Sustainability has been a buzz-word for a while now. But separating our recyclables just isn’t cutting it – studies have shown that around 70% of what we put in the recycling may actually be ending-up in landfill. Fear not: there are some super simple tweaks we can all be making to our routines that help us be more mindful about the footprint we leave.
Be plastic-aware
Perhaps the easiest place to start is by avoiding single-use plastic in the first place. Of course, some products lend themselves better to plastic-free than others, but even for the latter there is a solution. Eco-conscious brands are packaging liquid products in 100% recycled plastic – try Rhyme & Reason’s extensive hair-care range. Don’t want to switch? Your favourite brands are in on it, too. L’Oréal Elvive have recently developed packaging that is 100% recycled plastic and recyclable, and over 85% of Aveda products are bottled using recycled plastic. Excitingly, REN have now introduced Infinity Recycling to the beauty industry, using groundbreaking technology to recycle mixed plastic waste otherwise destined for incineration or landfill without using the heat and pressure traditionally employed in recycling processes.
Look for product refils
No longer just the budget-friendly option, product refils can also create up to 82 per cent less plastic waste, too. Recent years have seen a bunch of premium brands get on-board, with easy-to-use refils of their most popular products. Kerastase, L’Occitane, Ouai, Charlotte Tilbury, L’Occitane…. the list is growing.
Be ingredient-aware
Many of the coveted ingredients in high-end beauty products are considered endangered in the natural world. By developing lab-grown active ingredients, brands like Biossance and One Ocean Beauty limit the environmental impact of their hero products. And Californian brand Circumference uses the by-product of their family-run olive harvest as the main bioactive ingredient in their Daily Regenerative Gel cleanser.
Ditch the disposables
Cotton pads, sheet masks, cutups.. all major culprits in landfil-growth. Many high-street beauty brands now offer reusable face pads, (try Garnier or Glov) and Eco Panda’s cue-tips are 100% plant-based, using bamboo wood in place of the usual plastic sticks. Perhaps most excitingly, Planet Revolution has developed re-usable sheet masks – a 100% organic cotton sheet that you soak in Sheet Mask Water then use just as you would a traditional packet mask.
Pick brands working together for the greater good
Last year, REN shunned sales competition in favour of a collective sustainability effort with like-minded brands (Biossance,?Caudalie, Herbivore, and Youth To The People) as part of their #WeAreAllies campaign. The powerful message of brands working together to pioneer new solutions aimed to inspire consumers and brands to make their own pledges to protect the planet. Similarly, The British Beauty Council has launched its Sustainable Beauty Coalition to promote response to our environmental crisis.
