Use Silicone to Replace Plastic!

While trying to live a zero/minimal waste lifestyle I have been looking for multiple different plastic alternatives. The most helpful material I have found has been silicone. From cups to straws and from cooking in the kitchen to eating on the go, I have found silicone to be the most useful and versatile material to help live a minimal waste lifestyle.

Because I'm constantly out of the house, I always have these two silicone items in my possession -- my foldable mug and my foldable straw.

The cup is about the size of a hockey puck and the straw is roughly the size of a small Mentos tin, both of which can be placed inside a bag or clipped onto a keychain. My favorite thing about my mug is how convenient it is. It's perfect for hot OR cold drinks, easy to bring around, and, unlike other travel mugs, you don't need to worry about it breaking or denting. I don't use the foldable straw as much as I use the mug but it is always nice to have around just in case. Another plus about a silicone straw is that, unlike bamboo and metal straws, it can be folded and easily carried around in your pocket. The inside of the straw is a silicone tube surrounded by four small metal tubes that give the straw its shape and allows it to be folded into a compact case. Those are the two items that I personally use the most but there are a lot of other silicone alternatives out there to replace single-use plastic. Here is a list of a few that I have found:

To replace water bottles: As cool as I think this design is, I would still opt for my silicone mug because I fill my mug with coffee in the morning and refill it with water throughout the day so it doesn't make sense for me to carry around two liquid containers when I just need one.

To replace Ziplock bags: These bags can be put in the freezer, microwave, oven, and even the dishwasher. Silicone also doesn't leach chemicals into the food like some other plastic containers do during the cooking process.

To replace plastic cooking utensils: Throughout the course of my college career I have melted many plastic cooking utensils while just trying to cook eggs or flip some pancakes. Silicones' high tolerance to heat and the fact that its naturally non-stick and stain-resistant makes it an easy swap from plastic utensils.

To replace dish sponges: Using a silicone sponge does take a little bit of getting used to but it does save money and you aren't constantly throwing out gross sponges every other month.