The question of how and what should be the alternative is narrowed down to the purpose. This makes it clearer to know what can be replaced instead of plastic items.
Common Plastic alternatives that you may already know.
How can we forget about the boats that we own or charter! Does it not matter if we have an environmentally friendly boat and even the paint on it!
So, let’s check out some of the alternatives; who knows, this could help you trigger an idea to transform your life and make it greener.
Ceramic cups, clay pots, glass, wood and metal items
Products that come under “made of wood” items
I have added Bamboo and paper cardboard within this category of wooden items. They can be used as a subcategory, though.
- Paper Bubble wraps
- Egg holder Thick paper mold
- Spoons & forks (edible too Bakeys)
- Serving trays
- Computer (for example : Volta V Wooden Computer)
- CPU and other computer accessories
- Toilet brush
- Match sticks
- Bamboo keyboard
- Mouse made of bamboo
- Teak or Oak wood wardrobe
- Cabinets
- Combing set
- Doll houses
- Crates
- Decking
- Dashboards
- Pencils
- Ball Pens
- Key chains with wooden toys
- Sheds
- Colour pencils
- Beds
- Wooden spatula
- Shredded paper packaging
- Cardboard boxes
- Cartons for shipping
- Strong Jute ropes for Complete packing
- Bamboo boiling pan (for dim sum etc.)
- Classic Rocking Chair
- Sofa
- Wrapping hot bread in a kitchen cloth
- Stepping stool for Bathroom
- Clips to hang clothes
- Poles to dry clothing
- Eco friendly butter paper
- Jute or Strong textile leash for pets
- Coconut shell as aquarium accessory
- Cloth or Jute fiber door mats
- wooden switch panels
- Homemade paper stickers
- Bamboo dust pan
- Plant based sweeping broom
- Timber window panels
- Woody Duster
- Rubber soles for shoes (Fit for purpose*)
- Wooden tabletops
- Woody cork bottle caps
- Wooden pen holders
- Plain cardboard only Files & folders
- Wooden note clamp holders
- Sivak tooth brush (Miswak)
- Dry Neem tooth powder in a glass bottle
- Wooden or a metallic chess board
- Carom boards
- Coco peat for plants to sell (Not Styrofoam)
- Coconut outer fibers for scrubbing
- Fencing made of Timber
- Haystack hats
- Woolen footwear for home use
- Tree fiber Ropes
- Papaya & Bamboo stem straw
- Wooden glasses case
- Leather or wooden phone protective covers
- Heavy duty Cotton bags
- New wooden Lego sets
- Wooden Block games
- Clothing Nappies that can be washed and reused
- Flags made of paper or cloth
- Bamboo tooth picks
Can these categories beat our artificial nature killer?
Yes, of course, it can beat. People have been using plant-based items for ages.
Plastic has affected us and our environment in any shape, variety, or form. The categories mentioned above consists of both paper, cloth and wooden items.
It is not very difficult to overcome the plastic problem if we all act together and even help each other instead of criticizing.
Food re-engineered (Biodegradable) material as an alternative category
- Cassava bags
- Shrimp material biodegradable bags
- Bee wax-coated paper cups
- Paper plates
- Biodegradable kitchen bin bags
- Silpat Baking mats
- Reusable Gloves
- Organic earbuds
- Wooden bathroom doors
Eco-friendly materials combine to become stylish and durable items.
- Bedroom furniture
- Home Furniture
- Kitchen Items combined
We are more familiar with our classic methods of combining two items to make it one. This was either done in the past to make an item look aesthetically pleasing. These were also an added advantage for the product at times as it got even more durable due to other materials.
A few examples would be A Mirror with floral patterns made of a wooden frame to give you an idea of a few examples. Items such as Knives with wooden handles fitted with metal screws. Even beds made of wood and iron were widespread in those days.
We are racing to become technologically advanced yet want to care for our planet in this electronic day and age. The manufacturers are coming up with wood & metallic headphones (Eco friendly ), and a lot more.
Based on where our world is moving, factories are taking this opportunity to enter this type of market to make the most of it.
Mud found in abundance is used as an ingredient.
- Ceramic plates
- Tea set
- Mud pots for plants
- Earthen Pots
- Clay mud Pots
- Clay bowls
- Ceramic bowls
- Terracotta containers
Material such as mud and its uses can be varied.
Based on a country, most of our daily items are designed and used. For instance, it is easier to use Clay and earthen pots in a warmer region for everyday use.
This is because these pots have the strength to be more durable if there is a considerable amount of heat around.
However, tea sets made of China clay or terracotta are used mainly at home almost everywhere. They are excellent if you use them for planting trees rather than lightweight plastic ones.
List of Metal products used by many of us
- Spoons & forks
- Dinner plates
- Static Sauce dispensers for restaurants
- Computer & accessories
- Lighters
- Ice tray
- Cupboards
- Drawers
- Tea cups
- Soup Mugs
- Scissors with metal handle
- Baskets
- Lunch Box
- Reusable Razors
- Key Chains
- Aluminum laundry basket
- Mirror Frames
- Paper Stands
- Phone holders for car
- Barbed Drain cleaner
- Kitchen Caddys
- Aluminum Bins
- Bed Frames
- Cast Iron cooking pans
- Metal name plates
- Stainless steel kettle
- Simple Garden Chair
- Metal candy mold
- Complete Steel paper clips
- Carry metal for drinking water
- Real plants in office instead of artificial
- Aluminum or a steel funnel
- Dust Pan
- Water Bucket
- Steel tumbler
- Metal Caps for a Bottle
- Steel buckles
- Carabine
- Card holder
- Metal darts
- Steel Taps
- Ear studs
- Metal lamps
- Exhaust fan in the bathroom
- Metallic flash light
- Watches
- Iron dumbbells at home
- Steel Straw
- Steel spectacles (eye wear)
- Measuring tape
- Stainless steel puzzles
- Classic wall clocks
Metals that were used by us in the old days vs now
The majority of Metals were the primary basis of what we see now. Vessels made of Bronze and cast iron were very popular. Leather handles on metal were the main points of giving it a soft gripping area. They were also combining wood on certain surfaces. It changed as we moved ahead, probably due to our lack of long term vision. Those are the weight of the items we used. The strength of a product we used and how much space it takes. Although now it seems to be coming back as a complete circle as we learn more.
The difference that has taken place in our life story
Now, even when we have plenty of space because of our way of engineering, which wasn’t present, there’s still an outcry of space. People are homeless on one side, and Shops are lying empty because they can’t afford high rents.
People are hungry, but there is plenty of food wasted. There seems to be a dilemma between what we learnt in the last couple of decades. It is so because even though we said we are advancing more, we actually have to move to the old ways again. There was a time when people used to call a few people backwards thinking, but we had to roll back the same way.
A few examples are the food we ate earlier and what we eat now. We are learning every other day that eating what we used to eat those days were much environmentally friendly and even healthier. Due to chemicals currently in the environment, it is rapidly affecting our food chain.
Many household items we have include glass as a material.
- Glass shutters for bathroom
- Baby bottles
- Glass PC
- Greenhouse
- Presentation boards (alternative to White plastic boards)
- Glass paperweight
- Flask for drinking water
- Glass chandeliers
- Dices for board games
The Good old Habits people know in Asia.
Buying in bulk and purchasing non packaged items on our own vessels. Getting the flour done as they go. Wrapping items with old newspapers. To keep the house clean on the shelves, they had newspaper cuttings and then vessels were placed on it. The Shelves were wooden & one with marble stone. Buying spices and seller packs it in a newspaper packing with a very sophisticated way of making sure the powder doesn’t pour out.
Using mostly wooden toys for children.
Take a look at old Chinese Kids playing with wooden toys. Dolls were made of cloth or wood & not plastic. Teachers used a black wooden board with chalk to write, and even business presentations were similar. Businesses in those days were still doing well. We had more origami those days than tablets.
- Bathing was done with one (made of Aluminum) bucket of water. Water even now in India is stored in earthen pots called “Matka” or “Ghada”. Water was purified in an excellent old style using 3 stage purification. You can use Chalks instead of Sketchpens made of plastic. Babies didn’t have soft plastic toys to chew during teething, but they had wooden toys instead.
- Use paper to buy small amounts of dry products.
These are just 121 Alternatives to plastic. There are many more that you can figure out too. Think about the olden days when people used only wood, metals, leather, and glass items. These were the core of their daily lives. The base items remain the same.
Where can I buy completely non-plastic home & kitchen products?
There are many alternatives, but not enough marketing is done on them. Here are the few packaging companies you might want to contact.
Do you think this will be the renaissance of the new revolution, and will it create a power shift in the world?
