Plastic Free July 2021 - Sustainable Whipped Soaps and Scrubs
Did you know that half of the plastics ever produced have been manufactured within the last 15 years? Every year 6.4 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean and this plastic is then ingested by fish and kills marine life and birds (approximately 1 million seabirds die from plastic).
Plastic Free July inspires millions of people around the world to reduce their single-use plastic waste. Protecting the environment is one of our core AWESOME values and I do everything I can to ensure our Whipped Soap and Scrubs are as sustainable as possible.
If you are looking to swap to a more sustainable whipped soap and scrub for Plastic Free July, this article will explore the sustainability credentials of our luxury bathroom products, including:
- Plastic Free July and the impact of bathroom products
- Whipped Soap and Scrub reusable packaging
- Choosing the most sustainable packaging options for our Whipped Soap and Scrubs
Shop Sustainable Whipped Soaps and Scrubs here.
Plastic Free July and the Impact of Bathroom Products
Plastic Free July is all about making small changes to reduce the single use plastic you waste, but with an estimated 326million people having participated so far, collectively we can make a huge difference! In your mission to refuse single-use plastics, you will find great alternatives that can become new habits forever.
One such example of finding great alternatives could include bathroom products. In 2020 Which found that of the 20 bathroom products they compared, 12 did not adequately state which parts of their packaging were recyclable. Shockingly, we recycle 90% of packaging in our kitchens, yet only 50% of packaging from the bathroom is recycled and 30-40% of total landfill waste in the UK is recyclable bathroom waste.
With unclear packaging meaning that so much of our bathroom waste is ending up in landfill, one of our AWESOME values is to make our products and packaging as sustainable as possible, to help you to do your bit to reduce your single use plastic waste.
Whipped Soap and Scrub Reusable Packaging
Reusing and repurposing are better for the environment than recycling because they require little or no energy whereas a surprising amount of energy is required to recycle materials into something new. With this in mind, I have ensured that the jars used to package our Whipped Soap and Scrubs are designed to be easy and convenient to reuse. For example, the jars are the perfect size to refill with Bath Salts.
How to repurpose your Whipped Soap and Scrub empties:
- Wash out the container
- Remove the label
- Leave to dry (ensure that the jar is fully dry)
- Refill with your favourite Awesome Botanical Bath Salts
- Add a label for the finishing touches
Our Whipped Soap and Scrub pots will hold approximately 250g of our Bath Salts - shop your favourite Botanical Bath Salts here.
Choosing the Most Sustainable Packaging Options for our Whipped Soap and Scrubs
Repurposing the Whipped Soap and Scrub jars is the most sustainable option and we would encourage you to do this where possible, but the jars are PET plastic and can also be recycled. In addition to our jars, we ship our small parcels in a recyclable cardboard box and the packaging can include either shredded paper or Hello-Fresh repurposed insulation, to protect your products whilst they travel. Some of our packages may also contain eco-friendly packing peanuts which dissolve and wash away if you run them under a tap.
Why are your Whipped Soap and Scrubs not packaged in glass jars?
One question we get asked all of the time is why our Whipped Soap and Scrubs are packaged in plastic rather than glass jars. We have looked into packaging in glass jars and whilst aesthetically pleasing and sustainable, we have safety concerns about glass packaging. Currently, if you drop your Whipped Soap in the shower, the worst that will happen is there might be a bit of brightly coloured soap spread across your shower and a delicious aroma. But with glass packaging, the jar could smash if dropped in the shower and so we decided to go with the safer plastic option (whilst also doing everything we could to make the plastic reusable and recyclable).
Making the Switch to Sustainable Whipped Soap and Scrubs
Plastic Free July is designed to raise awareness of the problem of plastic, to encourage you to find more sustainable alternatives in July and beyond. Our Whipped Soap and Scrubs are packaged as sustainably as possible, with the plastic jar designed to be reused, whilst also being recyclable. Plus, the wider packaging that our AWESOME products are shipped in is also recyclable, to make our Whipped Soap and Scrubs as sustainable as possible.
Make the switch to Sustainable Whipped Soap and Scrubs here.
