Plastic saves time in the household

The alarm clock wakes you up early in the morning. Be careful when reaching for the light switch: fabric-covered cables and ceramic insulators harbour a residual risk - as do matches and candles. Continue with the bamboo toothbrush. Off to the shower and be careful when handling soap. Concentration is required when shaving with a metal razor. Cream and co. are stored in the ceramic or glass jar. Carelessness is punished with broken glass. For the morning coffee, the beans have to be ground first. The powder ends up in the French press or espresso maker. If you want tea, the water has to be boiled in a pot. The snack is stored in the metal tin or wrapped in oilcloth. After breakfast, it's time to wash up.

Comfort from morning to night

Sound a bit tedious and time-consuming? That's life without plastics in the house. We can certainly opt for the plastic-free solution in some cases. Especially in the bathroom and kitchen. Some people swear by soap and espresso. If leftovers only need to stay in the fridge overnight, a heavy glass jar with a rubber ring will do. Although, without plastic there would be no fridge. Where electrical appliances come into play, plastics are also involved. They protect, insulate and make products light and easy to handle. There is also the hygiene factor: plastic surfaces can be cleaned quickly and easily. In this way, they enable everything that makes our everyday lives easier. Working people would be very poor without the convenience of electrical household appliances. There wouldn't be much time left from 5 to 9 for socialising.

Comfortable, lightweight and affordable

Whoever wants to protect themselves from the wind and weather turns to garments with synthetic fibres. Polyester, elastane and nylon are robust, lightweight, comfortable, breathable and waterproof. They bring colour to life at an affordable price. We are also moving towards synthetic fibres. When it comes to shoe soles, everyone agrees: running shoes, trainers, high heels, winter boots and sandals mainly use synthetic rubber and cushion the gait with additional layers of plastic. Foam is also found in sofas and as a filling in other upholstered furniture. Dirt-repellent and hard-wearing covers and carpets made of plastic are suitable for balconies and gardens.

Plastic in fashion also has its downsides. Keyword: fast fashion. The low production costs lead to cheap goods - which are often perceived and used in the same way. Far too many items of clothing end up in the bin after a short life cycle. This doesn't have to be the case. Solutions to the problem are obvious: more awareness in consumption and a circular economy. To achieve this, used plastic textiles need to be collected and recycled. The textile industry is already conducting intensive research into more recyclable microfibres and developing reprocessing methods.

Entertainment and working from home

Movies, series and computer games keep us entertained at home. Streaming services make them available on smartphones, tablets and TVs at any time. Television is also still available. WLAN cubes, DVBT boxes, cable and aerials ensure reception. Hardware products are based on plastic components. They are embedded in the circuit board and form the screen and housing. Without plastic, there would be no electronics - and certainly no home office.

The smart home networks household appliances and technical systems such as heating, ventilation, cooling, lighting, washing machines, blinds, hoovers, sound and security systems. Using intelligent control, the home should automatically adapt to the needs of the residents and save energy. What sounded like science fiction a few years ago is now a reality in many buildings thanks to IoT (Internet of Things). The smart household of the future is technically state-of-the-art thanks to the diversity of plastics 

Change of perspective: external expertise

Plastics are omnipresent in the household. What role do they play?

Plastics make a major contribution to a comfortable and self-determined life because, on the one hand, they are very inexpensive and available in large quantities and, on the other, they offer a wide variety of material properties, some of which are unique. This combination has led to classic materials such as wood, glass and metal being partially replaced or even completely new products being developed. However, with the widespread use of plastics, their image as disposable items and the associated environmental impact are increasingly coming into focus. The fact that plastics are predominantly made from crude oil, i.e. they are of fossil origin, further damages their reputation. Household appliances that are predominantly made of plastic can therefore be perceived as less valuable than appliances that use a lot of metal, for example.

People's living situation has changed dramatically.

This is difficult to say, as it depends very much on people's socio-economic status, e.g. their income and level of education. Let's take the topic of food: During the pandemic, people cooked a lot more at home and delivery services were booming. How housework will develop in the future depends on many factors, including demographic change. What is certain is that the ability to look after yourself in your own home is an essential prerequisite for a self-determined life in old age. This is where the use of smart homes and perhaps even robots at some point can provide great support and help elderly people to live in their own homes for as long as possible. The modern technologies required for this are inconceivable without the use of plastics. Services such as "meals on wheels", where plastics are used in the packaging and transport of meals, will certainly also become more important. One of the major challenges here is to use them sustainably and generate as little waste as possible.

Sustainability is also a major issue in the household. Where can we start to reduce our ecological footprint?

Over 40 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to private households. There is enormous potential here and we can all do something. However, a sustainable lifestyle is a very individual thing: some people like to shower longer and give up meat in return. Others don't want to miss out on travelling to the countryside in a classic car, but don't fly to faraway countries to do so. If we all take a personal look at where we can act more sustainably with little effort and less loss of comfort, and implement this consistently, we will have gained a lot. Without having to massively compromise our quality of life. Consumer advice centres are a good place to go for serious information, as there is unfortunately a lot of nonsense on the internet.

Plastics will continue to play an important role and are indispensable in many areas. Avoiding plastics does not automatically mean sustainability. It always depends on how they are used and what happens to them after use, i.e. recycling. For example, the main problem with plastic shopping bags is not the material. The problem is that these bags are usually thrown away after a single use.