Why we use plastic-free toothpaste at BASHH
Oh goodness, there are tons of reasons! This infographic from reusethisbag.com explains most of our, but it leaves a few things that are important to us at The Blue Ardenne Sustainability Home + Hub (BASHH). We say more about this later.
The main selling point of plastic is its convenience, but the truth is that plastic creates far more problems than it solves. It’s terrible for the environment. It’s production pollutes the air we breath and it contributes to Climate Change. Plastic waste is killing birds, marine animals, and - as it slowly accumulates in the species people consume and in the soils where we cultivate our food, it’s also degrading human health.
The magnitude of the problem is already enormous, but each year, we make it worse by producing more plastic and continuing to consume products that are packaged in plastic. Globally, only around 10% of plastic production is from recycled goods. In Europe, this figure is closer to 20% - a bit better, but still not great (Plastics Europe). Plastics Europe
Some of the plastic that is not recycled ends up in rivers and oceans. Between 19 and 23 million tons of plastic are dumped every year (United Nations Environment Program).
People often talk about The Great Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean, but I found this particular patch (shown above and below) on Grand Bassam beach in Côte d’Ivoire, in front of a playground.
It’s hard to image our toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner containers finding their way onto an beautiful beach in Africa, Asia or Latin America, but it happens. Even in the European Union, where the recycling rate has increased to over 40%, roughly 1.3 million tons of plastic waste are exported each year to be treated in countries outside the EU. Unfortunately, some of these countries lack of the capacity, technology, financial resources or will to recycle plastic properly (European Parliament).
Most people agree that single-use plastic is a problem, and would like to be part of the solution, but may not know how (Hartman Group).
At the BASHH (Blue Ardenne Sustainability Home + Hub), we think that part of the struggle to flip the switch on plastic is finding good alternatives. We still need to brush our teeth and wash our hair, after all! So, we’re trying to help out on this front, by testing new, sustainable products, sharing our top picks, and conveniently placing them exactly where you need them.
At the Blue Ardenne Sustainability Home + Hub, we use plastic-free toothpaste from Smyle. We like it, over 100,000 other people like it, and we think you will too. So, we placed some for you in the bathroom by the sink.
Enjoy!
