Is it just single use plastics that we need to reduce or is it all of them?

[KatyMac]

I can replace Clingfilm and freezer bags by using silicone sheets and tupperware but is that any better?

And why do people go on about toothbrushes - they aren't single use?

I was thinking about McDonald’s toys the other day when I bought a happy meal for myself. I asked for no toy and every member of staff commented on it as if I was some kind of plastic tat dementor sucking the happiness from all children. One of the staff commented that the current ones were really ugly anyway

Why can’t we move onto books in them or nothing at all. So many Mac Donald’s have iPads now.

It’s single use that is the biggie and that you should reduce straight away. There is nothing wrong g with plastic as such what’s wrong is when it’s not recyclable or doesn’t contain recyclable content. This is being addressed by government they have proposed a tax in all plastic packaging that doesn’t include at least 30% of recyclable content. They have also issues the waste strategy recently and that puts an emphasis on producer responsibility so businesses hands are being forced,
There needsss to be more infrastructure in place. For example I use a reusable water bottle . Great when I’m at work and I can refill. However if your out and about there are no public drinking water taps. We are saying that we will refill reuseable water bottles for free.

In response to someone who said about paper bags instead. Paper is significantly more expensive. It also takes up significantly more space in a store/ on a vehicle.

Review of bamboo toothbrushes: www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/fashion-beauty/best-bamboo-toothbrushes-plastic-pollution-biodegradable-bistles-dental-care-eco-friendly-a8411536.html

I use a medium Environmental Bamboo Toothbrush and find it just right, but they don't come in different colours so you might want to sharpie initials onto them for a family.

Maybe google for retailers of each brand.

I use Pearly Whites toothbrush, I like it but I also always use soft toothbrushes so maybe that’s why.

Why is more plastic not recycled? The technology is obviously there as firms like Terracycle will take and recycle your plastic film, black trays etc (for a price) so why is it not more widespread?

Also a lot of stuff comes in number 4 packaging that says to recycle it. But even after doing some research I can’t work out where or how?

Tupperware is very durable (I have my grandmothers original Tupperware from when it first came out) it's single use and limited use that's the problem

For clarity paper is more expensive financially. But it could be more expensive environmentally too. So if we were to replace everything with paper- paper release a lot of carbon so we would further be increasing the carbon problem. It’s not as simple as it seems I’m afraid.

When I say takes up space think
If of 1 pallet of plastic bags (and these could be compost able/
Biodegradable) the paper equivalent would be a whole lorry load. Therefore you have more lorries on the road delivering all the paper bags. Increased emissions.

Zzzzzzz as I said paper releases a lot of carbon replace everything with paper we have another issue on our hands. Plastic has a role in preserving the shelf life of food products. Take that away we increase food waste- a lot of councils still don’t provide food waste collections.
Not everyone can compost - size of gardens, town gardens etc.

I’m well aware of what compostable bags mean - and they are only really effective if you have a food waste collection or compost bin anyway.

My own bugbear is plastic wrap that you just dispose of without using. E.g. Straws on packaged drinks or the wrap to keep 4 tins of beans together. Complete waste. With the latter, why not reduce the price at the till? Buy 4, get a discount.

@Bluewidow Give Me Tap has an app that tells you where in the UK you can get water refills when out and about. Shops and restaurants have signed up to it and you can just walk in and ask for a refill.

Glasgow central just installed a tap for refilling. We’re going backwards to public fountains - on one hand a good thing, on the other not sure about hygiene.

Does anyone know if it's best to buy ketchup, oil etc in glass bottles or plastic bottles? At first glance, glass seems better but it's also heavier (& thicker) so will take more fuel to transport. Which is best overall, I wonder?

The key is to keep materials in high value use as much as possible, be they plastic, glass, metal etc... anything that gets thrown away or even recycled after just a few uses is a waste of precious resources. Recycling is important but the secondary products have a lower 'value' than the original. E.g. recycled paper has a different quality to virgin paper..,, the trick is to buy things that last a long time and are adaptable, reusable or repairable. Plastic has sone great uses and as PP said replacing with paper will cause additional problems. But plastic that only gets used for a short time or 'sheds' microfibres into our water system (eg from polyester clothing) is bad news. Toothbrushes are a problem as we get through a lot of them and, globally they seem to have a habit of ending up in the sea where they will be for centuries. I like the silicone sheets idea... thanks! On glass v plastic ketchup bottles google might have an answer based on embodied impacts but my gut feeling is that glass would only be better if you can find a way to reuse it (eg. as a vase / candlestick etc..), assuming you would responsibly recycle either option if you didn't reuse. Buying the lArgest size bottle would also help as long as you can use it all before it goes off...

My own bugbear is plastic wrap that you just dispose of without using. E.g. Straws on packaged drinks or the wrap to keep 4 tins of beans together. Complete waste. With the latter, why not reduce the price at the till? Buy 4, get a discount.

I agree. And the best way to fight this is to keep emailing/tweeting manufacturers and retailers, asking them to reduce plastic packaging. Yes, you'll probably be fobbed off with a polite but non-committal reply, but if we all keep doing it, they'll start to take notice.

You need to look at the whole life cycle of a product - how its made, what its made from, how long it can be used/reused and how after it is disposed of and returned to the earth. It's bloody difficult as a consumer to do this.

A lot of false economies are made in the name of being "environmental friendly". One of these is to view plastic as the enemy. There's a very good reason it is used a lot in food packaging it is light, therefore costing less to transport, is good protection and avoids food waste (which in its is a far bigger drain on our planet).

What we need to cut down unnecessary consumption across the board.

@zzzz, you mentioned wanting to refill fabric softener etc. Have a look at Splosh. They send out concentrated versions of their products in the post as refills, and their products are pretty good.

It's complicated - a few years ago we were desperate to remove biodegradable waste from landfill as it decomposes to methane - which results in more global warming. So switching from plastic to compostable bags etc is only a benefit if the compostable stuff is actually composted properly and gases harvested, rather than landfilled.

Equally shifting from plastic packets to glass - the glass is much heavier and you need more petrol/diesel to transport the items (and more loads as glass takes up more space). Plastic is basically making use of a waste product from turning crude oil into petrol/diesel. So a few years ago in response to public demand, lots of coffee companies started selling eco refills - coffee in a plastic pack to refill your jar. Now people won't buy them...

Swapping from oil/gas/coal-fired power plants to at least some energy-from-waste plants would be a good measure to get rid of plastic - cutting down as well would be good but harvesting landfill should be able to keep a few EfW plants going for their lifespans. Keeps all of Rotterdam lit and heated.

Going back to the toothbrushes, I love the Truthbrush which is bamboo and all but a small percentage of the bristles break down and they are not too soft which was the problem with others Ive used. I buy them from an online store called reco.shop which has some cool things

Clingfilm is a product of satan - will not have it in the home!

@ElinoristhenewEnid useful to have a bit in your first aid kit (for burns) but otherwise I agree. Last time I asked about alternatives & was told a soft plastic bag would also work though need to make sure it's clean.