Less plastic is fantastic – Part 1: What is the problem with plastic?

In the morning, shampoo from a plastic bottle and a peeling with colorful beads, then a coffee to go on the way to work. At lunch, a crisp pre-packaged salad with disposable cutlery, in the evening, a shrink-wrapped organic cucumber with the best hummus, from a plastic bowl of course. And to top it all off, a polyester evening dress to match the cocktail with a straw - are we all still OK? Plastic has become so normal and omnipresent in our daily lives that we have almost forgotten how to live without it! And that is exactly why we are now calling for a new motto together with our partners: **Less plastic is fantastic!** Over the next few weeks, we will not only show you the important facts and figures about plastics, but also how you can significantly reduce your own plastic consumption.

What is the problem with plastic?

Plastic should not be demonized in general, because it is actually a really smart material: light, versatile, resistant to all substances and incredibly durable, almost made to last forever. And in a certain sense, plastic is also from eternity, because as a petroleum-based product, plastic is made from ancient fossil resources, the extraction, trade and chemical processing of which are problematic enough in themselves. And this is exactly where we see a great paradox: we draw from a pool of almost depleted fossil resources, produce a product that lasts for centuries and then only use it for a few moments. Over 40% of plastic consumption is used for "single use" products , i.e. disposable products.

Since mass production of plastic began in the 1950s, global production has been growing at an ever-increasing rate. Currently, approximately as much new plastic is produced each year as the entire world population weighs: around 300,000 tons. A total of 8.3 billion tons of plastic have already been produced. That's about as much as a billion elephants, and enough to wrap the entire earth in cling film. This number is expected to quadruple in the next 30 years.

Made to Last

Currently, only nine percent is recycled , a further portion (12%) is burned and the vast majority of plastic ends up in landfills and in nature. The danger is visible, for example, in 90% of seabirds that already have plastic in their stomachs, polluted beaches and gigantic plastic whirlpools in the sea. But the greatest pollution from plastic is invisible: microplastics.

83% of the world's drinking water contains microplastics

Apart from tiny plastic particles in cosmetics, industry or tire wear, sunlight, movement and UV light can cause plastic to break down into smaller and smaller pieces. These micro and nano particles can already be found in all sorts of areas of life, for example 83% of tap water worldwide . Stop, stop, no need to panic! Because 93% of bottled water samples were affected and on average twice the amount of plastic particles per liter were found. So as a tap water drinker you are still on the safe side.

Plastic in Beer & Soil

There are already 500 times more plastic particles floating in the world's oceans than there are stars in the universe - around 51 trillion particles. But it's not just our waters that are affected. Current studies show that soils are four to 23 times more polluted than oceans and that plastic is found not only in fish and tap water, but also in many other foods, for example in 100% of the German beer brands tested . Well, cheers!

Is microplastic dangerous?

What is dangerous about microplastics in human and animal organisms is not only the foreign body itself, but also the toxic components of plastic types: chemicals, additives, polymerized monomers are found in plastic particles as well as additional absorbed toxins from the environment, which plastic particles can absorb like a sponge and later release again. There are known carcinogenic components in many types of plastic, and plastic can also act as an endocrine disruptor and have a hormonal effect on the body, thus leading to behavioral disorders, immune problems and diseases.

And now?

If you take a closer look, the global plastic problem is really worrying, we think so too! And we are all the more pleased that something is finally happening and more and more cities, countries or even alliances like the European Union are taking steps towards a plastic-free future and better nature conservation.

And each of us can contribute and learn to live our lives with as little plastic as possible! Join our less plastic is fantastic campaign and learn about great, creative and sustainable alternatives for the kitchen, bathroom, home and on the go!