Less waste on a daily basis. Cosmetics and bathroom accessories

Eco toothbrushing 

Let's start with the basic thing, which is oral hygiene. Its maintenance might be more eco-friendly. Brushes with handles made of bamboo wood or recycled plastic (for example, offered by the Jordan brand) will come in handy. It is definitely a move towards carbon footprint reduction. Even a small change – e.g. choosing a plastic recyclate tube, though made of plastic, will be a step in the right direction.

An interesting alternative to the traditional toothpaste in a tube (partly made of aluminum) are cleaning tablets in a glass jar. They look like peppermint candies. Unfortunately, their disadvantage is the price, because for one such jar we will pay about PLN 20 or more, which in terms of monthly consumption is more expensive than the purchase of the "ordinary" toothpaste. If you prefer cheaper solutions, then simply opt for products with  recyclable packaging.

A bar of goodness for the body (and the environment)

Swap your shampoos and shower gels in plastic tubes for soap bars. Ordinary soap, for example Marseille or Aleppo soap, will be a much more eco- friendly solution than a shower gel from the chemist's store, often containing components that are not harmless to the skin and the environment.

Besides, you don't generate plastic waste by doing so. The soap is usually bought wrapped in paper, which can also be segregated. After the first use, you can keep it in a regular ceramic soap dish or in a reusable box.

The same principle applies to shampoo bars. There are more and more solutions of this type on the market and they are becoming increasingly available. Today, you can find such products not only on the Internet, but also in easily accessible chemist stores like Rossman or Lidl chain stores. A kind of novelty are  hair conditioners, also in the form of a bar, which were once promoted by the foreign brand Lush. However, if you are not instantly convinced of using a certain soap or shampoo bar, do not be discouraged forever - you may come back to this solution someday, under new circumstances. You can also get closer to the "less waste" trend by reaching for refill packs, rather than buying the product in a new plastic bottle each time.

Make-up removal - good for the skin

Now it's time for something special for women who wear makeup every day. How should it be removed, so as not to generate waste and be more eco-friendly?

It is definitely worth quitting cleansing milks and micellar solutions in plastic packaging at the very start. Buying them every month and then throwing away the empty packages is not beneficial for the planet. 

Products in glass packaging will definitely be better. You can also use a preparation made by yourself. For example, coconut oil is perfect for removing makeup and it will work miracles on your skin. Use it with non-disposable, but reusable swabs made of linen or cotton. After use, just throw them into a fabric bag and then wash them in the washing machine.

If you don't want to use make-up removers at all, you can use purely water and makeup remover gloves, such as GLOV. They are also reusable.

Multiple-use shavers

Disposable razors not only consume a huge part of our personal care budget, but are also very harmful to the environment. For hygienic reasons, such items should be replaced every single or every few uses. And yet, each time such disposals mean huge waste, especially since razors handles are made of plastic.

The solution to this problem are reusable razors with replaceable blades and wooden handles. They look like the ones our grandparents used a few dozen years ago. A once-off cost of such a product is about PLN 100, but the blades are much cheaper. At the end of the day, they are more cost-effective.

Exfoliation? Natural, of course.

One of the elements of proper body care is getting rid of dead epidermis on a regular basis. Exfoliation can be done using scrubs. There is a wide array of them in the chemist’s, but they have one downside: almost all of them are packed in plastic. On top of that, many of these products contain microplastics in the form of granules, which are very harmful to our planet. Although it has been banned in the production of cosmetics, it can still be found on store shelves.

Luckily, there are more eco ways to help you smooth your skin. For example, using the Hammam glove, whose structure, in combination with water and / or black soap, perfectly exfoliates the epidermis. For the feet a natural pumice stone, which is a volcanic porous igneous rock that can be used repeatedly, will work well.

After having a bath, it is also good to introduce a dry brushing routine, using a brush with natural bristles. Not only does it smooth the body and help to calm down, but it also has a positive effect on the blood flow and metabolism. Seasoned "less waste" practitioners make their own exfoliating scrubs, e.g. using sugar or coffee grounds. It's worth trying out, as an experiment, at least once. It may be the beginning of a new hobby, or just an interesting experience.

Homemade cleaning products

Have you ever wondered what to clean your bathroom fittings with? The characteristic feature of aggressive household chemicals is that its components penetrate the water supply network. This generates pollution, and besides, such products are packed in plastic.

There are other alternatives in the form of eco-friendly natural cleaning products in recyclable packaging. There is also a company that sells such cleaning products in 1 litre glass jars.

On the other hand, the most pro-environmental will be a home-made cleaning agent. You will need the following commonly available ingredients:

• apple cider vinegar,
• orange and lemon peel,
• essential oil (preferably lavender).

Soak the orange and lemon peels with water and close them tightly in a jar. It takes about 30 days for the solution to be made. After this time, pour it into a glass spray bottle, add vinegar and a dozen drops of essential oil. Shake everything well before use. Ready! In this way you reuse kitchen waste, thus creating a new value.

Don't worry about your slip ups when trying to reduce waste and implement the zero waste idea. Any pro-environmental alternative you choose is already a pivotal change. In this way, through deepened environmental awareness, we are heading for a better future for the management of natural resources. Every day at Silbo we try to offer you options for making good choices, by producing compostable packaging.