There has been some discussion about France’s attempt to reduce plastic consumption by 2022 popping up again on the social media, as well as several new bans on plastic in EU and UK, which will slowly start coming into effect within the next 12 years. Eye-catching news titles with war declarations on plastic, seem to assure the readers, that our governments will fix the problem, without us — the consumer, needing to lift nothing more than just a finger to click “Like” on such articles and sit happily believing that we have contributed.

While France together with the rest of European Union and UK is currently in the process of taking some very positive steps towards a greener world, in reality, the level of benefits highly depends on the alternatives used for the plastic — in some cases, it is highly debated if making biodegradable plastic is actually greener then making regular plastic? Yes, biodegradable plastic does not leave the obvious trace, however, some studies suggest they do leave more pollutants behind as well as they have contributed more to ozone depletion than regular plastic.

Bioplastics not handled properly have a huge risk of producing methane, a gas 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide. If biodegradable plastics are thrown with regular trash, ending up in landfills, they will be deprived off oxygen which is necessary for the bioplastic to properly degrade, thus as for other biodegradable products, biodegradable plastics start producing methane into the atmosphere.

Due to the lack of knowledge within the general population about the harms of bioplastics, they often only help to create the feeling of environmentalism, whilst shifting the issues of recycling from one bad to another.

To better understand the real mark that bioplastic leaves behind we also have to take into consideration the aspects of how the plastic and bioplastic has been produced in order to compare their overall environmental footprint. Plastic which has been produced with only renewable energy is shown to have 50% to 75% less greenhouse emissions, which under some situations, can be almost greener than bioplastic which is produced using fossil fuels and left to degrade in regular landfills.

I personally strongly believe that instead of moving from plastic to biodegradable plastic we should turn our heads towards greener solutions, which contrary to frequent beliefs, are often not much more expensive or complicated to produce when comparing the quantities of plastic products produced today.

There great alternatives such as Bakeys edible spoons, created in Telangana, India, to reduce plastic cutlery consumption, Evoware edible seaweed packaging from Indonesia for dry goods and Envigreen completely organic and biodegradable plastic bags fighting the epidemic plastic bag consumption in the region.

Bakeys Edible Spoon from India, National Geographic

Every day there are more people coming up with unique, environmental and cost-efficient ways of creating alternatives to plastic, from new ways of recycling the materials we have used to utilizing green options in ways no one has ever thought before. As an example, a company from London — Skipping Rocks Lab has created an edible, tasteless water bubble made from seaweed, which is expected to reduce water bottle consumption in events.

Skipping Rocks Lab has created edible, tasteless water bubble, Mashable Daily

One of the bigger problem with such companies is their competition — huge plastic producers, to which they cannot compete over pricing, research, marketing, which creates huge obstacles for international growth. While there are several organizations providing support for resources to help young clean-tech companies to grow, often the general public is left uneducated about the improvements in the world of plastics.

Even though companies creating ways to reduce our footprint even more are a necessity, overall, the only way to trulls solve our environmental crisis is not by switching from plastics to bioplastics or compassable materials, it is only by reducing consumption.

It is estimated that there are around 20,000 plastic bottles produced every second around the world. Every year there are over 25 tonnes of plastic waste generated in Europe, out of which only less than 30% is recycled. In UK an average family throws out around 40kg of plastic each year, which ends up in over one billion kilograms of plastic thrown out a year.

One of the best ways to reduce these numbers not by liking an article, it is by adapting our lifestyles to save the environment. There are some ways you could cut out your consumption right now, which I personally have adapted into my own lifestyle to reduce waste:

Before recycling learn about the journey of your waste from your waste collection company to Ministry of Environment.

If possible separate your bio waste from the rest of your trash . Gotta reduce that methane.

. Gotta reduce that methane. Equip yourself with a reusable travel glass/mug, plate, cutlery, food containers . There are great companies such as Pokeat, making waterproof foldable food containers and reusable cup companies such as KeepCup.

. There are great companies such as Pokeat, making waterproof foldable food containers and reusable cup companies such as KeepCup. If you really want to drink with a straw, you can order reusable metal straws online for a couple of euros.

online for a couple of euros. Get yourself a nice canvas bag and start actually carrying it with you.

and start actually carrying it with you. Reuse the food containers for storing loose foods or for storing other goods.

for storing loose foods or for storing other goods. Buy or make your own wax wrap instead of using plastic food wrap.

instead of using plastic food wrap. Buy online or make your own produce bags for vegetables, fruits and nuts.

for vegetables, fruits and nuts. Create a habit of choosing to buy food with less packaging.

You can always start with something simple today and keep reducing your footprint every single day. Together with governmental institutions and the consumers taking action we could potentially reduce our footprint, because after all — bioplastics alone will not save the world — but reducing consumption might.