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- By 2050, our oceans are expected to contain more plastic than fish.
- Harrowing statistics about the fate of our planet are not uncommon these days, and as individuals it can seem like we’re helpless to improve the dire state of our environment.
- Making more conscious decisions about the products we buy is a great place to start reducing our personal environmental impacts.
- Here are six brands, ranging from organic snack company Alter Eco to clean beauty favorite RMS Beauty, that use sustainable packaging to help you reduce your plastic waste.
Grappling with our own environmental impact isn’t easy. The substantial damage caused by our consumption can’t be ignored — harrowing reports flood our feeds telling us that by 2050 our oceans may contain more plastic than fish and that by 2100, ten of the worlds big cities may be uninhabitable due to rising sea levels and climbing global temperatures. Now, there are even women vowing to never reproduce as they think it’s wrong to bring children into a climate-ravaged world.
Where do we go from here? As individuals, it can seem that our actions are not enough to even make a dent in reversing, or just lessening, the catastrophic damage. For most of us, living a zero-waste lifestyle isn’t realistic, and a carbon-free lifestyle is likely not feasible at all, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything.
There are many small changes we can all make to reduce our environmental impact, like swapping out regular lightbulbs for energy-saving LED alternatives and using a reusable water bottle instead of constantly buying plastic ones. While reducing your own environmental impact won’t change everything, it’s an important baby step toward a greater goal.
An easy place to start considering your environmental impact is with consumer packaged goods. Plastic packaging makes up over one sixth of waste in United States landfills. While some of this plastic waste could have been recycled, a great deal of it can’t be recycled at all. As convenient as plastic is for us, it’s clearly taking a toll on our environment. That’s why many companies are taking solutions into their own hands by offering sustainable packaging alternatives that are just as convenient, affordable, and protective as single-use plastics. These companies make reducing your environmental impact easy and make products you can feel better about buying.
Here are six brands that use sustainable packaging, so you can enjoy your favorite products without creating unnecessary plastic waste:
Seed Phytonutrients
Seed Phytonutrients Instagram
Shop Seed Phytonutrients at Sephora
The mission of Seed Phytonutrients is to make clean and natural hair, face, and body products that are better for us and the environment. One way the brand is living up to this mission is by using more environmentally friendly packaging. Seed takes the title of making the first-ever shower-friendly paper bottle. Each bottle is made out of 100% post-consumer recycled paper and lined with a post-consumer recycled plastic liner, resulting in a bottle with 60% less plastic than a traditional one. When you shower, the paper will get wet (it’s still paper), but thanks to a mineral coating it will dry quickly and look good as new in no time.
Alter Eco
Alter Eco Instagram
Shop Alter Eco at Amazon and Thrive Market
Alter Eco makes some of your favorite indulgent treats with simple, natural ingredients — salted caramel truffles, a crisp mint chocolate bar, and dark chocolate coconut clusters are just some of the delicious combinations. Beyond using clean ingredients, Alter Eco is committed to using cleaner packaging as well. The plastic packaging it uses for the outer boxes of its chocolate bars is recyclable. The brand has also launched Gone4Good — the first compostable stand-up pouch made from renewable, non-GMO, plant-based materials — which is used to house its dried quinoa. Chocolate truffles are also wrapped in this compostable material.
Alima Pure
Alima Pure Instagram
Shop beauty products at Alima Pure
Constantly buying new makeup usually means constantly throwing away a lot of little plastic containers, but Alima Pure is changing that. The certified B Corp sells its makeup in refillable compacts. So, when you’re done with your foundation (for example) just pop it out of the compact, then buy a refill magnetic pan filled with your desired new foundation and pop it in. It’s less messy, less wasteful, and full of ingredients that’ll nourish your skin. Alima Pure is also proud to be carbon neutral and a member of 1% for the Planet, an organization whose members donate 1% of annual gross revenue to grassroots environmental organizations.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- 15 products we rely on to turn bad hair days around — from $7 serums to $160 styling tools
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- The best reusable shopping and tote bags you can buy
Source: Business Insider – rrosmarin@businessinsider.com (Remi Rosmarin)