Why? Because the waste is not-so-pretty
THROWAWAY
FACT
A mind-blowing 120 billion units of packaging are created by the beauty industry each year.
We all know about the problems with food packaging, but what about our toiletries, cosmetics and personal care? The stats are pretty staggering…
The cosmetics cardboard packaging alone leads to 18 million acres of forest being lost each year. And with only 9% of plastic packaging actually recycled (lower in fact as lipstick, mascara, etc. can be too small for mass-recycling machines), that’s not a pretty landfill picture.
In case the men here are feeling superior, you aren’t off the hook! We might largely buy more products but we know you’re partial to a moisturising balm or two…plus you borrow our stuff. Settled.
Yikes. So what can we do?
We all love beautiful packaging, don’t we. Luckily, making sustainable choices doesn’t mean we have to live like the Flintstones! The exciting thing is that brands are listening to what we want and challenger beauty start-ups are on the rise (in fact it’s a huge growth industry), so it’s going to get easier and easier to buy products we love without harming the earth. Hurrah!
But even so, how do we choose what material is best: plastic, glass, or.. gah!
> Firstly, the golden ticket is refillable or packaging free (naked) products.
> Then, for packaged products, our resident ethical and sustainable beauty expert, Louise of Beaufree (to whom we owe our intel) recommends this essential rule of thumb:
“Ensure you’re not buying a product made with virgin materials. It’s got to be made from a recycled resource, or it’s taking from the earth. Always check that.”
> The (very caveated) order of less-good to great packaging types goes:
Plastic (recycled / bio) → Glass → Cardboard → Aluminium
(Remember: “PGCA, yay!”)
Now to the nitty gritty…
Will it cost me more?
Not necessarily, but it’s definitely more effort and despite mainstream options popping up everywhere, it can still feel like a minefield. Louise has generously written us a go-straight-to-it guide for her picks of the brands doing it right. There’s years of rigorous knowledge here, distilled to a serum drop and will restore your will to live. Thanks Louise!
We…
Aimee: I was quite surprised about glass being in third place - I thought it’d be higher up…every day is a school day. Feeling pretty pleased with my latest swaps - Lush shampoo bars (naked!); soap instead of shower gel (naked!); moisturiser (glass in carboard box…mmm…just checked, not recycled glass); make-up…well, no point in lockdown…!!
Sonia: Seriously, this guide from Louise might be powering up the charts to my projected most useful resource of 2021 already. No more hours of label squinting. Reliably curated, all cruelty free and lots vegan. This is my new songbook!
Got a question for Louise? Send it in. And…is there something you’re proud of, big or small (teabags sorted or maybe your paperless mail) Email us, so we can feature you on our Weekly Shout Out. Everyone loves it, don’t be shy!
“Ain’t no bottle in this bin...”