Plastic Free July - Swaps

Switching from your plastic toothbrush to a bamboo or beechwood toothbrush is probably the easiest eco-friendly change you can make to your beauty routine and the first step I made. It is recommended by dental practitioners that you should replace your toothbrush every 3 months, this means that 265.6 million toothbrushes are disposed of every year within the UK, with the majority ending up in landfill or the ocean. Toothpaste tubes and standard toothbrushes are difficult to recycle because they combine different materials. Toothpaste tubes tend to made from various types of plastic and a thin aluminium layer and toothbrushes are made from different types of plastics, which makes it challenging for recycling plants to process and separate the materials.

Ditching the plastic cotton buds for bamboo alternatives is another simple change. The plastic versions take up to 300 years to decompose, they cannot be recycled and many ending up in the sewers and oceans. During 2018, 22 cotton buds were found within every 100 meters of UK beach surveyed, these plastic cotton buds have harmful effects on marine animals. Sea life can be found with ingested fragments that remain trapped in their digestive tract causing damage, cotton bud fragments have been found in seabirds stomachs and whole sticks in turtles.

Traditionally when you think of soap bars, you think of dry, tight skin, this was due to the harsh foaming agents used to formulate these soaps. However, there are now plenty of great facial soaps and body soaps that are kind and nourishing to our skin making them great for everyday cleansing. Additionally, switching to a shampoo bar can help save the use of shampoo bottles, the UK alone uses 13 billion plastic bottles every year. Only 7.5 billion are recycled. The remaining 5.5 billion are landfilled, littered, or incinerated. The average person uses about 10 shampoo bottles a year so switching to a shampoo bar is a great way to reduce your household plastic waste. There are so many different types of shampoo bar available now so you are sure to find one thats right for you.

It is estimated that disposable razors are only meant to be used 6 to 9 times before being thrown away. In the early ’90s, the US Environmental Protection Agency reported that America produced 9 billion disposable razors. Unfortunately, the plastic used to create disposable razors is normally made up of several different materials making it near impossible to recycle. Safety razors, however, can be used time and time again, with the blades being easily recycled. These are not just a low waste alternative to plastic razors, you’ll also be amazed how easy they are to use and how smooth your skin feels afterwards.

Traditional beauty accessories such as disposable wipes and cotton pads are very useful in our skincare routine, however, they have been found to have a damaging effect on our environment. Unfortunately, most disposable wipes contain plastic fibres that end up as microplastics in our oceans harming and even killing its wildlife.  A recent UK study showed that disposable wipes were responsible for 93% of all blocked sewer pipes! But don’t worry, there is a solution! Tabitha Eve has produced a range of re-usable makeup and beauty accessories, that are not only a low waste alternative but will also save you money in the long run as they can be reused time and time again.

With the worldwide beauty industry producing over 120 billion units of packaging each year, it is easy to see why sustainable options are becoming even more important and that it is encouraging to see some companies looking to alternatives to plastic where possible. Now there are some great plastic-free skincare brands on the market, covering everything from moisturisers to toners or even things as small and simple as a lip balm. These companies specialise in creating some of the best high quality and sustainable skincare products that don’t cost the earth.