5 Ways to make your beauty plastic free
BY READERS DIGEST
12th May 2019 Fashion & Beauty
However green you try to be, delving into your makeup bag is likely to reveal heaps of plastic you may have overlooked. Health and wellbeing brand Gear Hungry offer five tips for reducing the plastic in your beauty regime.
1. The naked approach
Lush Cosmetics is perhaps the biggest cheerleader for "naked cosmetics". Choosing to use products that are free of all packaging is perhaps the fastest way to make a real impact on your personal use of plastic.
Solid shampoos, deodorants and of course soaps, are all great alternatives to buying products that are protected by plastic. Swapping just one of your usual products is also cost-effective as naked products last up to three times longer than those wrapped in plastic.
Read more: 9 Ways to cut down your plastic use
2. Online packaging pitfalls
A handful of online retailers are renowned for their excessive packaging. The cardboard used for shipment in the US alone equated to 1 billion trees in 2018. As e-commerce platforms begin to listen to their audiences concerns with regards to unnecessary packaging, many continue to distribute tiny products in huge boxes.
Mindfully shop online and steer away from outlets that are renowned to use copious amounts of packaging. Alternatively, "buddy up" with a friend and combine your orders to ensure that only one shipment is made. Of course, shopping instore is a great alternative as you can use your own bag.
3. Ditch all wipes
Wet wipes, baby wipes and makeup wipes hold a plastic based structure. They will not break down and instead, stay in the landfill and block water systems.
Wipes are responsible for 93 per cent of the makeup in blockages found in water systems. According to the Marine Conservation Society, wet wipes are the fastest growing cause of pollution on our beaches.
Instead of using wipes, purchase products that are biodegradable or cleansers that are held in glass containers. Glass can then be recycled or used again.
4. Get a handle on plastic
Makeup brushes, razors and mascara wands often have plastic handles. Seek alternatives as a host of brands use bamboo and even metal. Steer away from disposable razors as single-use plastic products have a detrimental effect on our planet. In addition…
"Single-use plastic should not be an option", says Jordan Carter at Gear Hungry. "If you want to make a real impact across your household then the following can make a real difference."
- Include a recycling bin in your bathroom. Many people only have one waste bin for recycling within their household. This often means that every mixed rubbish ends up in the generic bin. Ensure that all recyclable items make it to the appropriate bin.
- Look out for products that are encased in paper. Many consumers adopt the I will just recycle the plastic mindset however, not all plastic can be recycled. Paper is a sure-fire way to ensure that you have a failsafe eco-friendly product.
- Make sure that you use all your product. This is not only a cost-effective approach but also prolongs your plastic use.
5. All that glitters this festival season
As festival season fast approaches, many will be creating their obligatory iridescent unicorn looks that require face paints and glitter.
Glitter may glisten like gold however; it is made up of tiny pieces of plastic and foil. Glitter is non-recyclable and realistically, impossible to reuse. Glitter can take several years to decompose.
Biodegradable glitter is now available across many stores and should always be favoured over traditional glitter.
