Help Your Clients Avoid Toxic Plastics

In the nearly six years that I’ve written Brand Protector posts, the harmful effects of plastic found everywhere in our lives has been a frequent topic. We’ve shared images of birds entangling themselves in nets, and sea turtles choking to death on plastic straws. We’ve talked about microplastics concealed in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. And I don’t know about you, but for me, the fact that we unknowingly eat a credit card’s worth of plastic every week is particularly unsettling.

We’ve talked about the importance, and difficulties, of recycling during the pandemic, but perhaps it’s still time for you to do more than just steer your clients away from single-use plastic. The chemicals found in plastic products can linger in our environment even if the plastic in it has been cleaned up. I came across a recent study that is admittedly a bit dense for casual study, but the findings reported are shocking. When scientists introduced, and then removed, plastic from an aquatic environment, sea urchins still developed abnormal skeletons and nervous systems because of the chemicals left behind. To make matters worse, the study confirmed that plastics have the unique ability to bind together chemicals that would naturally be diluted in the environment, becoming carriers of all sorts of concentrated toxins. But the good news is that we can collectively do something about this. Those of us in the promo products industry can help clients right now by suggesting a curb on unnecessary single-use materials, like plastic bags, and polystyrene used in foam packaging. This is a no-brainer — plastic we use in the blink of an eye should not impact our environment forever.

The fact is that existing government regulations don’t go quite far enough to protect you or your client from these chemicals. So, the best thing to do is suggest simple strategies like eating more whole foods, using less packaged or processed food, using metal or glass containers, and avoiding plastic in the dishwasher or the microwave. We can all take simple steps to reduce exposure.

In the short run during the pandemic, it may not always be possible to avoid plastic food packaging and storage containers, but not all risks are created equal. For now, start with small steps. See if you can swap out plastic containers labeled with recycling codes 3, 6, and 7. Plastics marked with recycling code 3 are known to contain phthalates, while those with recycling code 7 contain bisphenols. Plastics labeled with recycling code 6 contain styrene, a probable carcinogen according to the National Institutes of Health. Most importantly, plastics 3, 6, and 7 are also the least recyclable.

Here’s a list of Top 5 “worst single-use plastics” according to the World Wildlife Federation, and some eco-friendly alternatives that you could suggest to clients right now —

1) Plastic Straws 

Plastic free alternatives: Stainless steel, bamboo, pasta and/or rice straws are great, plastic free alternatives. For those that like the flexibility of plastic straws, there are other eco-friendly alternatives including paper straws, reusable silicone straws and compostable plant-based straws. Best of all, choose to go straw-free!

2) Plastic Drink Stirrers

Plastic free alternatives: Reusable glass or bamboo stirrers, or spoons are terrific alternatives to plastic drink stirrers. Or try a stick of celery, carrot, or cucumber. Or go herbal and try a stick of rosemary!

3) Balloon Sticks

Plastic free alternatives: While balloons are a nice decorative item for celebrations, they’re one of the highest-risk plastic debris items for seabirds. After all, what goes up must eventually come down, and that means balloons, too. Not only are the balloons themselves deadly, but so are the plastic sticks that often come with them. Plan a planet-friendly party and skip the balloons. Choose more eco-friendly decoration options like paper lanterns, recycled bunting, DIY bubble blowers, or flowers.

4) Plastic Q-Tips

Plastic free alternatives: Q-Tip alternatives include fluid ear washes, bamboo cotton buds, organic cotton makeup pads or a reusable silicon swab like The Last Swab, which comes in two designs - one for swabbing your ears and one for makeup.

5) and also 6) Take-Out Coffee Cups and Lids

Plastic free alternatives: Feeding our collective coffee addiction takes a significant toll on the environment, with thousands of take-out coffee cups and lids making their way to landfills daily. Fortunately, this is an area our industry has an excellent choice of solutions readily available, including glass, stainless steel and porcelain alternatives. Remember when suggesting alternatives, the simple fact is that standard take-out coffee cups are not recyclable because of the plastic lining. That alone should carry the day.

Bamboo utensils, palm plates, and a host of glass or stainless steel drinkware wouldn’t have been high on your list for promoting to end-users just a short while ago. But these are changing times in so many ways, and your clients need your help with responsibly sourced products to change with those times. It wouldn’t hurt if we could all make some of those changes for ourselves, too.