Head to head

Plastic vs plastic-free, compared

The honest, point-by-point version of the swap decision. Each comparison weighs the everyday plastic option against its plastic-free alternative, with a clear verdict and the research behind it.

Glass vs plastic food storage

Plastic containersvsGlass and steel

Plastic is lighter and cheaper on day one. Glass wins on almost everything that happens after that, starting with what ends up in your food.

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Stainless steel vs plastic water bottle

Plastic bottlevsStainless steel bottle

The water inside is the whole point, and it is where plastic loses hardest: bottled water carries about a quarter-million plastic particles a litre.

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Bamboo vs plastic toothbrush

Plastic toothbrushvsBamboo toothbrush

They clean your teeth identically. The difference is what happens to the billion plastic ones the US bins every year.

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Cast iron vs nonstick

Nonstick (PTFE) panvsCast iron and clad steel

Nonstick is easy until it scratches. Then the coating is in your food. Cast iron, steel and enamel never start that clock.

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Menstrual cup vs tampons

Tampons and padsvsMenstrual cup or disc

One is medical-grade silicone you reuse for years. The other is plastic-containing single-use, roughly 11,000 times a lifetime.

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Shampoo bar vs liquid shampoo

Bottled liquid shampoovsShampoo bar

A modern bar is the same detergent chemistry as the bottle, minus the bottle. It just took the industry a while to make good ones.

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Safety razor vs cartridge razor

Cartridge razorvsSafety razor

Cartridges are convenient and expensive and unrecyclable. A safety razor is a one-week learning curve and then a lifetime of cheap, close shaves.

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Beeswax wrap vs plastic wrap (cling film)

Plastic wrap / cling filmvsBeeswax wrap

Cling film is single-use plastic pressed against your food. Beeswax wrap does most of the same jobs and lasts a year.

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Our buying guides list the plastic-free versions actually worth your money, category by category.

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