Actually, I consider myself to be quite environmentally conscious. I use fabric bags instead of plastic bags when I go shopping, buy returnable bottles and avoid unnecessary packaging. So I’m doing everything right. Nevertheless, I am always amazed at the amount of waste I bring home after just one purchase. I balanced it out: 650 grams. Paper, metal or glass are rarely included; most of it is plastic. For example my mineral water, which, like many consumers, I buy in plastic bottles. “Despite the deposit, most plastic bottles are non-returnable. If possible, buy the reusable version,” says Maria Elander, head of the circular economy department at Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH). Because one-way returnable bottles are produced in a very energy-intensive manner and are only filled once. After crushing, only a small part is processed into new disposable bottles. The rest ends up in fleece pullovers or umbrellas, for example.
If you want to shop even more environmentally friendly, you can reach for the glass bottle. On average, it has been on the market for eight years and is refilled about 50 times during this time. Reusable plastic bottles, on the other hand, are only refilled 10 to 25 times. Another disadvantage: plastic bottles can only ever be used for the same drink, otherwise the taste would be transferred to other drinks via the somewhat porous material. A problem that does not arise with glass bottles.
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FOOD IN PLASTIC PRETENDS FRESHNESS
Fruit and vegetables are increasingly being packed in plastic trays or bags – even organic food. This is doubly annoying because this packaging is made of plastic, which, according to the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz (BUND), is more difficult to recycle than bottles.
In addition to conventional plastic foils, many manufacturers now also use so-called nano materials. They contain substances that extend the shelf life of food. BUND is critical of this development. “Fruit or vegetables that have been stored for a long time in such packaging only give the impression of freshness. But as a consumer, I really want to eat fresh food and not four-week-old goods that just look fresh,” explains Sarah Häuser, an expert on nanotechnology at BUND.
She also criticizes the fact that the chemical substances in nano-packaging are not 100 percent firmly bound and could therefore get into the food. “Too little is known about the effects of nanoparticles on human health,” Hauser points out. “However, many have been shown to be harmful in animal experiments.” Stupid for critical consumers: optically, nano-materials do not differ from other packaging, and the manufacturers do not have to label them separately.
BEVERAGE CARTONS CONTAIN LITTLE PAPER
Something is also being done secretly in the production of the formerly environmentally friendly beverage carton: the name “carton” is intended to suggest something specific to us consumers, but in fact the proportion of plastic is increasing and the amount of paper is shrinking.
Only 35 percent is recycled – the paper share. About ten years ago, the proud accounted for 64 percent. The plastic is incinerated and the aluminium, although too good for that, goes to cement production. Another problem in the manufacture of cardboard packaging is the printing chemicals used in writing. The manufacturers do not reveal what these are. In the past, however, the DUH was able to prove food contamination. “All problems that do not occur with glass,” says Maria Elander.
I saved on my last purchase. The weight of the packs has increased to 1000 grams, but I hardly throw anything away, instead returning almost everything to the reusable cycle. My contribution to environmental protection. If you join us, there are two of us.
10 TIPS ON HOW TO REDUCE WASTE
- At the weekly market you can’t help but save on packaging. You can get almost anything loose here. Of course you can make an exception for meat, fish and eggs.
- And with milk? Out of the box, into the bottle. If possible, into a brown one that contains around 90 percent old glass.
- Small, foldable nylon bags with a modern design fit in any handbag and you don’t need to buy a plastic bag at the checkout.
- Treat yourself to fresh bread; do not use sliced bread in plastic bags in the bakery either.
- Avoid ready meals. They are in elaborate packaging. Cooking it yourself tastes better too.
- Buy loose fruit and vegetables whenever possible. Put more robust varieties unpackaged in the bag.
- Reusable instead of disposable: This also applies to juice and soft drinks. Preferably from the region and therefore without long transport routes.
- Frozen goods or canned food – often practical, but associated with a lot of packaging and energy consumption. Buy fresh ingredients more often!
- Tupperware and the good old bread box – save foil when packing provisions and lunch snacks.
- Yoghurt in reusable jars protects the environment – and you get more out of it: twice the amount of content compared to the usual cups.
We could save 1.25 million tons of CO2 per year if all Germans bought non-alcoholic beverages in reusable instead of single-use packaging!
