Plastic tupperware containers are everywhere, however, did you know, they can be more damaging to our health than we think? So what is plastic actually made of? Plastics are made up of crude oil and contain chemicals such as BPA (Bisphenol-A) that make plastic durable and flexible. Yes, this does make plastic very practical for everyday use, but it also adds a serious health risks, especially when it comes in contact with the food we eat. Let’s have a think about the food you’ve eaten today… There’s a good chance that a lot of what you have eaten today was packaged, heated, stored, lined, or served in plastic. Perhaps you started the morning with some yogurt, your salad for lunch may have been packed in a plastic container and you drank some water from a plastic bottle. Plastic isn’t only bad for our body, but also the environment. Did you know that plastic can take up to 1000 years to break down and is one of the leading causes of pollution in the world? We’ve put together some alternatives you can use instead of this harmful product. Bamboo is undeniably one of the most, if not the most sustainable plant and is a great alternative to plastic. Bamboo is also a highly renewable material that has antibacterial, antifungal properties and unlike plastic, it’s also biodegradable. Thinc Eco, a brand dedicated to changing the way we “thinc”, uses bamboo as an alternative to plastic to create a durable bamboo lunchbox. Their biodegradable, bamboo fiber lunchbox, has been made to keep your lunch on-the-go, fresh and safe from any chemicals a lot of plastics carry. A recent trend, that has just picked up is, beeswax rather than plastic or foil wrap. Beeswax is made from bees and can last up to six months and can be used to cover anything you’d usually use to use glad wrap or foil wrap. Wheat straw is the stalk leftover after grains are harvested. Did you know, these stalks still have value and can be used to make everyday products? Wheat is sustainable and biodegradable as it comes straight from mother earth. The Woven Bag at Thinc Eco, is your perfect grocery shop essential, handmade from 100% straw. BPA, (Bisphenol A), is an industrial chemical that has been used to make certain plastics and resins since the 1960s. BPA is found in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are often used in a lot of tupperware containers we use. A great way to avoid BPA in plastics, is opting your plastic tupperware container, plastic bag or ziplock bags for something like a reusable ziplock bag, that is BPA-free and will last a lifetime. When you do your weekly grocery shop, do you find you use the plastic bags provided at the shop? Again, these plastic bags contain harmful chemicals our body’s don’t want. An alternative for this is using reusable produce bags. However it is important that you use, organic cotton. Why? Organic cotton is made from natural seeds, and there is no use of pesticides or other harmful chemicals. Regular cotton is grown on the same soil over and over again, degrading the soil quality, removing nutrients, and leading to unhealthy crops. As a result, organic cotton products are much safer for storing your produce.