This series of Eco-friendly Swaps aims to outline simple changes/switches to everyday products you use at home; and present quality alternatives that reduce your carbon footprint, decrease the amount of paper/plastic/metal waste consumed, reduce hard chemicals introduced into the environment, and offer reasonable & sustainable solutions for long-term environmental & personal health. The decision to make these changes now offers us the ability to have these luxuries in the future.
1.) Say NO to Disposable Plastic Floss Picks!!!
If you pay attention, you'll notice plastic flossers have become an abundant source of urban pollution, similar to discarded cigarette butts. These plastic flossers are notorious for puncturing seabirds' stomachs (albatross, pelicans, seagulls, terns, etc.), adding to the list of everyday human plastics that are known for devastating marine animal populations that mistake these human plastic products for food. Walk down the street anywhere these days, and you'll see them along sidewalks, in parking lots, on playgrounds, and beaches. It's incredibly small 'useful life span' of approximately 3 minutes per stick (when dental floss would suffice, and not poke an animal to death, causing it to bleed internally and suffer a tremendously painful death if accidentally ingested), contribute to billions of littered mini & microplastics turning our oceans & ecosystems into a minefield for marine life, threatening animal populations with sickness, poisoning, and possibly even extinction. Consuming enough of these plastic products along with other human wastes (more on that later) threaten to upend our natural food chain, poisoning us too in the process, as we consume some of these sickened animals, using just one tiny object of convenience. BUY DENTAL FLOSS!
2.) YES! Shampoo Bars
Luckily, because the beauty industry is founded on values & safety, we can be sure to see the day soon when our favorite shampoos, conditioners, & body washes ditch their plastic bottles for good and take the 'bar' form permanently. Companies like Lush, Ethique, Shea Moisture, and more are spearheading this movement - pulling away from plastics and paving the way toward sustainable packaging. Click the links above to view our favorite shampoo bars on the market, and If you have tried these luscious bars already, tell us about your experience with them in the comments below!
3.) NO! Plastic Loofahs
With their $1 price tag & pretty colors, plastic loofahs are breeding grounds for bacteria- leaking formaldehyde, petroleum, sulfates & dioxins into aquatic ecosystems/environments long after they’ve been discarded. YES: Bath & shower sponges made from plant fibers are the opposite; as they dry fast to minimize bacteria growth and are made to be compostable, biodegradable, or recyclable, posing no harmful or negative effects on the environment after it's intended useful life. Many sustainable alternatives offer a similar life span to plastic versions. See the featured products above to view our favorite sustainable alternatives on the market today!
4.) YES! Bamboo Toothbrushes
Plastic toothbrushes top the list of leading sources of plastic pollution, found suffocating our oceans with their indestructible design that never breaks down and collects by the millions. To feed a growing human population where 99% of people currently use plastic toothbrushes; companies like the Giving Brush make seeking sustainability a readily available option for all, offering free bamboo toothbrushes to first-time visitors & shipped straight to your home at no cost, shipping fees, or long term commitments. Bamboo being a compostable, biodegradable, and sustainable resource makes this switch a no brainier and easy to try out! Even industry leaders like Colgate have begun addressing the issue directly on their company website.
So what do you have to lose? Get yours today!
5.) MAYBE? Menstrual Cup > Tampons
Although it’s a personal choice to switch from using tampons to a menstrual cup, the benefits far outweigh the odds in comparison to tampons, saving you tons of money and tons of waste from entering the landfill down the road. I know this seems like a big change, but listen to the FACTS first: Tampons can be dangerous as they cause ph-imbalance that poses health risks to women, and contain dioxins, chlorine, and non-organic cotton made with pesticides and other planet harming chemicals. A single person can use up to 265 tampons or pads in one year, while approximately 12 billion tampons/pads fill landfills in America each year (OMG!). One menstrual cup can be washed & reused for years, saving you 100's of dollars and reducing carbon emissions & trips to the grocery store. Menstrual cups require NO trees to be sacrificed, produce ZERO landfill waste, can be recyclable while offering numerous game-changing health benefits to you (like no odor). Plus, you won't worry about things like Toxic-Shock-Syndrome like you do from tampon use, which can, at the very least, cause a raging localized or body-wide infection - and, at the very worst - kill you.
6.) APPLAUSE! Recycling Shavers & Razor Blades
A leader in its industry and the first of its kind, Gillette is paving the way to make recycling possible by keeping hard-to-recycle razors & blades out of landfills and launching the Worlds First National Razor Recycling Program. This program offers free receptacles & pre-paid-shipping to their partnered Terracycle recycling plants and accepts all razors & razor blades brands. Gillette's level of accountability as a dominant market & industry leader sets the tone for 2019, remodeling its business structure to ensure its customers' health & safety and taking corporate social responsibility for their role in the future health of our planet moving forward. If you were looking for a grocery store hero - look no further! Gillette is the leader we've been looking for. Learn more about this program, and sign up for your first receptacle here!
Great article. Small changes can make huge differences.
Since you brought my attention to the dental pick thing I DO SEE THEM EVERYWHERE. It's like they are multiplying. It's crazy. Are people just flinging these things out of their car windows or what's the deal?