Plastic free guide Curaçao

Easy ways to go zero waste

Plastic is literally everywhere, and it is not only threatening our wildlife, but it also pollutes our soil and waters by spreading toxic chemicals –yikes, time to go zero waste.

By CURACAO NATURE CONSERVATION

It’s seems almost impossible to go plastic free entirely, but there are some simple, yet effective hacks to make saying goodbye to plastics easy peasy!

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1. Never drink plastic bottled water.

Buying bottled water in Curaçao is absurd! We have one of the cleanest tap waters in the world, and remember that bottled water is less regulated than tap water; it’s usually just filtered tap water for a ridiculous price. The process results in a huge waste of resources to collect water, bottle, and ship it. Worse of all, it results in unnecessary plastic waste that’s usually not recycled.

Instead, go about your day with your favorite plastic-free isolated refillable water bottle. We recommend D-bottle (available at MomCo at Renaissance Mall). Having a D-bottle allows you to refill your bottle at many refill locations around the island for free or small fee. Check out their website or download their mobile app to find your nearest refill location.

Refill stations app.

Simply download the tap (findtap) app onto your smartphone and always know where the nearest refill D-bottle station is.

2. Reusable produce bags

People usually buy products on impulse and visual appeal, or pricing comparisons. Most don’t even think of plastic before they decide to purchase an item.

Bread, vegetables, fruit often come pre-packaged in plastic and foam in supermarkets, or even worse, supermarkets lure you into using their plastic bags to put your groceries in. By investing in some reusable produce bags, you can upgrade your zero waste shopping in style!

Always keep a few in your car to make sure you never have to give in to plastic during unplanned shopping trips!

There are many type of bags to choose from.

Choose products which use recycled plastic. Start noticing. Start thinking.

That’s all that is required to make better decisions and move towards a reduction in plastic around your home and, by extension, your environment.

Mesh bags

Mesh bags are great for fruit and vegetables, loose salad leaves (the produce can be washed in the bag) and loose bread rolls. But also non-food items like storing beach toys, toiletries, makeup and washing small laundry items.

Cotton bags

Cotton bags are great for all the things that mesh bags aren’t: powders, grains, big and heavy fruits and vegetables, and even flours. You can even make some yourself out of old bed sheet if you are handy. The advantage of these is that they can be repaired easily, and composted at the end of their life.

Tote grocery bags

Tote bags are great for all the things that mesh bags aren’t: powders and flours. You can even make some yourself out of old bed sheet if you are handy. The advantage of these is that they can be repaired easily, and composted at the end of their life.

3. Switch to plastic free shampoo and soap bars

Imagine all the shampoo bottles you’ve thrown out in your lifetime already. That is a lot, and chances are, all of them are still intact at the landfill

Solid shampoo looks like a bar of soap, but is formulated specifically for hair. Each bar contains cleansing agents and other ingredients for your specific hair type.

The best part is that each bar lasts as long as three medium-size shampoo bottles, about 80 washes — and a bar is only the size of your palm. When you finish one, there’s nothing left behind. No bottle graveyard in your shower and, more importantly, no plastic to send to the dump.

You can purchase shampoo, soap bars, and many other plastic-free products at Integra Natural, located at Bargestraat 28D in Scharloo.

Integra Natural

Mon-Fri 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Saturday 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Bargestraat 28D

4. Zero waste kitchen and household cleaning scrubbers

If you need something with scrubbing power, go for copper instead of plastic. Use a cotton dishcloth or a coconut coir brush for dishes, instead of a plastic scrub brush. Use cotton facecloths instead of disposable wipes. Don’t underestimate the versatility of old rags!

Scrubbing tools

Make sure they are copper and not plastic.

Bamboo wood handle with natural fibre bristles.

Cotton dishcloth

Cotton dishcloths are cheap, have been around for years, and available in all grocery stores. Beware of Microfiber clothes, these contain plastics, cannot be recycled, and fragment into microplastics while being used.

Reusable cotton facecloths

Stop throwing away your money buying disposable cotton face pads. Buy a couple of cotton faceclothes to remove makeup and grime after a long day. To wash them simply throw in the washing machine and reuse them again.

5. Smile brighter with homemade toothpaste

Of course we don’t need to tell you that your toothbrush is made of plastic. Get a bamboo alternative at any health food store around the island, and let’s make some plastic free toothpaste!

The paste will liquefy almost immediately when put into your mouth, so there is no need to add water. Swish the liquid around when you are done to get it into all the nooks and crannies your brush can’t reach. Then spit out the remainder and rinse with water.

Homemade Baking Soda Toothpaste

Total Time: 2 minutes

Serves: 30

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons liquid coconut oil
2–4 tablespoons baking soda or a combination of baking soda and sea salt
20 drops cinnamon or clove essential oil (optional)
20 drops peppermint essential oil (optional)
small glass jar

Directions:

Place coconut oil container in a bowl.
Measure all ingredients into bowl and stir until completely blended.
Store the finished product in a lidded glass jar.

Use:

Scoop about a ½ teaspoon of toothpaste onto your brush and give your teeth, and all the other surfaces in your mouth, a good brushing.

6. Rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle

Sometimes it’s just impossible to avoid plastic, as alternatives are not always available. It’s important not to lose hope or give up, but do the next best thing. The six Rs are a helpful guide to maintaining a sustainable lifestyle.

Rethink

Stop and think about what you are buying and using. Taking the time to rethink our consumption or purchases gives us the opportunity to adjust our behavior and decrease the amount of waste we create. Consider what can be done differently to reduce our environmental impact.

Refuse

You can refuse to use, buy, or accept products that aren’t recyclable, necessary or sustainable. You are the customer, and you decide on the demand.

🚫 Refuse this ✋

Some places automatically insert straws in your drink even if you don’t ask. Tell your waiter when ordering, you don’t want a straw.

✅ Ask for this 👇

Stainless steel, paper, bamboo, pasta straws, and even lips are better alternatives to plastic straws.

Reduce

Traditionally, reduce was the first R. Now with Rethink and Refuse we have already made progress to reducing our waste. When considering a new purchase, ask yourself – “Do I really need this?” Make decisions that decrease the amount of waste produced. Shop at farmers markets and second-hand stores where you can purchase items with little or no packaging. Buy in bulk and avoid single-serving sizes.

Reuse

Can a product be used again? Can we find a different use for it? Reusable grocery bags and travel mugs are a great example of reuse in action. Reuse extends the life of these items and eliminates the need for single use bags and cups. For future purchases look to swap out single use items for reusable such as cloth napkins and reusable water bottles.

Items such as clothing or furniture that we no longer have a use for can be donated to thrift stores, non-profit organizations, local shelters and community programs.

Repair

When an item breaks down or no longer functions properly, fix it. When considering a new purchase ask yourself – “can this product be easily repaired? Are there components that can be replaced rather than having to recycle or dispose of the entire product?” This speaks to the sustainability of a product and how often we may need to replace it.

Recycle

Over the years, recycling is becoming more popular in Curaçao. But recycling should always be your last resort, remember the goal is NOT using plastic at all.

Along with the growing list of materials being recycled, new recycling startups are also popping up.

There are many items that can be recycled – cardboard, paper, and plastic containers, car batteries, and beverage containers just to name a few.

The best way to recycle is to be informed about what goes where. For more information on recycling options in Curaçao read our recycling guide.

Rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair and recycle. Not as catchy as “reduce, reuse and recycle” but it gives us more options to limit our waste production. Look to incorporate the 6Rs into your daily life today.