19 Genius Inventions That Can Stop Us from Using So Much Plastic

The conversation about women’s hygiene is usually limited to where women lack the basics, such as sanitary napkins and pads. The impact of these products on the environment, a much less discussed topic, is enormous. A single pad, which is about 90% plastic, takes between 500 and 800 years to decompose, and millions of pads are used every day all over the world. Heyday makes sanitary napkins and pads from corn and bamboo fiber. They start decomposing just six months after disposal.

Sponges are among the dirtiest items in the kitchen. People use them multiple times a day, but how often do they really clean them in boiling water or in a microwave to kill the bacteria? The solution might seem to be for sponges, which are mostly made from oil-based plastic, to be replaced frequently, which means a lot of trash. A better idea is to use sponges made from plants, which last longer and are 100% compostable.

Did you know that most chewing gum contains plastic and other materials, such as rubbers and waxes, that aren’t edible? The plastic is non-digestible which means it simply doesn’t break down in your body and you just carry it with you. It only seems logical then that a plastic-free gum would hit the market eventually. Simply Gum’s base is made of harvested chicle (tree sap) instead of plastic and it contains no artificial ingredients.

Beeswax food wraps are another alternative to the ever-present plastic bags for food storage. You can buy them online or you can make them yourself. All you need is beeswax beads, some kind of fabric, baking sheets, and parchment paper.

The name is a bit deceiving because they don’t contain any soap; they just act like they do. Soap nuts are a berry shell that work like a regular detergent but contain no chemical additives. They grow in the Himalayas. These nuts clean the clothes thanks to saponin, a natural cleaning agent. It gets deep into the clothes fibers, removing stains and dirt that are later rinsed away. Imagine the amount of plastic laundry jugs you’d be sparing the environment from.