This Plastic-Free July We’re Confronted with the Reality of Plastic Pollution.
Plastic-free July is a global awareness month.
Every day we are confronted with the reality of plastic pollution. Step outside and the high street will inevitably, be littered with discarded plastic bottles. Go on your weekly shop and you’ll undoubtedly find individually wrapped oranges, still in their skin. Scroll through social media and won’t be long until you see images of humanity’s damaging effect on the environment. Plastic is simply unavoidable and an issue we can no longer ignore.
Start small
When confronted with the reality of plastic pollution, there can be an overwhelming desire to find every plastic item in your home and launch them into the nearest recycling bin. Sadly though, this isn’t sustainable either. Without replacing these products with eco-friendly alternatives, we will inevitably set ourselves up for failure and easily fall back into old habits.
Instead, start with one small change. Choose a single area of your life to focus on where you’d like to reduce your plastic consumption. It could be as simple as switching from a regular toothbrush to a bamboo one. Small changes like this may seem insignificant but considering that over 3.6 billion plastic toothbrushes are consumed each year, it’s easy to see how our choices have a lasting impact.
Do your research
Change is never easy, especially when you are trying to go plastic-free. That’s why it’s essential to do your research beforehand.
Admittedly though, this is easier said than done. Beauty brands have been eager to capitalise on the sustainability trend, often marketing products as “eco-friendly” despite them containing plastic in their packaging or ingredients. This practise of greenwashing makes it nearly impossible for the average consumer to know whether their product is truly sustainable. Even more alarmingly, many of us have encountered this problem whilst shopping for supposedly plastic free goods.
Now, more than ever, it’s vital that we educate ourselves and become aware of greenwashing – especially as the beauty industry is still responsible for producing over 120 billion units of packaging annually. As a consumer, try to familiarise yourself with eco-friendly brands, materials and products whenever possible. If you are unsure whether a brand is sustainable or not, it’s good to consider a range of aspects including: the materials, the general quality and the packaging. A good rule of thumb is that the poorer the product quality is, the less sustainable it is.
Another thing to look out for is certification. Brands like Iceland and Teapigs have begun to include the plastic free certification mark, which will make it far easier for shoppers to find plastic free options. Whilst it isn’t as well known as the Vegan sunflower or anti-cruelty Leaping Bunny logo, you can expect to see it more and more in the coming years. You can also look out for the B Corporation mark and Positive Luxury Butterfly mark, which are certifications awarded to a company based on their social and environmental impact.
If you are still unsure about a product, get in contact with the company who manufactures it. Nowadays, most businesses are more transparent about their sustainability, provide further information on their website or by request. This research may seem excessive but as a consumer you have every right to know more about the products you buy.
Recycling is unreliable
Whilst recycling should always be encouraged, it’s no secret that the system in the UK is a little broken. Recent controversies about how much plastic is actually being recycled and the amount of waste being exported poorer nations have made this clear. So if we can’t rely on recycling, how do we solve our plastic problem?
The easiest way to do this is by reducing our plastic consumption wherever possible. Ideally, you should seek out companies that use post-consumer recycled materials (PCR) or other sustainable forms of packaging, such as glass jars. Thankfully more and more brands, such as RMS Beauty and Milk Makeup, are choosing to do this and will often state what materials have been used on their packaging.
Alternatively, use “solid” beauty products like shampoo bars from object beauty, skincare or shower gels. These items usually with minimal paper packaging and are widely available, which makes them an even easier plastic free swap.
Fill your boots
Another way to easily cut your plastic consumption is by using refillable make up or beauty products. Not only are they a great to reduce plastic waste, but you only pay for the products you love.
The concept is hardly new, with refillable lipsticks and compact once the norm in the 40s and 50s. Over the years however, these were replaced plastic packaging which was cheaper for manufactures and offered endless design possibilities. As a result, refills were all but phased out and the cost of new cases skyrocketed.
Nowadays, more and more companies are offering refillable products at a range of price points. Even, major beauty brands like Mac are getting involved, as they strive to become more sustainable. Their signature Pro Palette base starts costs under £5 with the average cost of £10 per pan depending on whether you buy eyeshadow, blusher or concealer. Good for the environment and your purse, what’s not to love?
Go Guilt Free
Too often we have an all or nothing mentality when it comes to sustainability. We push ourselves to make lasting changes, such as no longer using face wipes, only to feel defeated when we fail – sometimes through no fault of our own. Not only is this mindset harmful our self-esteem, but it’s harmful to the environment too as we struggling to reinstate the good habits we’ve built.
Instead of feeling guilt, we need to recognise that we all have budget, lifestyle and time constraints which will impact our choices. We should all be commended for the small decision we make that positively impact the environment, even if it’s just choosing the product with less plastic packaging than other brands. Remember sustainability is about being perfection, it’s about making the best choices with the options available to us. Anne Marie Bonneau said it best “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”
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We believe in shining a light on achievements. There’s one right here! Written by the brilliant Katherine Sidnell, for The Brand Whisperer.