What do I need to know about plastic in the beauty industry?
You’ve just finished a tube of mascara which, according to the packaging, is non-recyclable, so you put it in the bin. What happens next? The plastic ends up in the oceand and is sucked into gyres which create whirlpools of waste that don’t break down. Plastic waste also ends up polluting beaches or as sea life’s next meal – eventually starving them to death. Data from UNESCO says that over 100,000 sea mammals and over 1,000,000 sea birds die per year due to this. There is in fact so much plastic put into the ocean each year that the Ellen Macarthur Foundation has predicted that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish; this equates to around 12 billion tonnes – or 35,000 Empire state buildings (Zero Waste Week). According to Plastic Oceans packaging accounts for 40% of plastic usage.
A large user of plastic packaging is the cosmetic industry. Data from the World Wildlife Fund shows that of all plastics put in the recycling bin, only 31% actually gets recycled. According to data from Euromonitor the amount of plastic used by the beauty industry increased by 11.18 billion plastic units from 2010 to 2017 (this does not include plastic items included in products). Many of these plastic units are too small to be recycled or include mixed materials making it impossible for them to be recycled.
All of this is contained in just one package of moisturizer.
Even though some companies have made their packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable, much of it still isn’t being processed. And even if a company uses recycled plastics for their packaging, plastic eventually loses the ability to be recycled and will end up as plastic waste anyway. Recycled plastic also has the possibility of including harmful chemicals because the source of the plastics used is unknown.
According to data from LCA Centre, 70% of the beauty industry’s carbon emissions could be reduced if refillable containers were used by consumers. Also, according to data from Olay, 80% of purchased beauty products aren’t even actively used.
Plastic isn’t the only issued either. The cardboard and tissue paper used to package products contributes to the yearly loss of 18 million acres of forest according to Zero Waste Week.
So how can you make a difference at home?
Cotton Rounds and Cotton Balls -> Flannel or Cotton fabric rounds
One easy option for replacing cotton rounds and cotton balls is to make your own reusable and washable fabric rounds. If you have old flannel, towel, or cotton material, you can easily cut the material into your desired shape and use those in the same way as a cotton ball or cotton round. (Another plus besides for being more sustainable than cotton products is that they absorb less product meaning that you not only save on cotton products, but you also save on cosmetic products).
There are also many options of fabric rounds that you can purchase (below are some links to just a few). These rounds are often a lot cuter and cheaper long-term than disposable cotton products.
Single-use Sponges -> Beauty blender (or equivalent), brush, or hands
There are so many options to replace single-use sponges that often work much better. If you want something extremely affordable and accessible, you already have it, your hands. If you want a tool there are tons of reusable sponge and brush options (links below). The most well-known sponge is the beauty blender, but there are also plenty of cheaper options. As long as you clean your sponge, it can last for years.
Sponges:
2. https://www.elfcosmetics.com/total-face-sponge/84061.html?cgid=toolsbags-spongesapplicators#start=1
Brushes:
Mascara Spoolies -> Reusable Spoolies
To replace single use spoolies, you can always wash the spoolie from a used tube of mascara and use that with other products. You can also purchase a reausable spoolie from either of the above eco-friendly brush stores above. These are incredibly easy to wash and can last for a very long time.
Cotton Buds -> Reusable silicone cotton buds
An eco-friendly replacement for cotton buds (that I use ALL the time) is LastSwab. You can easily wash and sanitize these swabs making them extremely useful and a great item to cut out of your waste bin. There are also cheaper options that can be found on Etsy.
Single-use face wipes -> Makeup eraser (or equivalent)
The last great item to cut out of your makeup routine are face wipes. There are so many great alternatives that greatly cut down on the amount of waste that your routine produces. Below are a few links of products that work incredibly well. If these feel too pricy, you could also purchase a set of baby washcloths that can work just as well.
By replacing these products in your routine, not only do you cut down on waste, but you also cut down on the expenses of these non-reusable products that do slowly add up.
What are some other ways that you can minimalize your waste from your cosmetic routine?
Buying from brands that are sustainable and environmentally friendly
Many mainstream brands don’t use sustainable packaging or ingredients, but this doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of brands that are sustainable. Below is a list of brands that are healthier for the planet:
1. Booda Organics (https://boodaorganics.com/)
2. Empirisquid Organics (https://www.empiresquid.com/)
3. Fat and the Moon (https://www.fatandthemoon.com/)
4. Plant Makeup (https://www.plantmakeup.com/)
6. Axiology (https://axiologybeauty.com/)
7. Bare Faced Beauty (https://www.barefacedbeauty.com/)
8. Bee You Organics (https://beeyouorganics.com/)
If you would like to see more brands, check out this website: https://www.sustainablejungle.com/best-of-sustainable-beauty/best-ethical-sustainable-beauty-brands/
Purchasing products in glass packaging that can be re-used
When you buy glass products, you can reuse the containers for your own products or for any other purpose that you can come up with. Although glass is recyclable, many recycled goods don’t end up recycled and broken glass is not recyclable. A much better and a much surer way to prevent your glass and other used packaging from going into the landfill is to reuse it.
Making your own products
There are endless online recipes, most of which are easy to make and work just as well as their non-sustainable counterparts. For the most part many of the ingredients you may already have in your kitchen or can find at a local market. In some instances, there are products that are more difficult to find, but that can usually be remedied with a bulk order from an online supplier. The supplier that I currently use is https://www.essentialwholesale.com/category/32/ingredients but they do use a fair amount of plastic packaging so I am looking for a more sustainable option. You could also try your hand at formulating your own products, as long as you do your research and make sure the ingredients you are using are skin safe. (I will be posting an ingredient guide soon).
Purchasing higher end lashes
When I say higher end, I don’t mean that you need to break the bank with the most expensive lashes out there (looking at all the lashes retailing at $30 and above), but I do mean finding lashes that are slightly higher end than dollar store or drugstore lashes. I purchased some lashes from Azeredo Cosmetics nearly three years ago and I am still using the lashes. Even though most lashes are advertised as being good for 15 uses, as long as you carefully peel the dried lash glue off and occasionally clean them, the lashes can be used for much longer.
I know that all of these changes are not accessible for everyone, but if you can afford to make the changes, every little bit of plastic and single-use products not put into landfills counts.
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