Plastic turns up in the most unexpected places. Here are seventeen surprising items that contain plastic or are made from plastic that will shock you.
Plastic is a relatively new material, with widespread usage not occurring until the 1960s. Despite this, plastic is a ubiquitous aspect of our daily lives. But were you aware of just how omnipresent it is? I’ve rounded up 17 surprising household items that contain plastic. Be warned – you may be shocked!
The Surprising Items That Contain Plastic
Ready to learn more about these sneaky plastic items? Let’s dive in:
Paper Straws
Many restaurants and bars have switched to paper straws rather than plastic ones, but paper straws can be a bit sneaky. Like paper cups, many paper straws are coated on the inside with a thin layer of plastic – typically polyethylene or acrylic resin. This stops them getting too soggy, too quickly, but means they are not much better than the fully plastic straws they are replacing.
Chewing Gum
It’s hard to believe, but chewing gum is actually made of plastic. Manufacturers don’t tend to disclose their ingredients. Perhaps this is because chewing on plastic doesn’t sound particularly appealing!
The reason manufacturers do not need to disclose the exact ingredients in their gum bases is that these are considered trade secrets. Therefore, they can legally use non-specific terms such as “gum base”. This makes it hard for consumers to know exactly what’s in their chewing gum.
However, what we do know is that most gum bases contain a substance called polyethylene. This is a plastic that’s used to make plastic bottles and plastic bags, amongst other uses. Gum bases also tend to contain an ingredient called polyisobutylene. This is a synthetic rubber which is used to make the inner tubes of car tyres. A delightful thing to chew on, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Of course, it wasn’t always like this. Chewing gum was made without plastic up until around the 1960s. At this point, it became more economical for manufacturers to use more synthetic ingredients, such as the plastics listed above.
From what I have read, I believe that all the main gum brands use plastics and rubbers in their gum production.
If giving up gum isn’t for you, then, thankfully, there are now a few plastic-free chewing gum brands out there. Try Milliways, Nuud, or Chewsy for a plastic-free chew. And for an added plastic-free bonus, these brands also package their gum in plastic-free packaging.
Paint
It’s a surprise to many that the vast majority of modern decorators’ paints are packed with plastics. Plastics such as acrylic, vinyl (typically vinyl acetate ethylene, or VAE for short), and other synthetic polymers are used as binders in the paint. This helps the paint to stick to walls, wood, or metal. However, when painted surfaces weather, chip, or are washed, they can shed tiny microplastics into the environment.
I’ve found it can be tricky to find natural paints made with plant-based binders or minerals. The only brands in the UK that I’ve found that only use plant-based binders are Edward Bulmer Paint and Auro Paint.
Clothing
Clothing is the one area that gives me the biggest headache. All clothing made from synthetic fibres, such as microfibre fleece, polyester, acrylic, and nylon, is made from plastic. And every time you wash those items of clothing, microplastics are released into our waterways, as the fabric sheds in the wash.
There are some solutions. When you buy new clothes, try to purchase clothing made from natural fibres, such as cotton, hemp, or linen, over synthetic fibres, if you can.
I wouldn’t recommend purging your wardrobe of synthetic materials, though. Donating clothes to charity doesn’t help the microplastic problem as the person buying the clothes will wash and wear them.
I would also never advocate binning perfectly good clothes. Instead, you could wash them in something like a Guppyfriend (from Ethical Superstore), to help catch any microplastics as you wash them.
France has recently adopted a new law which will see all new washing machines fitted with microplastic filters as standard by 2025. This shifts responsibility to washing machine manufacturers rather than the general public, which is always a good thing.
A parliamentary bill that would require manufacturers to fit microplastic-catching filters to new domestic and commercial washing machines is also currently (very, very slowly) under discussion in the UK. Let’s hope common sense prevails.
Disposable Coffee Cups
The hidden plastic in disposable coffee cups has been in the news a lot in recent years, so I guess this one may not be such a surprise to you. However, I thought it was worth bringing it to your attention again in case you missed the news.
If you did miss this, paper disposable coffee cups are lined with a very fine layer of plastic. Whilst this helps stop your drink from leaking, this makes it difficult to recycle them.
Many coffee shops now offer compostable coffee cups. However, these are problematic, as they can only be composted in industrial composting facilities. There are few and far between facilities available, and unless the coffee shop has partnered with an industrial composting scheme for their cups, then these cups typically end up in landfill.
Looking for an alternative? My favourite reusable coffee cup is the Stojo cup (from Waterstones). This is a collapsible silicone cup that ,when flattened down, takes up very little room in your bag. It then pops up in seconds when you’re ready for your cup of coffee.
Drinks Cans
Think a can is just made of aluminium? Well, it turns out that every single drink can on the market is lined with a plastic resin, usually epoxy. This stops the drink contained within from corroding the aluminium. Wired reports in a rather oddly fascinating article that “without that [epoxy] shield, a can of Coke would corrode in three days“.
Roughly 80% of that epoxy is bisphenol-A or BPA for short. BPA has been associated with a myriad of negative health implications.
Interestingly, that same Wired article I quoted above goes on to note that Frederick Vom Saal, a respected biologist who leads research into the effects of BPA on our endocrine systems, won’t buy canned foods or beverages. Vom Saal also won’t allow polycarbonate plastics in his home. Food for thought.
Glass Jars With Metal Lids
Think glass jars are a great plastic-free solution? Well, I hate to be a bearer of bad news, but whilst glass jars themselves don’t contain plastic, the lids of glass jars contain a layer of plastic on them.
Yup, almost all jar lids are lined with plastisol, a PVC product. The purpose of the plastisol is to produce a vacuum seal and to help the lid resist corrosion from acidic ingredients. Good for food storage, but not so great if you’re looking to give plastic the heave-ho entirely.
Jar lids are recyclable by most Local Authorities, so you can pop them in your recycling bin. Alternatively, save up your jars and lids to make preserves. This helps you avoid having to recycle the lids, as recycling is very resource-intensive.
If preserving isn’t your thing, then you could save up your jars and list them for free on Freecycle, Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, or similar. They will be snapped up by local jam and chutney makers in seconds!
Vegan Plant-Based Leathers
Vegan leather has always been a byword for plastic. Polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – the two main things vegan leather is made from – are both plastics made from fossil fuels.
Recently, there has been a lot of innovation in the world of vegan leather, as brands try to move away from PU and PVC. Things like cactus leather, pineapple leather, and even mushroom leather are all alternatives now available.
However, what brands don’t like to tell you is that these alternative leathers are all coated with PU plastic or bioplastics to make them durable and water-resistant. This makes what The Guardian described as “a kind of vegan-textile-plastic sandwich“. Whilst some brands do use bioplastics, as the article points out, these are still plastic and make the item difficult to recycle.
Glitter
All that glitters is definitely gold. Especially when you consider that traditional glitter is a microplastic that can harm aquatic life, pollute waterways, and find its way into our bodies.
As well as regular glitter for cosmetic and craft purposes, consider glittery greeting cards, present labels, and wrapping paper as sources of microplastics.
These products can’t be recycled – any greeting cards with glitter on them should be binned – so why not make this the year you give up glitter? Many big brands have stopped making glittery greeting cards, so there are now lots of plastic-free alternatives out there.
I also have a whole guide to eco-friendly alternatives to glitter for you – whether you are crafting or looking for cosmetic alternatives.
PLA & Corn-Based Biodegradable Packaging
Polylactic Acid (PLA) is a type of plastic made from corn. While this makes it fossil fuel-free, it’s very much still a plastic. It’s sold as a greener alternative to conventional plastic, and it’s widely touted to be biodegradable. However, there are some problems with biodegradable plastics.
Firstly, biodegradable is not the same as compostable, so you can’t compost them at home. PLA plastics will only biodegrade in commercial composters where temperatures are consistently high. Whilst you might be tempted to put them in your food waste bin for collection by the council, stop right there. Our composting systems in the UK aren’t set up to compost these types of materials, so they are fished out and sent to landfill.
Recycling isn’t an option – most local authorities cannot recycle products made from this material. And sending them to landfill isn’t a good option either. PLAs won’t break down in landfill, where waste is mummified in anaerobic conditions.
The lesson here is that some so-called green alternatives to plastic, sadly, aren’t as green as they make out.
Produce Stickers
Did you remember to take a produce bag to the shop with you to stock up on fruit and veg? Great work! Sadly, your grocery shopping isn’t as plastic-free as you would have hoped. Those stickers stuck to each and every single piece of produce is plastic.
This can be difficult to avoid. However, the good news (finally!) is that retailers are looking into replacing plastic labels with laser markings. Granted, retailers have been looking into this for a very long time, and very little to no progress has been made, but at least the issue is on their radar.
Tea Bags
Did you know that some tea bags are heat-sealed using polyethylene, a plastic that will not break down in your compost heap?
The good news is that many brands have taken this problem seriously and have taken action to remove plastics from their teas. Still, there are some stragglers to be wary of. See my guide to plastic-free teas for the full rundown.
If you do have plastic teabags, there’s no need to bin them. You can tear them open and compost the tea leaves. The tea bag can then be placed in your general waste bin. As an alternative, I’d suggest switching to loose-leaf tea. I’m still on the hunt for a good decaf loose-leaf tea, so if you come across one, do let me know!
Tetra Paks
Tetra Paks are the cartons that you commonly find containing long-life or plant-based milk, juice, and/or chopped tomatoes.
Many people believe Tetra Paks to be made from waxed cardboard. However, when you look a little deeper, the Tetra Pak website states that cartons are made from wood in the form of paperboard, as well as thin layers of aluminium and polymers made of plastic. The most common Tetra Pak carton is 75% paper, 20% polyethylene, and 5% aluminium.
While Tetra Pak cartons state that they are recyclable, in reality, it’s a different picture. These thin layers of aluminium and plastic make it difficult to separate these mixed materials. This means they are not easily recyclable at every recycling plant.
According to the Tetra Pak website, there is only one dedicated carton recycling facility in the UK. This is in Halifax. So, whether your Tetra Paks get recycled or not depends on whether your Local Authority sends collected Tetra Paks to Halifax or not. Tetra Pak says 66% of Local Authorities in the UK use this facility, so there is still some way to go.
Looking for an alternative to Tetra Paks? Some dairies will deliver milk, including oat milk, in glass bottles. Try The Modern Milkman or McQueens Dairies – both of which deliver across the UK.
Tin/Aluminium Cans
Much like drink cans, the majority of tin and aluminium cans are lined with a plastic coating containing bisphenol A (BPA). The coating prevents acids and other substances from corroding the tin or aluminium of the can. However, some experts say the leaching of BPA into the can’s contents could be a potential health hazard.
Looking for an alternative? Buy dried pulses instead of tinned pulses, and get into the habit of soaking them overnight before use. Tricky, I know!
Sunscreen
Did you know that many sunscreen products contain microplastics? It’s true, the actual cream itself contains tiny fragments of plastic. What’s worse, when we swim, shower, or bathe after applying sunscreen, those bits of microplastic get washed off into the water.
Why is this plastic there? For a start, microplastics bind together the product ingredients. This means that the cream doesn’t split or separate in the tube. Secondly, the use of microplastics helps to add waterproof properties to your sunscreen. And thirdly, microplastics are often cheaper to use compared to more expensive plastic-free ingredients.
The good news is that some manufacturers have found ways to formulate their sunscreen without the use of plastic. Nivea, for example, is now microplastic-free, as well as lots of smaller ethical brands.
Menstrual Products
Most conventional sanitary towels are made from up to 90% plastic, or the equivalent of 4 plastic bags per pack of pads. Whilst tampons may feel like a better option, most contain plastic in the string, while the applicators are often made with plastic.
If you’d like to make the switch to something more sustainable, there are a host of eco-friendly period products available – from cups and washable pants and pads to plastic-free tampons.
Plasters
Plasters are another surprising item that contains plastic. Whilst some types look decidedly plastic, even the soft, fabric-like options tend to be made of plastic. If you’re restocking your first-aid kit, try something like these bamboo plasters from &Keep.
What Can We Do About Unnecessary Plastic?
I appreciate all of this information may be a little shocking and perhaps a tad overwhelming. I’m not sharing this to overwhelm, but rather to help share this information. This is because I believe that the more we know, the more informed choices we can make.
Plus, the more we know, the more we can lobby manufacturers and retailers to provide better packaging solutions and avoid the use of unnecessary plastic. For example, here’s a petition you can sign to lobby supermarkets to reduce their plastic packaging.
More Tips To Help You Reduce Plastic
Have you found any more surprising sources of plastic? Do let me know in the comments below. And if you’re looking to cut your usage of plastic, try my guide to Plastic-Free July resources for loads of top tips that you can follow, even if it isn’t July!
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