1000 Flowers for the Planet - #569 Avoid Liquid Soap
In the USA, 2.5 million plastic bottles go into landfill every year – just from liquid soap. Multiply this around the world by other populations and there are millions more going into landfill. Yes, you can buy refill bottles to enable you to reuse the one you already have, but that refill bottle is still going into landfill. Even if you recycle the plastic, there is a great deal of energy required to process the plastic. The solution has far less impact on the planet and uses far fewer resources – bar soap. Go back to the traditional bar of soap. It cleans your hands just as well when you wash properly and can be purchased without a great deal of packaging. Look for multi-packs in cardboard boxes or support a local soap maker at a craft market. This small change to your shopping habits will benefit the planet by using far fewer resources in plastic production such as oil, water and energy, reduce transport costs, save the earth from more landfill and maybe even support a local soap artisan.