This year’s Earth Day is April 22nd and the theme is ‘Invest in Our Planet’.
With increasing urgency surrounding climate change, it is essential that we act now to preserve our planet and create a better future for the next generation. The beauty industry alone contributes 120 million units of plastic per year and it is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. With the rise of popularity of the ‘shelfie’, the problem with plastic consumption and beauty isn’t going away. We as consumers and brands must take action and move away from single-use plastics, and ideally, move away from plastic altogether.
The plastic problem
The issue when it comes to plastic waste is that often recycling isn’t enough. Recyclable plastic can only be recycled so many times, meaning it will eventually end up in a landfill or the ocean. Unfortunately in the UK we do not have the means to recycle everything that we are putting in the recycling bins. The UK actually exports over two thirds of its recyclable waste and we cannot guarantee that it is all being recycled, with reports of waste being dumped in oceans or sent back to the UK.
Materials such as aluminium and glass are a much better option for our environment. Aluminium is particularly environmentally friendly, as it is infinitely recyclable meaning it doesn’t degrade over time, and it saves 90% of the energy needed to create aluminium from scratch.
