PLANEET // 3 kleine veranderingen met grote impact (ENG)

Hi there! Long time no see! For those wondering why: I’ve been busy writing my dissertation and – as a result – I didn’t always find the time to work on my blog. However, there are several drafts that need finishing and I promise I’ll finalize them in the near future during my free time.

I wrote this blogpost when I was a visiting PhD student at the Ohio State University. I was a bit hesitant to publish it at first since I know most of you prefer to read my fashion posts. However, since I am spending more time on educating myself on how I can live more eco-friendly and make more sustainable choices, I thought it would be a nice change to share what I found out. So, let me introduce three small changes that you can make to help save our planet.

Toothpaste

Did you know that most of the toothpaste you find in your regular store contains plastics entitled microbeads? In fact, microbeads are a common ingredient in cosmetic and household products. These microbeads are so small that most wastewater treatment facilities are unable to filter these little creatures out. So, there are billions of particles of toxic plastic – poisoning our oceans – killing marine (and yes also turtles) life. One way to end this is by stop entering them into our ecosystems in the first place.

The good news is that you can get involved by making a small change to your everyday morning and evening routine: change your toothpaste to one that is not containing any microbeads. I’m a big fan of the the Dr. Bronner’s peppermint all-one toothpaste which you – unfortunately – cannot shop in your grocery store around the corner but you can shop it here at my favorite online beauty shop. Or, if you’re willing to find another one just scan the ingredient list of you products for the following words to pop up: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate or polymethyl methacrylate.

Straws

Another way of limiting the use of plastic is by using iron straws instead of plastic ones. An extra plus: they look super fancy. I try to carry one in my bag so I can use it whenever I need it (I like them more than the paper one’s you often get because they tend to become smooshy after a while).

You can find fancy iron straws in regular stores such as Dille & Kamille but my absolute favourites are the ones you can find on Rens Kroes’ site (I love her)

Cotton pads

Cotton pads, we use them daily. Besides their detrimental effects on the environment there are several additional reasons why you shouldn’t be using them. In fact – newsflash – you may be sabotaging your skincare without even realising it. Cotton pads are not always 100% cotton (they are usually made of a blend of synthetics). If you have sensitive skin (like me), these materials can cause allergic reaction or irritation.

One way of solving this problem is to make your own, washable cotton pads or if you are not a seamstress (like me) you can just buy them online. For example, here.