*I Schneider et al, 2O18.
**Foreo, 2O18.
Women’s Environmental Net work.Water U K.Photography: Emily Winiker/Art Partner Licensing.243ELLEBeauty
SUSSING out
RECYCLING SYMBOLSSPARKLE with CARE
A festival favourite, glitter might be Instagram-
friendly but it’s a no-no if you’re going green. Made
up of tiny particles of plastic, glitter makes its way
into our seas and is swallowed by wildlife or swept up
into gyres (to form huge islands of marine debris). Still
want to sparkle? Opt for biodegradable alternatives
like Disco Dust or Bleach London’s body glitters.
BE PICK Ywith PLASTIC
Fully sustainable products are still slim pickings,
so search for recyclable plastics via the symbol scale
(left). Look for three arrows forming a triangle, with
a number in the middle and letters at the bottom:
for example, 1 (PET) is widely recycled, 3 (PVC)
is trickier, and 6 (PS) is near-impossible to recycle.
FLY LIGHT and RIGHT
Ditch overpriced and earth-
unfriendly airport minis – which are
the epitome of single-use silliness – in favour
of the ever-chic, fashion editor must-have
Muji decanters and stackers to carry the
perfect portions of your can’t-live-without
products from home. If you’re still having
trouble squeezing all of your liquids into your
clear bag, look for solid versions of those
staples, including Lush’s chewable toothpaste
tablets, Armani’s powder-compact perfume,
and Meow Meow Tweet’s Deodorant Stick
(which is 1OO% natural, vegan AND made
from zero-waste packaging. So many ticks).StopSINGLE-USING
Once upon a time we thought
cosmetic wipes deserved a
Nobel Prize for duties to busy women. Now?
We know these non-biodegradable sheets
end their days in landfills or, more terrifying
still, causing 93% of sewer blockages in the
UK.****Holland & Barrett and The Body
Shop have now banned the sale of them,
while other brands, such as Simple and
Klorane, have gone for biodegradable wipe
alternatives (best disposed of by composting).
Our advice: stick to hand-wash muslin cloths,
which are also dermatologist recommended
for kindness to skin.SWAP your STAPLES
One billion plastic toothbrushes- that’s enough to wrap around the
Earth four times – are thrown away every
year in the US,**while sanitary products
annually generate more than 2OO,OOO
tonnes of plastic-based waste in the UK.***
Be more future-friendly by switching to
bamboo-based toothbrushes and organic,
biodegradable tampons. Sanitary
subscription service Albany Mae makes
the transition easy, plus the packaging
is satisfyingly fancy.albanymae.co.uk
START ATtheSOURCE
Many brands are now making
efforts to start the ecological
journey for you by sourcing and producing
products in a conscious way. The Body
Shop (again, smashing it) has launched its
‘Community Trade’ initiative, working with
Indian waste pickers to ensure that they have
safe and fair working conditions. The project
also reuses the plastic to create 1OO%
recycled packaging. Kiehl’s aims to follow
suit by making all of its packaging from post-
consumer recycled plastic by 2O2O and
increasing reward schemes for customers
who bring their empties into store.GoPACK AGE - L ESS
Lush has famously led the charge
on packaging-free products, with
solid bars of shampoo and even foundation.
But other brands are also making moves.
Dior is ditching the teeny pamphlets inside
their boxes – directing customers online
instead. If the option is there, opt out of excess
rubbish for online orders, too (Glossier has
recently made its pink pouches optional).4 5
7
6
8
(^9) 1O
MAKE the CHANGE
Can be recycled. A percentage
in the centre indicates the proportion
of recycled materials used
75% or more of local
authorities in the UK will recycle
it (check with your council)
2O-75% of local
authorities will recycle it
From left: CAUDALÍE Milky Sun Spray SPF5O, £21.
GUERLAIN Rouge G de Guerlain Lipstick, £26.
SURRATT Auto Graphique Liner, £40
Doesn’t mean the product is recyclable,
but that the makers have made
a contribution to recycling services
ELLE.COM/UK September 2O19