Green products for personal hygiene and cleaning the home: 5 items to try out
We don't always realize the enormous waste of resources that happens every time we buy, use and throw away many frequently used accessories and products - especially those used for personal hygiene or for cleaning the home. In fact, we make use of a myriad of items that are made from non-recyclable plastic and packaged in non-biodegradable materials. These are all factors that contribute to polluting our ecosystem and we should seek ways to mitigate this damage.
Below, we indicate some types of everyday products made from eco-friendly materials and which you could consider using.
Cotton (ear) buds: both the cotton ends and the plastic stem of traditional cotton buds are an example of mass production that harms the environment. However, there are alternatives available that can be reused many times: these are made from silicone and can be washed and reused.
Solid soaps: from shower gel, to scrubs, to hand soaps and even shampoo - personal hygiene can be guaranteed using products that do not require harmful plastic packaging. Amongst other things, using these alternatives will also save us money.
Oral hygiene: among the single greatest causes of mass pollution are plastic toothbrushes that we frequently throw out. Nowadays though, it's easy to source a green alternative: bamboo toothbrushes are much more environmentally friendly. And this also goes for dental floss!
Cotton pads/discs: in the case of pads used for facial skincare (and excluding those used for dressing wounds), the most useful green alternative are those that can be washed and reused. These are also often made from bamboo and are sold with special bags to wash them in. Alternatively, there are also many tutorials that show you how to hand-wash them.
The important thing to remember is to wash them regularly.
Sponges and cloths for cleaning the house: ecological alternatives exist in this area as well. There are vegetable-based sponges, which even have an abrasive side made from coconut fiber. Entirely biodegradable, they can be thrown in the trash without any qualms.
In short, the idea is to always chose materials of natural origin, produced in a sustainable way and capable of being reused. Do you already use any of these alternatives?
