Hello!
This week at university, we got introduced to ethics issues in the PR industry.
Ethics can be defined as the philosophical study of human behaviour’s moral worth and the norms and principles that should govern it. In other terms, what is morally right and what is morally wrong for oneself.
Learning more about ethics made me think a lot about my consumption. In my opinion, it is important and urgent to reduce our consumption of plastic, and therefore to reduce our amount of waste.
So there are a few new habits and products I've incorporated into my daily routine to reduce my waste, within a small budget, as I am a student. Indeed, it's far from ideal, but I think it's a good start.
Firstly, we all know that paper straws are a big problem in our society today. And even if restaurants and fast-foods across the world are trying to limit their plastic straws use, in my opinion, there are still too many. However, I'm not ready to give up straws when I drink a cocktail in a bar or a coke on the terrace of a bistro.
So after some research, I found a reusable metal straw that can be retracted to fit in my handbag and it is very convenient. The straw can be cleaned with a small brush that is supplied with it. I found mine on Shein for only 2,50€, even if I know Shein is not the most sustainable fashion retailer.
When the day is over, what is better than removing make-up? Unfortunately, cotton pads and bottles of make-up remover pollute a lot. But I have found a solution both for the planet, as it reduces your amount of waste, and for your skin, as you will be able to remove your make-up effectively with water only. Yes, water only! Except for waterproof make-up which will have a little more difficulty in coming off.
I found by chance at Primark some makeup cleansing cloths that come by 3 for only £3. These towels are very effective for removing my daily make-up with only water and can be easily washed in the washing machine. Also, it's very practical for holidays: no need to bother with a bottle of make-up remover and a pack of cotton pads: you just need a make-up remover towel, water and nothing else. They dry quickly in the open air.
https://www.primark.com/en/all-products/cosmetics/accessories/come-clean-cloth-3-pack/p/131292185
A good shower follows. And what better way to reduce waste than with solid soaps? You can find solid shampoos, conditioners and body wash from Faith in Nature at Holland & Barrett between £5 and £7. They work just as well as regular products and smell great. Again, they are really practical for holidays because you won’t need to worry anymore about the volume of liquid products restricted for a flight :)
Still in the shower, it's good to exfoliate your body from time to time. So, instead of using an exfoliating scrub in a plastic bottle that I will end up throwing away and buying again, I use an exfoliating glove that I was able to get for only 2€ at a massage salon, but you can find many in other shops, at The Body Shop for example, for £4. I apply some solid body wash on the glove and scrub my body. This glove is very effective, it cleans deeply, removes dead skin and leaves my skin very soft. However, it remains more aggressive than a classic scrub that can be found in the shops, so I would advise limiting its use to once a week.
In the same kind of way, my lips tend to chafe a lot all year round, especially during the winter. So I often exfoliate them to get nice soft lips. I recently discovered an exfoliating glove, like the one I presented to you before, but this time especially for the lips. These two exfoliating gloves are easily washable in the washing machine. You just have to wet the little glove with water, insert your fingers and you can rub it on your lips. Remember to moisturise your lips afterwards to take care of any irritation the scrub may have caused. This one is named Scrubex from the brand Glov and can be shopped online on LookFantastic for £12,90.
Then, we all know that cotton buds are bad for the environment. They are often listed in the top 5-10 marine debris items commonly found on the beach (cleanocean.org). So, we can find nowadays bamboo cotton buds, so no plastic but they are still disposable. So I found silicone buds that can be washed with water and reused. They are very practical and efficient, they can be stored anywhere and are easy to clean. I got mine a very long time ago and I can’t remember from where I bought them, but there are two different shapes and they come in a handy little box. You can find some on Combojoy for £8,99 and on MyLittleEcoShop for £4,99.
After that, I have recently tested solid and natural toothpaste. And I have to admit that I was a bit scared, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's very convenient, it tastes good and it's just as effective as a traditional toothpaste that you can find in a tube. The one I have is for sensitive teeth but there are others, so you can find what you need! I got mine from Holland & Barret, it's from BEN&ANNA and I paid £4,99 for it on special.
One of the changes I am most proud of is that I stopped wearing period pads and tampons. They are really bad for our bodies, they are expensive, they increase the amount of waste and pollute a lot because they contain plastic. At first, I wasn't ready to try the menstrual cup and I thought menstrual panties were too expensive.
However, I was very surprised to find cheap menstrual underwear on AliExpress and at Primark. I didn't know what they were worth, but I decided to try them. I was once again pleasantly surprised. They work very well! They absorb well and retain odours so you can stay protected for hours. To clean them, just run them under cold water to remove as much liquid as possible, then put them in the washing machine, and you're done! They can be reused dozens of times. In addition, they are not like baby nappies, the thickness is suitable, which allows them to be not very conspicuous under clothing. I ordered 4 on Aliexpress for about 5€ each, and I bought a pack of 3 at Primark for only 16€. I am very happy with these items and recommend all menstruating people to try them :)
Thank you for reading my post, I hope it interested you! I'd love to hear about your zero waste habits because it's by sharing our tips and ideas that we can make a real difference!
Julie