Unfortunately, organic waste is a little more difficult to deal with because it makes a big mess. For this, I simply use the advertising newspapers from my mailbox, which I never read anyway. Newsprint breaks down much faster than recyclable organic waste bags. So again, it’s important to do your research in advance. Because just because it says “recyclable” doesn’t mean something is eco. Many recyclable organic waste bags take weeks or even months to decompose. And even then, there’s still some small residue left inside.
Avoiding waste and environmental impact
Also, these days I buy food much more consciously. First, I make sure it’s not heavily packaged. Milk is a good example; I rarely buy milk that is packaged in Tetrapak. I prefer to go to a neighborhood store and buy milk in glass bottles. But I also take care not to waste food. I don’t buy three different salads only to throw two of them away a few days later because they went bad. I consciously go shopping only for what is on my shopping list and planned for that week.
When it comes to hygiene products, I could actually do with a little more. There are different companies that offer reusable makeup remover swabs. If they’re dirty, you can wash them. And yes, I took this objection into consideration as well, “But washing them also causes microplastics to go down the drain and pollute our oceans!” This can be avoided if you pay attention to the detergent you use. There are now many products, from detergents to dishwashing liquids and more, that do not contain microplastic. Sure, they are 33-42 cents more expensive, but honestly, so what? I wash in an environmentally conscious way and my laundry is microplastic free, which is also much healthier for my skin.
Trees instead of microplastics
What I was able to do with detergents, I was also able to do with soap. I bought an environmentally friendly soap and shampoo for my skin and hair. And it didn’t harm my hair at all. On the contrary, they became shinier and healthier. A few years ago, such products were probably not so sophisticated. I can understand why they were wished hell back then and climate change was ridiculed. But now there are many products on the market that really do something for the environment and don’t compromise on quality. Many companies where you can buy environmentally friendly items even plant trees for every item you buy. The same is true for our Run for Trees campaign. For that reason alone, these alternative products make sense.
There are more eco options
More and more supermarkets now offer “food sharing”. This is where you can buy food cheaply shortly before closing time that would otherwise be thrown away. In turn, under “to good to go” sharing, you can buy whole dishes from restaurants for less money that would otherwise also be thrown away.
