filled into reusable bowls at the supermarket counter, at the butcher or in the farm shop. This is already possible in many shops. Designated unpackaged shops rely on self-filling for all products and strive to reduce food waste. You can easily research on the Internet whether such a supermarket, also known as a zero waste shop, is in your area.
Store food in your own household without plastic
If the purchase has made it to your home largely plastic-free, it is important to avoid plastic when storing the food. Reusable food storage containers are better than disposable foil, but there are good alternatives. Containers made of stainless steel or glass, for example, keep perishable foods such as cheese and sausage fresh in the refrigerator just as well. They are also suitable for coffee and long-life products such as pasta. Bread can be stored in wooden boxes or cotton bags, potatoes, garlic and onions keep well in clay pots. The oilcloths that used to be widely used, which you can easily make yourself, are experiencing a revival today and are replacing cling film. Eating and cooking without plastic also includes the equipment in the kitchen: chopping boards made of wood instead of plastic, paper garbage bags, and dish brushes without plastic handles are just a few examples. Read our other tips on how to live sustainably at home. You can also find out how to avoid microplastics when brushing your teeth with our tips for homemade toothpaste.
Reuse plastic by upcycling
Despite all your efforts, you will hardly be able to achieve completely plastic-free food and a completely plastic-free household. It gets difficult with cosmetics, for example. From eye cream to toothpaste, everything is packed in plastic containers. Here you can usually only make sure that the tubes, pots, and bottles are recyclable and/or made from recycling materials. If this is not the case, you can arrange for reuse yourself. There is almost nothing that cannot be transformed into a usable everyday object by upcycling. Or you can at least use the fruit plastic bag as a rubbish bag for the rubbish bin in the bathroom. You can use clothes longer if you repair a zipper yourself. Of course, careful waste separation is also important here, because this also contributes to the sustainability of products.
