Five Easy Steps Toward Creating a #LifeAfterPlastic
The human addiction to plastic is real. It’s everywhere. In fact, studies say that we inadvertently consume up to FIVE grams of plastic per week in the course of our daily lives, and up to 40 pounds of plastic in a normal lifespan.
We take the plastic problem very seriously for both the health of our planet and every living creature on it. This year, we're taking our entire line of Pangea products plastic-free, beginning with Bodycare this Summer and Skincare in the Fall. Soon our customers have access to the highest quality, efficacious products without the intrusion of single-use plastics. Our biggest hope is that going plastic-free will also blaze a trail for other brands to do the same.
In the meantime, here are five simple steps you can take today to move toward a #LifeAfterPlastic.
1. Make Your Own Cleaning Products or Choose Plastic-Free Products
Ever feel disgusted by the irony that when you finish a bottle of household cleaner, there is little chance it will go anywhere but the landfill? Here is a great counter spray recipe that uses Castile Soap and Essential Oils. We would suggest adding white vinegar to this recipe for a formula that works wonders in the bathroom, too. And, while making laundry detergent is a little trickier and can gum up your washing machine (expensive), consider using a brand that is not packaged in plastic. Same goes for dish soap.
2. Ditch Plastic Straws and Utensils
Humans use approximately 185 million plastic straws and 40 billion plastic utensils per year! These end up in our landfills or waterways where marine life can choke on them. Ask for no straw or utensils when you order food and drinks to go, and invest in a reusable version that you keep handy in your car or bag for when you want to order a drink that uses a straw. We love Final.co's version, as their fold-up straws are built to stash easily in your bag or even on your keychain and are really easy to clean.
4. Just Say No To Plastic Produce Bags
Most of us have gotten pretty good at remembering our reusable grocery bags. But how many times have you hit the produce aisle and felt a wave of guilt about the plastic bags in which you put all your yummy fruits and veggies, knowing that when you take them home, the bags will collect in a drawer with the others you can’t bring yourself to throw away? It’s nuts. What if we all used something like this instead?
4. Carry A Copper Water Bottle
Ok, it doesn’t need to be copper (though we’re slightly obsessed with these for their ability to help balance the body’s pH levels). Just make sure you’ve got a reusable water bottle you love and take with you all the time, so you don’t have to buy water contained in a single use plastic bottle.
5. Use Your Own Takeout Containers
While certain restaurants will not agree to this practice, as they prefer to have control over every aspect of safety when it comes to their food, others are amenable to customers bringing their own containers for takeout. In fact, Treehugger published this article indicating there is no additional risk to doing so during the Covid pandemic.
Of course, buying your Skin and Bodycare products in plastic-free packaging is significant in reducing single-use plastics. We're excited to offer them to you this year, and we hope you'll find these little steps useful as well.