Have you ever thought about how you influence the planet every day with your purchasing decisions and lifestyle. Not only you, but we all contribute significantly to the anti-aging of the earth. Time for an honest look at our consumer behavior and what each of us can do better..
Where is plastic everywhere and what are the consequences for the planet?
"Plastic is the plague of the 21st century" headlines Greens boss Robert Habeck in the guest article onPlastic pollution inThe timeand refers to plastic capsules for our coffee, disposable cutlery, microplastics in toothpaste and more. Around forty kilos of plastic are produced per capita in Germany every year! In total, we produce more than 3 million tons (!) Of plastic per year..
Sad leadership position: Germany and Ireland are champions in plastic pollution. For example, the substance ends up in the oceans through our cosmetics, destroys the ecosystem there and ultimately ends up on our plate. How did it come to this? It is time that we fundamentally rethink the way we live..
The problem is that we have become so used to the environmentally harmful substance that we use it ignorantly and as a matter of course every day: It starts with the packaging materials for our breakfast, our clothes, shopping bags full of other plastic packaging and also: our cosmetics.
So how do we make it better for everyone? A start is on the one hand that each and every one of us changes our habits and accepts supposed inconveniences. On the other hand, companies have to produce more responsibly, for example avoiding unnecessary microplastics in cosmetics and becoming more sustainable in packaging. The following applies here: We all have a say in our purchasing decision!
How do I reduce my plastic consumption?
As I said, we are all very used to the convenience of plastic and no one breaks habits so easily from one day to the next. So we have to rethink our daily actions step by step and start with very simple things. For example::
- Always have a shopping bag with you so that you don't need plastic bags or paper bags.
- Avoid unnecessary plastic packaging: Buy fruit and vegetables in bulk and go straight to the fresh produce counter for meat and cheese, where packaging uses less plastic.
- If you have a choice, basically prefer products that are more economical in packaging.
- Start doing things yourself again. That’s more honest with yourself and For example: Do it yourself instead of making ready meals or household products yourself. The blogLive more plastic-free shows by means of various examples how well this works.
- Don't throw everything away right away. Use things until they are really no longer usable. That also means repairing something instead of buying a new one straight away. Incidentally, this also improves your skills and knowledge!
- Pay attention to the composition of the textiles in your clothing. Of theContribution to code check gives some tips on this and also explains how you should handle laundry to avoid damage.
Cosmetics is a case that is particularly close to our hearts, after all, sober, we have a special responsibility here. But we're not the only producers in the world. Many manufacturers of cosmetic products use microplastics and also pack them in plastic. To put it bluntly: You buy plastic wrapped in plastic. It's bad for the environment, but not ideal for your skin. The only advantage: It's very cheap. Because plastic doesn't cost a lot, at least not a lot of money..
So that you don't buy plastic in your cosmetics, Greenpeace offers oneChecklist for download at. The list of no-go ingredients:
- Acrylate Copolymer (AC)
- Acrylate Crosspolymer (ACS)• Dimethiconol
- Methicone
- Polyamides (PA, nylon)
- Polyacrylate (PA)
- Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)• Polyquaternium (PQ)
- Polyethylene (PE)
- Polyethylene glycol (PEG)
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Polypropylene (PP))
- Polypropylene glycol (PPG)
- Polystyrene (PS)
- Polyurethane (PUR)
- Siloxanes
- Silsesquioxanes
By the way: The government in Sweden has decided to ban the sale of cosmetic products containing microplastics from July 1, 2018. Since then, no new cosmetic articles that contain plastic particles for cleaning, scouring or polishing purposes have been allowed to come onto the market. Great Britain wants to follow suit soon, we hope that this will soon happen across the EU..
How sober takes care of the environment
One thing in advance: we are not saints and have not leased morality. But we try to contain possible damage to the environment and always want to get better when it comes to preserving the environment. That is why we rely 100 percent on renewable energies and reduce our paper consumption as best we can. We talk about our understanding of sober 's social and ecological responsibilityhere.
You can see from our product portfolio that you can buy sober products with a sober conscience:
Our care products: No plastic in the ingredients and packed in glass
In theHydra Defense Cream, to theGentle Facial Cleanser, to theAfter Shave Repair Fluid and theYouth Infusion Cream we basically do not use plastic. Why, because good care has never needed plastic. We fill our creams in glass bottles, which are easy to recycle and superior to plastic containers. The only catch: the pump dispenser. Here we fall back on PET, because so far we have lacked practicable alternatives. After all, the PET is recyclable and if it comes from the EU, transport and CO2 emissions are better than when imported from China.
For the outer packaging, we use paper that has been 100% recycled and thus protects our forests. All of the paper types we use carry the FSC seal. FSC stands for wood from well-managed forests.n.
Our shave: long-lasting and sustainable
We have over the advantage of the safety razorhere in the magazine already spoken. But it is also miles ahead of the system razor when it comes to the environment: it works completely without plastic and lasts a lifetime!
System razors are often made of plastic themselves, as are the blade attachments. The problem is that not only do you have to buy new blades on a regular basis and thus produce plastic waste, the plastic system razor also only lasts a limited time.
We use high-quality stainless steel for the safety razor: it is robust, indestructible and, on top of that, lies comfortably in the hand. The razor blades arenotput in plastic and also cheaper. In total, you reduce the cost of blades by a seventh and have a significantly better and more environmentally friendly shave for significantly less money..
On the go with environmentally friendly products
OurLeather case for your shaving utensils is made of a natural leather that is excellent for its allergy and environmental friendliness. Because: It is not only handmade, but is gently tanned: vegetable and free of heavy metals! And because leather is made to last a lifetime, you only buy a bag like this once.
At ourTravel Wash Bag we rely on Tyvek®-Material. Although the non-woven material is a polyethylene, it is considered environmentally friendly because the paper-like material is incredibly robust and durable. In addition, Tyvek can be recycled much better than other plastics when our toilet bag has to get that far: It can be washed at up to 60 C and therefore theoretically never has to be replaced with a new one. That reduces waste..
Plastic-free transport
We send your order without any additional plastic packaging! We use recycled cardboard and cardboard as well as crumpled recycled paper for transport protection.
We are not saints, however
… we want to do it as good as possible for our planet and your skin. If you have any further questions about the environmental friendliness of our products, please do not hesitate to contact us! #staysober
Simon