My Top Picks for Plastic-Free July from Flora & Fauna
Plastic has become an integral part of our daily lives. It’s hard to imagine how we could live without it. But the reality is that we have done just fine without plastic for thousands of years. The problem is that much of it is designed to be used briefly but last forever. It’s disturbing to realise that every disposable bag you have ever owned and every coffee lid you’ve ever sipped from still exists somewhere.
Every year, 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans. By 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish (by weight). We’re drowning in plastic. And I don’t mean just figuratively: plastic pollution is now so bad that scientists have found microplastics inside every species of sea life that has been studied so far, micro plastics have also been found in our tap water!
It is killing wildlife and threatening our health too: Plastic pollution can disrupt hormones and cause reproductive problems; it contains toxic chemicals like BPA; it absorbs pesticides from agricultural run-off; and it can leach harmful chemicals into foods stored in plastic containers or heated on non-stick pans.
Plastic Free July was born in 2011 from a simple idea—to refuse single-use plastic during July. This helps to ensure we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities by choosing to refuse single-use plastics. Last year more than 300 million people globally participated. This challenge is a great way to reduce plastic waste daily at home, work, school, and in the community, and to increase awareness of all the wonderful plastic-free alternatives out there.
The best way to reduce plastic pollution is to refuse, rethink, and reduce what we consume. It can be as easy as picking one single-use plastic item to avoid or swapping for a reusable alternative. Some other ways to participate in this challenge are to avoid all single-use packaging, or go completely plastic-free!
Plastic-Free July Guide: My Top Picks & Simple Swaps To Make:
This month I’ve teamed up with Flora and Fauna, which is a vegan and eco-friendly Australian-owned online store, providing access to hundreds of clean beauty, health-focused, low impact, ethical eco brands. Flora and Fauna is leading the way when it comes to being a responsible, sustainable business and driving change at a greater level. They stock an amazing variety of reusable, synthetic-free, sustainable products and plastic alternatives.
Continue reading this blog post for a few simple swaps to try this Plastic Free July, that I’ve been loving this month and using daily from Flora and Fauna. The products themselves are completely plastic-free, even the packaging! And they’ll be up-kept much longer too💚
Are you aware that some tea bags contain plastic? Many tea bag brands use polypropylene, a sealing plastic, to keep their tea bags from falling apart. This plastic is not recyclable or biodegradable. So, even when you put all your used tea bags in the food waste or compost heap, it can lead to plastic pollution, as not all of it will be broken down. Also, scientists have found that one plastic tea bag releases around 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion smaller nanoplastic particles into the cup. Those, in turn, end up in the drinker's digestive system. The findings were published in the Journal of Environmental Science & Technology.
To completely avoid this and still enjoy beautiful tea, I’ve been using the Orchard St Immune Loose Leaf Blend with the Orchard St Brass Tea Strainer, from Flora and Fauna. The tea comes in a dark amber glass jar, and the strainer is 100% brass. The Immune tea is a warming blend (perfect for Winter here in Australia) that helps to boost immunity and relieve congestion. It contains organically grown and non-GMO echinacea, elderberry, olive leaf and thyme to support the immune system, ginger to help relieve congestion and rosehip for its vitamin C content. This is the most delicious herbal tea I own, and I know that once I finish it, I’ll be able to keep and use the jar for many uses!
The woven brass tea strainer is crafted to be placed within your mug to brew your tea, or used as a strainer for a teapot. I find that it fits nicely in all of my mugs, it’s also super easy to clean, too.
Another plastic-free top pick of mine that I’ve been using daily is the Biode Tinted Lip Balm in the shade ‘Copper Daisy’, from Flora and Fauna. Most cosmetic and beauty products are packaged in plastic, however, this balm is packaged in 100% compostable packaging! It’s also completely plant-based and free from any synthetics at all. It’s formulated with certified organic ingredients: sunflower oil, shea butter and jojoba oil, red ochre and red clay for the perfect tint, and mandarin essential oil, which gives it a lovely scent. I like that this balm is deeply hydrating, and adds a sheer tint (nothing too overpowering). I also enjoy using it as a cheek stain.
I have tried many natural and chemical-free kinds of toothpaste in the past, and this one from Love Beauty Foods in Organic Spearmint & Tasmanian Wakame is up there with the best I’ve tried out. It’s completely plastic free and packaged in a cardboard box and a glass jar with an aluminium lid.
First of all, my teeth actually feel clean after using this, and I enjoy using it because it’s lightly foaming and also tastes refreshing, with spearmint being the dominant taste. This toothpaste also contains antibacterial Tasmanian wakame, to assist in balancing the microbial ecology of our mouths and keeping our dental health in check. The formula is free from fluoride, SLS, glycerin, triclosan, potassium sorbate, synthetic colours, artificial flavours, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, foaming agents, cellulose gum & fillers. All of which you definitely DON’T want in your body! The full ingredients list for this Love Beauty Foods toothpaste is as follows: calcium carbonate, MCT oil, Australian white clay, coconut oil, bi-carb soda, spearmint essential oil, stevia, Tasmanian wakame extract, and vitamin E.
You also get SO much product in the jar which is a major bonus! Each jar is equivalent to two conventional toothpaste tubes! I’m excited to continue incorporating this into my dental routine and to soon try other toothpastes from Love Beauty Foods too.
Thank you for reading!
I hope this blog post inspires you to reduce or eliminate your use of disposable plastics, and seek out other alternatives! Everything can be replaced with a plastic-free alternative, even if you have to get a little creative 😊
Feel free to share this blog post with someone you know who might be interested to try out these products mentioned, or who is trying to learn more about living sustainably. 🌱
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Wishing wellness & vitality to each and every one of you.
With love,
Liv x