*We partnered with the thoughtful folks at Plaine Products to bring you this info about how you can start reducing waste today without a huge effort.
Anyone who pays attention at all knows that our oceans and landfills are full of plastic. It's everywhere. Our bottled water habit in the US alone racks up 1,500 bottles a second, 50 billion a year, and only 23% of them are recycled which means 38 billion of those bottles are thrown in the trash every single year. And according to the Environmental Protection Agency, product packaging makes up one quarter of landfill waste, a fact that beauty companies are beginning to take into account.
If plastic is to be used at all, recycling is a must. We advocate for recycling whenever possible, and we're thrilled to see more biodegradable packaging options becoming available, but the truth is, we have a plastic problem.
According to Plaine Products, only 5 – 10% of plastic is reclaimed for recycling. Even when it is recycled, most plastic still eventually ends up in a landfill or in our lakes and oceans. It's so bad that in just a few decades, there might be more plastic in the world’s oceans than fish. That’s because plastic never really goes away, it’s designed to last forever. It’s hard to imagine, but all of the plastic that’s ever been made is still here, somewhere on the earth.
We know too that our very own bodies are testing positive for the same chemicals used in common plastics. In fact, our ubiquitous exposure to chemicals is evidenced by the 2009 testing of umbilical cord blood that found over 200 chemicals hidden within, including bisphenol-a. So the question is, what can we do?
How the Right Shampoo Can Help You Save the Planet
As individuals, these out-of-control scenarios can become overwhelming really fast. That's why we like to step back, take a deep breath, and look at what we can conceivably do in our own lives to be the change we're so desperate for. It's about being responsible for ourselves, not the whole world. And it's more often the small, seemingly insignificant actions that end up making all the difference in the long run. One step at a time.
And that's what we love about Plaine Products. They're making it easy for us regular, busy people to drastically reduce or eliminate plastic waste from our shower routine by offering an exchange and subscription service for shampoo, conditioner and body wash by way of durable, reusable, recyclable aluminum bottles with a safe epoxy liner made without BPA and PVC.
- Aluminum requires only 5% of the energy to recycle into new cans (compared to manufacturing new ones) and creates very little pollution.
- A recycled aluminum bottle can be turned into a new bottle and back on store shelves within 60 days after hitting the recycling bin.
Their products are made right here in the USA with safe ingredients. And that heavenly rosemary, mint, vanilla scent is created without toxic synthetic fragrances too! The body wash lathers beautifully, and shampoo and conditioner are high quality, providing a gentle cleanse and thorough softening – a must have for all these manes around here 🙂
- Safe for kids
- Cruelty-free, no animal testing
- Free of sulfates, parabens and phthalates
- Contains no animal byproducts
- Biodegrades more easily than conventionally formulated products
- Contains no nanoparticles
An Exchange Program Makes Reducing Waste Even Easier
Their subscription service allows you to get set up for continual replenishment if you like. All you have to do to get started reducing your plastic waste is buy your first round of products, and when you're done, just order your refill and send the empty bottles back in the same shipping box free of charge. Now you're on a roll!