Plastic-Free Alternatives: Tips for Everyday Family Life
Plastic-free alternatives are more in demand today than ever before. More and more families want to avoid mountains of plastic waste. However, completely banning plastic from family life seems impossible in many everyday situations. After all, these annoying little plastic traps lurk around every corner. But it’s not about completely overhauling your life to be plastic-free. Rather, you should decide for yourself in which situations you can easily and gladly do without plastic.
We have tips for families on how to fight plastic. From the daily care routine to school or kindergarten visits: we went through a typical family day and compiled plastic-free alternatives for every situation.
Morning routine: plastic-free care products for children
The day usually starts with a small morning routine in the bathroom. This varies depending on the child’s age. Babies first need to be changed. And here lies the first plastic trap: disposable diapers. Although they can be quite practical, there are plastic-free alternatives like washable cloth diapers or organic disposable diapers. In our blog post on “ecological baby products”, we have thoroughly compared the pros and cons. During the changing routine, wet wipes are usually used. As a plastic-free alternative, we simply recommend a washcloth with a bit of coconut oil. This not only produces less waste but also saves money!
Once the little ones are out of diapers, the care routine begins with brushing teeth. Did you know that even our toothbrushes are made of plastic? Here, too, plastic-free alternatives made of bamboo or wood are becoming increasingly popular. You can now even find these in every drugstore. Shower gels in plastic bottles are also common in every bathroom. If you want, you can also switch to a plastic-free alternative here. We recommend, for example, a solid shampoo or soap for children. These work great for showering and washing hair and are often gentler on the skin.
Plastic-free alternatives at the breakfast table
Once the little ones are dressed, it’s time for breakfast. Especially popular with children: milk and yogurt. Unfortunately, here lies the next plastic trap. We recommend buying these products in bottles or jars. Fruits and vegetables are also often additionally packaged in plastic. But that doesn’t have to be the case. You can often visit the local weekly market with the little ones or specifically choose products without plastic packaging at the supermarket. In general, you can easily avoid conventional plastic bags when shopping. We simply recommend bringing a cloth bag or a reusable fresh produce net. For babies and toddlers, baby puree is often served at breakfast. Here, you should avoid the new trend of single-use squeeze pouches. It’s better to use puree from jars or homemade versions.
Living plastic-free – kindergarten & school
After breakfast, it’s off to school or kindergarten. Here, plastic traps mainly lurk around snack time. Aluminum foil and plastic bags are taboo. Instead, we recommend a stainless steel lunchbox or a beeswax wrap instead of conventional cling film. The wax wrap can simply be wiped clean and reused after use. You can also easily do without water in plastic bottles. Plastic-free alternatives are a reusable water bottle or tap water. When it comes to school supplies, plastic is not necessarily needed either. Products like rulers, pens & co. are also available made of wood. Instead of plastic covers for school notebooks and books, we recommend a paper version. Metal products are also good plastic-free alternatives.
Plastic-free alternatives in the children’s room
After kindergarten, school, homework & co., it’s off to the children’s room. In the little ones’ realm, it starts with the furniture. Here, too, you can pay attention to sustainable children’s furniture or even build some pieces yourself. Next comes the toys. Unfortunately, a lot of plastic often accumulates here as well. Plastic-free alternatives are wooden toys. These are not only more sustainable but also more robust and durable. Classics like play shops, play kitchens & co. can be passed down through generations. However, many smaller products are often only available in plastic versions. We have compiled the top 5 plastic-free alternatives from the howa range:
Do you have more suggestions on the topic of plastic-free alternatives? Then visit our howa Instagram page. Here we regularly present sustainability tips and would love to hear even more tips and tricks.
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