I wanted to write about why plastic is a big deal, so of course the first thing I did was google why plastic is a big deal. Daaaang. Finding facts about plastic pollution is the easiest thing ever, way easier than finding facts about slavery in today’s fashion industry. That makes sense, because it’s a lot harder to hide the harms of plastic when it’s right, literally, in your backyard. My favorite list of facts I found was on the National Geographic website; the facts are so mind-blowing that I want to just rewrite them here. Yeah that’s just what I’m gonna do, here’s the first four:
18 billion pounds of plastic waste flows into the oceans every year from coastal regions.
40% of plastic produced is packaging, used just once and then discarded.
Shoppers in the United States use almost one per resident per day. Shoppers in Denmark use an average of four plastic bags a year.
Nearly half of all plastic ever manufactured has been made since 2000
Every single brand on the World Changer Co. is not only made without slavery or worker abuse, but is made with recycled or organic materials. This plastic stuff is a problem that won’t just go away, because plastic doesn’t go away. (Every single piece of plastic ever made still exists!) This problem affects people and it sucks because it affects people in poorer regions even more, including lower income areas in the US. Makes you think twice next time you choose plastic because of price or convenience right?
I’m super excited to keep finding new ways to decrease the amount of plastic I use. One company to check out is the Refill Shoppe. This is a B Corp certified bath, body & home products store making it easier to say no to single-use plastic. Refillable pouches are available to send back and forth to refill those bottles you already have at home! I literally just pulled the labels off bottles I already had and filled them up with the goods. We’re talking a huge range of products here from shower stuff to cleaning supplies. You can choose scents for most the products too! I’ve been using a lot of my new product the past few weeks including the shampoo, laundry detergent, face wash and dish detergent, and I’m loving it! I’d have to say my favorite part is the scents I got to pick.
This concept is inspiring and actually fun. You’ll find yourself keeping cool bottles, or even single-use containers that can be re-used as a food container or something. It has inspired me to bring back my container for the almond butter grinder at my local health foods store, and to bring back the container to the fish market for when I buy fresh poke! Your choices as a consumer matter and they really, really stand out to companies. Supply and demand yo. It’s no wonder all these big companies are starting to announce their future goals of reducing plastic waste! Go check out the Refill Shoppe, go invest in some reusables, and go shop from the brand directory right here on the site!
Got questions or need advice? Comment below or shoot us an email! info@worldchangerco.com