Ten Easy Swaps to Make This Plastic Free July

As we go into Plastic Free July, an annual global movement that encourages and supports people to reduce how much plastic they are using. Since it started in 2011 it is estimated that around 326 million people took part in 2020. Are you taking part this year? Or did you do it in a previous year and now live plastic free?

We are going to be going through some of ten easiest swaps that you can make when it comes to your makeup and toiletries.

My personal advice, is that if you are taking part this year there is no point throwing out everything you currently use and replacing it with plastic free items. This is a waste of resources and of course your money! Replace an item as you finish it, do it slowly rather than rushing in and replacing everything at once.

There is also a very famous quote when it comes to going plastic free, I cant remember who said it, but the quote is:

“We don’t need a handful of people doing plastic free perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”

As we go through the swaps I will share what each swap will potentially save, so if you decide to do one swap at a time you can measure your progress.

So in no particular order:

DEODORANTS

SKINCARE

Average no of Cleansers used in a year: (depending on how many ml in a bottle) around 2 – 3 bottles
Average no of toners used in a year: 1 bottle
Average no of day creams used in a year: 2 jars
Average no of night creams used in a year: 2 jars
Average no of serums used in a year: 1 to 2 bottles
Average no of eye creams used in a year: 1 to 2 bottles

Click here to browse our range of plastic free skincare

REFILLABLE MAKEUP

This works really well for mineral makeup such as the range from Love the Planet. But what about makeup that is not in powdered form?

Don’t worry, there are still options.

I am yet to find a range of refillable nail polish, but honestly, who would want that mess! I think I would honestly get it everywhere. So best we accept that nail polish will never be refillable. However you can select options that have less of an impact, what is the bottle made from? And the lid? Traditionally the lid is made from plastic but there are more sustainable options out there such as the Zao Bamboo lid. It still contains a plastic brush but this is definitely a more sustainable and lower impact option.

So what about other types of makeup like mascaras and lipsticks?

PLASTIC FREE PERIODS

When you think of going plastic free your menstrual cycle might not be where your mind first goes to. But did you know:

• Conventional period products contain up to 90% plastic
• Everyone with a menstrual cycle will use on average 11,000 single use tampons and pads in a lifetime. This equates to around 125-150kg for each person!
• One years worth of tampons has a carbon footprint of 5.3kg co2.
• Around 200,000 tonnes of sanitary waste end up in landfill each year.
• 1.5 billion period products are flushed down the toilet every single year in the UK.
• Its estimated that for the average pad it will take 500 years for it to decompose!

Click here to browse our range of plastic free menstrual products

DENTAL

Dental swaps are another easy one. Whether you are swapping a plastic toothbrush for a bamboo or birch one, or moving from a plastic squeezy tube of toothpaste to a jar this can quickly add up to saving a lot of plastic. In the UK it is estimated that 300 millions tubes of toothpaste are used every single year. Imagine the impact on the planet if everyone made one swap of changing to a plastic free toothpaste. One that is often missed is dental floss and this is the swap I would urge you to make as soon as you can. Floss is such a thin thread of plastic that can easily become entangle and strangle wildlife, consider moving to one that is plastic free and ideally biodegradable.

Click here to browse our range of plastic free dental

SHAMPOO BARS

Click here to browse our range of plastic free haircare

CHOOSE REGULAR OR LARGE SIZES AS OPPOSED TO MINIS

Choosing miniature products means that these products will not last as long and will need to be replaced sooner. Choose full size bottles or large sizes so that the packaging lasts as long as possible.

COTTON BUDS

Cotton buds can be so useful in getting those wings absolutely perfect or tidying up some eyeshadow that might have fallen on your cheeks while you were getting those fabulous Smokey eyes. But what is the impact of using these on a daily basis and how can we make this step in our daily makeup routing more sustainable?

Luckily these plastic cotton buds were banned from sale and distribution in the UK on the 1st October 2020 so the hope is that there are no more of these available anywhere.  However a quick google at the time of writing this and I have found that the plastic versions are still available to purchase online. I know, I am as disappointed as you are!

Here at Greener Beauty we have never sold plastic cotton buds even before the ban and instead we have a few more sustainable options available.

Click here to browse our range of plastic free cotton wool

TRAVEL POTS

If you travel a lot one way of saving plastic, especially saving it from ending up in the ocean off a gorgeous island somewhere, is to decant your favourite products into a aluminium pot that you can just wash and take home when you are finished with it. This is also great if you are travelling and only have cabin luggage! We sell a range of pots that are all cabin luggage approved size (i.e. 100ml or under)

Click here to browse our range of plastic free travel pots

REMOVING YOUR MAKEUP

You can make a huge impact on your own sustainability by using a reusable make up remover. We all know that lots of the face wipes just move makeup and grime around your face but did you also now that lots of them contain plastic?

A great alternative is using a washable or reusable cloth to take off your makeup. If you use a face wipe on average 5 days a week this amounts to 260 wipes over the course of one year.

Click here to browse our range of plastic free makeup removers

So there we have it ten easy swaps for Plastic Free July! Don’t forget that any and all small swaps can make a huge difference so rather than getting overwhelmed with where you are and where you might like to be, you can always just pick one or two things to focus on and add in more when you feel ready.

Another important piece of advice we can give is to start slowly and just replace things with a more sustainable option as you finish them. It would not be sustainable to throw out a full makeup bag full of products to just replace them with more sustainable options.

Don’t be hard on yourself. If you can only make one swap now that is amazing. If everyone on this planet made just one swap imagine the impact that would have on this planet.

If you need any more advice or help with swaps or anything greener beauty related please do get in touch with us and we will always be more than happy to help!