Many of us are becoming more aware of the amount of plastic we use, and looking at how we can live a more sustainable and eco friendly life.
With so many cosmetic brands putting profit before planet and still using nothing but plastic packaging, making your beauty routine more sustainable can be tricky.
To help and encourage you to make changes, we have put together a list of simple swaps you can make as part of your zero waste beauty journey.
RECYCLE IN THE BATHROOM
You finish a tube of toothpaste just before bed. You know it should go in your recycling bin but you really don’t want to go back downstairs again. You put it in the waste bin and promise yourself that you will put it in the recycling tomorrow. You forget and it ultimately ends up in landfill.
The simple eco solution is put a small recycling bin in your bathroom. When you think about it, so much plastic and cardboard is used in the bathroom that it actually makes sense.
SWITCH TO SOLID SOAPS AND SHAMPOOS
In the UK we throw away around 520 million bottles of shampoo every year. According to research, we only recycle around 45% of plastic waste, meaning from shampoo bottles alone, we are adding 280 million plastic bottles to landfill and the oceans annually. When you add the waste from soap and shower gel packaging, that’s an even bigger amount.
A simple change we can make is to use sold shampoo and soaps bars. Over the last few years they have become more and more popular meaning you can find them for almost any skin type.
AVOID WET WIPES
We have all seen clips of huge “Fatbergs” in the UK’s sewer systems. These grotesque underground monsters are made up of cooking fat poured down sinks and wipes that have been flushed down toilets. The situation has become so bad that “Fatbergs” are thought to be responsible for 93% of all sewer blockages.
We have been conditioned into thinking that we need face wipes to remove makeup and cleanse our skin. In fact, experts tell us that although they are convenient, they don’t actually clean our skin very well.
The answer… well believe it or not, it’s back to basics. Using a flannel and warm water is the very best way to cleanse your skin. Grab a pack of reusable wipes made from sustainable materials and not only does your cleansing routine become zero waste, but it can also improve your skin.
LOOK FOR BRANDS THAT ARE REDUCING THEIR PLASTIC USE
Even now in 2023, there are many brands that are still packing their products in nothing but plastic. These brands simply do not care about the environment and are putting short term profit before the long term future of our planet.
As long as they refuse to change, send them a message and do not shop with them and instead find brands that use more eco friendly packaging.
There are so many many cosmetic manufacturers, large and small, that are replacing plastic with more sustainable and natural materials.
GO WATERLESS
A huge new trend within the beauty industry is waterless beauty. Products, such as facemasks and toothpastes are being sold in dry form, and you simply add water when you want to use them.
But how does this help the environment? Well, by not adding water during the manufacturing process, the brand is able to use less packaging which means they are transporting products that weigh much less and thereby reducing carbon emissions.
We love the British Pink Clay Mask from Perl Cosmetics
BONUS TIP
We are told over and over again that drinking water is vital for healthy, young looking skin. But, in the UK we use over 7 billion single use plastic water bottles every year, with the majority ending up in landfill or the ocean.
So if you haven’t already, get yourself a reusable water bottle and kick the single use ones into touch. Imagine the huge impact if we all stopped using them.