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We’ve often thought about buying eco-friendly products to enhance our lifestyle, take care of our skin and health. But how many times have we actually bought these products?
The number is quite low compared ought of buying. What is it that stops us from switching to eco-friendly products? It’s always been price, availability and quality assurance.
Let’s talk about how to choose the right brand and what to look for when buying from them.
1. Check if the brand is Indian
2. Look for the right certificates
3. Quality & Ease of buy
So frequently, we’ve heard the phrase “Go Green”, but most of us don’t really know why is it said and how do we really go green? Go Green is a colloquial slogan used globally to spread awareness about environmental impact and the importance of leading an eco-friendly lifestyle which primarily focuses on cutting down the use of single-use plastics. Plastic pollution has been a pressing concern for a long period now and people are being educated about it actively. Children are well-aware of the plastic pollution from the age of 6 years today. There is awareness and mindfulness at every age today, yet we find it difficult to make the switch to an eco-friendly way of life.
But what if we told you that all it takes is a single purchase to start your green journey and be sustainable? Surprised? The myth that ‘only if we lead a zero-waste lifestyle, we are truly eco-friendly’ is not true. Every step you take towards a sustainable lifestyle is a WIN. You are still eco-friendly or atleast on the path to it.
Today, there are many Indian start-ups focused on creating and building a sustainable eco-system through innovative tech-driven businesses and products. FMCG sector catering to categories like home care, personal care, fashion, food & beverages, cosmetics have incrementally brought a shift in the age-old manufacturing processes and most importantly packaging. These new-age start-ups are increasingly looking zero-waste production, completely eco-friendly products and plastic-free packaging.
One the most sought after eco-friendly and versatile raw material has been Bamboo. There has been a whooping surge in companies that make bamboo products and offering alternatives to home, kitchen and personal care products.
Why all the hype about Bamboo, you ask?
Bamboo is a crop/plant, not a TREE. Yes, you read it right. Most people think that bamboo is a tree and cutting it is same as cutting any other tree. But that’s not true. Bamboo is a plant which grows within 4-5 months unlike trees that take a zillion years! It is the fastest growing land plant in the world. Bamboo plants absorb more carbon dioxide and give out 35% more oxygen than trees. It requires less water during manufacturing and its waste can be repurposed to make other products.
You’d be surprised to know the uses and the versatility of bamboo when it comes consumer products. Here are a few:
1. Bamboo Reusable Kitchen Rolls
These kitchen tissues are made from bamboo rayon and replace the traditional paper tissues.
Each of these tissues are biodegradable and compostable in nature. There are also kitchen tissues which can be washed and reused multiple times. They serve the exact same purpose as your regular paper tissues. You can use it to wipe surfaces, greasy oil, soak oily food and even store food. These reusable kitchen towels are the perfect eco-friendly replacement for your home which will last you longer than regular paper tissues.
2. Bamboo Toothbrushes
Did you know that the plastic toothbrush that you use today will still be found 400 years later in landfills? It is pure plastic which does not decompose in the environment and eventually affects the marine life at large. Why brush with plastic, when you can go all organic? Bamboo toothbrushes are a savior, they’re made from bamboo and unlike plastic toothbrushes, these decompose in nature within 6 months.
3. Cloth Bags
Plastic bags contribute of 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste in India today, of which 40% still remains uncollected. These plastic bags which are thrown make their way to landfills, water bodies and are consumed by fishes and other marine life. Using cloth bags is the best alternative to avoid plastic waste. While this has recently been adopted, using cloth bags is a very old practice which was overpowered by the use of single-use plastic bags eventually. It’s time to get those cloth bags out, and if you don’t have one, you can always buy these, and they’ll last forever.
4. Recycled Paper-stick ear buds
All of us remember the image shown below, it’s a seahorse holding a plastic rod ear bud thinking it’s food. This is just one of the examples of the many aquatic animals consuming plastic particles and choking to death. The rising marine life pollution gave birth to plastic-free ear buds, where the plastic stick is replaced with bamboo or recycled paper stick. It’s a winning alternative to reduce plastic waste generated due to ear buds.
5. Tissue Rolls
Toilet and Tissue rolls are literally a daily essential that we use 100 times a day without even noticing. But have you ever thought how these tissue rolls affect us? They are made from paper which is then white bleached with chlorine. As these are chemically processed, they are more allergy prone and can affect the skin. Noticed the powdery feeling while using sometimes? It’s that unhealthy for sensitive skin. On the other hand, bamboo based tissue rolls are made from pure bamboo pulp and are unbleached. They are completely eco-friendly, fit for all skin types and safe for all disposal systems.
These are such simple and easy switches for products that we use every day without realizing their daily impact on our home and the nature around us. Opt for eco-friendly products that are not only organic in nature, but a healthy choice to lead a better, greener and cleaner lifestyle.
There are multiple brands that are doing some great work by offering sustainable products at affordable prices to help people make mindful choices.