Sustainable Alternatives for Popular Beauty Products

“By 2050, our oceans will carry more plastic than fish and an estimated 99% of seabirds will have ingested plastic” (UNenvironment.org)

With the ever-growing environmental impact on our planet, the way in which we use and dispose of harmful materials like plastic has to be revised. It may come as a surprise, but the beauty industry is one of the biggest contributors to the plastic waste problem. That is why we want to help the FFØR community learn about more sustainable alternatives they can use.

Here are some easy switches you can make to reduce your carbon footprint and enhance your bathroom cabinet:

Plastic hairbrush ↔ Bamboo hairbrush

A bamboo hairbrush is a great eco-friendly alternative. For one, bamboo is a natural resource so it is much more sustainable than plastic. Secondly, when it begins to decay, unlike plastic, it does not release any harmful gases into the atmosphere. And lastly, swapping to this alternative helps to reduce the amount of plastic hairbrushes being disposed of in landfills.

Single-use wipes ↔ Reusable cloth

A wet wipe might seem insignificant; however it has a destructive impact on our environment. With around 11 billion wet wipes being used a year in the UK, we need to understand more about how they are disposed of. Sadly, the majority end up in overflowing landfills or are flushed down toilets and then go on to pollute our oceans. The good news is there are several alternatives to single use wipes. From reusable eco pads to traditional flannels, there is no reason not to ditch this destructive product.

Liquid soaps ↔ Bars of soap

It might not be the most expected swap, but surprisingly there are a few factors which make bars of soap much more environmentally friendly than liquid soaps. On average, the process of producing liquid soap takes 5x more energy for raw material and even worse, 20x more energy for packaging production than that of it’s eco alternative. With sometimes little to no elements of packaging, bars of soap are undoubtedly a more sustainable option.

Bathroom bin ↔ Recycling bin

It is estimated that only around 50% of recyclable bathroom waste is making it to the recycling plant. From shampoo and conditioner bottles to clay wax tins, there are countless types of bathroom waste that are being overlooked. By simply replacing the bathroom bin to a recycling one immediately encourages the recycling process. It’s a straightforward solution to help encourage sustainable habits at the first point of disposal.

Products in plastic non-recyclable packaging ↔ PCR packaging

Some personal care products are currently difficult to house in non-plastic packaging, such as shampoos and conditioners. But with an estimated 552 million shampoo bottles ending up in landfill yearly, another solution has to be considered. This is why we have chosen to use up to 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials in our packaging. While this option isn’t plastic-free, it’s infinitely better for the environment. This is because PCR packaging minimises or replaces the use of virgin materials and is able to be recycled again after use. Enabling us to help everyone in the FFØR community to make better environmentally conscious choices.

Knowing the effect products we use have on the planet makes it impossible to ignore how we contribute to this problem. That is why we chose PCR packaging, because we want our FFØR community to have uncompromising quality without costing the Earth

We’d love to hear about any eco-friendly swaps you’ve been recently making, follow us on Instagram at @fforhair!

Shop our PCR packaged products here.