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6 brands that use sustainable packaging you can feel better about buying
6 brands that use sustainable packaging you can feel better about buying
Remi RosmarinApr 2, 2019, 18:00 IST
Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider, Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
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Captain Blankenship InstagramCaptain Blankenship InstagramCaptain Blankenship's mission to preserve the ocean is embodied in packaging made from recycled ocean plastic.
Harrowing statistics about the fate of our planet are not uncommon these days, and as individuals it can seem like we're helpless to improve the dire state of our environment.
Making more conscious decisions about the products we buy is a great place to start reducing our personal environmental impacts.
Here are six brands, ranging from organic snack company Alter Eco to clean beauty favorite RMS Beauty, that use sustainable packaging to help you reduce your plastic waste.
Where do we go from here? As individuals, it can seem that our actions are not enough to even make a dent in reversing, or just lessening, the catastrophic damage. For most of us, living a zero-waste lifestyle isn't realistic, and a carbon-free lifestyle is likely not feasible at all, but that doesn't mean we can't do anything.
There are many small changes we can all make to reduce our environmental impact, like swapping out regular lightbulbs for energy-saving LED alternatives and using a reusable water bottle instead of constantly buying plastic ones. While reducing your own environmental impact won't change everything, it's an important baby step toward a greater goal.
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An easy place to start considering your environmental impact is with consumer packaged goods. Plastic packaging makes up over one sixth of waste in United States landfills. While some of this plastic waste could have been recycled, a great deal of it can't be recycled at all. As convenient as plastic is for us, it's clearly taking a toll on our environment. That's why many companies are taking solutions into their own hands by offering sustainable packaging alternatives that are just as convenient, affordable, and protective as single-use plastics. These companies make reducing your environmental impact easy and make products you can feel better about buying.
Here are six brands that use sustainable packaging, so you can enjoy your favorite products without creating unnecessary plastic waste:
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The mission of Seed Phytonutrients is to make clean and natural hair, face, and body products that are better for us and the environment. One way the brand is living up to this mission is by using more environmentally friendly packaging. Seed takes the title of making the first-ever shower-friendly paper bottle. Each bottle is made out of 100% post-consumer recycled paper and lined with a post-consumer recycled plastic liner, resulting in a bottle with 60% less plastic than a traditional one. When you shower, the paper will get wet (it's still paper), but thanks to a mineral coating it will dry quickly and look good as new in no time.
Alter Eco makes some of your favorite indulgent treats with simple, natural ingredients — salted caramel truffles, a crisp mint chocolate bar, and dark chocolate coconut clusters are just some of the delicious combinations. Beyond using clean ingredients, Alter Eco is committed to using cleaner packaging as well. The plastic packaging it uses for the outer boxes of its chocolate bars is recyclable. The brand has also launched Gone4Good — the first compostable stand-up pouch made from renewable, non-GMO, plant-based materials — which is used to house its dried quinoa. Chocolate truffles are also wrapped in this compostable material.
Constantly buying new makeup usually means constantly throwing away a lot of little plastic containers, but Alima Pure is changing that. The certified B Corp sells its makeup in refillable compacts. So, when you're done with your foundation (for example) just pop it out of the compact, then buy a refill magnetic pan filled with your desired new foundation and pop it in. It's less messy, less wasteful, and full of ingredients that'll nourish your skin. Alima Pure is also proud to be carbon neutral and a member of 1% for the Planet, an organization whose members donate 1% of annual gross revenue to grassroots environmental organizations.
When RMS Beauty founder Rose-Marie began dealing with health issues, she did plenty of research into what could be the cause. To her surprise, many of the toxic chemicals and heavy metals found in her system were also found in the beauty products that she used all the time. Thus, RMS Beauty was born to give all women access to clean, healthy beauty that looks great and actually is great for their bodies too. This concern with health goes beyond just providing clean beauty products and extends to providing packaging alternatives that are healthier for the planet. RMS Beauty packaging is very minimal, with most products packaged in glass and the rest being recyclable or reusable.
Creating beauty products with a direct link to nature is at the center of Captain Blankenship's mission. The small, women-run B Corp makes luxurious hair and body products with organic and locally-grown (whenever possible) ingredients. As the name alludes, Captain Blankenship's founder was infatuated with the ocean — swimming in it, enjoying it, preserving it — and thus, keeping the ocean clean is at the forefront of the brand's values. Most products are equipped with packaging made from 100% recovered and recycled ocean plastic; the rest use recyclable paperboard.
If you head to the bath and body aisle at your local drugstore, you'll notice how almost all shampoo, conditioner, and body wash is packaged in single-use plastic. Most of that plastic will just end up in a landfill — only 1 in 5 people consistently recycle items from the bathroom. To counter this, Plaine Products makes bath and body products packaged in aluminum bottles and eco-friendly shipping cartons. Plaine Products offers a refill program where you can send your bottle back to be refilled with product again and again, so you can save money and cut down on waste. You can also choose whether or not you'd like to add a plastic pump, which helps cut down on consumption. When it does come time to say goodbye, you can easily recycle your bottle.
