Contents:

• Coffee to go
• chewing gum
• Microplastics in cosmetics
• tea bags

Every year, awareness of the harmfulness of plastic, as well as the need for recycling and proper waste separation, is growing. Thanks in part to the fashion of the eco and zero-waste movements, more and more of us remember to take our own reusable bag with us when shopping instead of yet another plastic bag, drink coffee from a thermos instead of a plastic cup, choose to drink tap water, and if not, at least ensure that plastic water bottles end up in the yellow plastic bin. However, there are some products that we would assume do not contain plastic, and yet they are either made of plastic or contain small particles of it, the so-called microplastics. So, in which products can we find plastic?

Coffee to go

When we buy coffee in town, we get it in a cup that looks like paper, so we can feel good about it. After all, firstly, paper is recyclable; secondly, to prevent it from absorbing water and leaking, the paper cup is covered with polyethylene—so it really is plastic. Moreover, such a "paper" cup is not recyclable, primarily because it's impossible to separate the plastic and paper. If an ecological solution is important to us, the best thing to do is to make the coffee at home and take it with us in our own thermos.

chewing gum

Popular chewing gums contain synthetic polymers that give them their characteristic properties—stretchability, insolubility, and flexibility. It takes at least five years for plastic-containing chewing gum to decompose.

Microplastics in cosmetics

Cosmetics that contain abrasive particles, such as those found in scrubs, toothpaste , or glitter particles in lotions, actually contain plastic. Unfortunately, that's not all, because it's often invisible to the naked eye. We also find plastic in creams, balms, shampoos, and conditioners with a smooth consistency – it's hidden under various names: e.g.

• polypropylene,
• Nylon,
• Polyamide,
• Polyurethane.

Plastic in cosmetics acts as a stabilizer, thickener, or film-forming substance, making cosmetics easier to apply, preventing buildup, and helping to retain moisture in the skin. The plastic contained in scrubs , creams, and shampoos ends up in rivers and oceans when rinsed off. Wastewater treatment plants can't capture them. They become part of the animal food chain, and so do we. If we want to avoid plastic cosmetics, we must read their ingredients carefully.

tea bags

Although it may seem otherwise, unfortunately not all tea bags are actually made of paper. They are often made of polyester or nylon. Brewing these plastic bags in boiling water and then drinking tea with plastic can be unhealthy for us. Therefore, it's better to choose teas with a Green Leaf certificate , which guarantees that the materials used are ecological, or simply opt for leaf tea, also known as loose leaf tea .