Matches vs. Lighters

An easy step towards a plastic-free life is to stop using plastic lighters.

Your first choice can be an old-school matchbook. These paper matches are made from recycled newspaper. If you really need wooden matches, find ones that are made from sustainably harvested wood but this option still relies on a virgin material (wood) instead of recycled (newspaper).

Disposable lighters are made of nylon and filled with butane, both products of the petrochemical industry and 1.5 billion of them end up in landfills every year. This photo by Mandy Barker is of lighters she found washed up on the beaches of Hong Kong. Plastic never goes away.

For other tips on living plastic-free visit Life without Plastic.