5 environmentally harmful habits you need to get rid of

1. Overconsumption

Habit: buy too much. Yes, shopping is an ideal way to relieve stress for many, but our momentary pleasure is too expensive for the world around us.

Why is this not possible: There are many reasons, from water pollution to global warming.

Alternative: switch to conscious consumption and buy only the essentials.

• From products – what we will definitely have time to eat before the expiration date.
• From household items – long-playing things that can be inherited. You definitely shouldn’t change your phone once a year, and your car every five years.
• When it comes to clothes, it is worth creating a capsule wardrobe in which all things will be combined with each other. It is better to buy one expensive item that will last a long time than many inexpensive trendy one-day items. The material from which the clothes are made deserves special attention: synthetic fabrics are an additional source of microplastics (more on that below).
• In terms of cosmetics, it is worth choosing products that work “in good faith.” For example, deodorants Weleda last up to 24 hours, and can also complement the perfume due to the light aroma of essential oils in the composition.

2.Using packages

Habit: take a free plastic bag in the store. It seems to be a trifle, but very dangerous for nature.

Why is this not possible: the bag decomposes into microplastics, it pollutes the soil and water, and then ends up in the food of animals and people. There are no biodegradable bags – they also become microplastics.

Alternative: go to the store with a shopping bag or a shopper bag. The package is disposable, and the service life of a fabric accessory is several years. Small bags in which vegetables and fruits are weighed should be abandoned in favor of reusable fabric bags. The ideal option is to find a store near the house where they sell cereals, sugar and other bulk products by weight, and also weigh them in a bag or container.

Swiss brand of 100% natural cosmetics Weleda tries to make production waste-free, so 98% of waste is recycled or reused. This approach includes the preparation of compost waste for medicinal plant fertilizers, multi-purpose use, recycling and other types of alternative disposal.

3. Buying cosmetics without reading the label

Habit: choose cosmetics without studying its history. Beautiful packaging, a trendy product, recommendations from top bloggers are not the best reasons to blindly buy.

Why is this not possible: cosmetics may not be eco-friendly, which means we will support an unethical manufacturer.

Alternative: read the label carefully. This way you can get maximum information about the composition of the product (there are no silicones, parabens, artificial colors and fragrances, mineral oils in the “green” cosmetics) and about the brand’s attitude to the environment.

What does this relationship consist of?

• The plants from which the ingredients of the beauty product are obtained are grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, and the production does not harm nature.
• The brand cares about people: it buys raw materials at a fair price, guarantees wages to employees, and participates in charitable projects.
• The products are not tested on animals.
• The packaging is made from recyclable materials. Marking and certification will tell about all this. For example, deodorants Weleda, free of aluminum salts, phthalates and parabens, have such certificates.
• The NaTrue mark confirms 100% natural composition without silicones and petrochemicals, gentle manufacturing process, no animal testing.
• UEBT certification informs the consumer that the company respects its suppliers and employees, as well as the planet’s biodiversity.

4. Mindless waste of resources

Habit: do not save light, water, electricity.

Why is this not possible: natural resources are depleted, and this should not be encouraged.

Alternative: rethink your lifestyle.

• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or soaping up in the shower.
• Do your makeup in natural light in the room, not artificial light in the bathroom.
• Install solar panels in the country and at least use electricity less in summer.
• Swap a gasoline-powered car for an electric car, or better yet, change to a bicycle, an electric bus or a tram.

The brand contributes to the conservation of resources Weleda: seeks to reduce its carbon footprint by reducing the consumption of non-renewable energy sources in production. Already, the brand receives 99% of its energy from renewable sources in Switzerland, Germany, France and 91% in other regions.

5. The habit of throwing out all the garbage in a crowd

Habit: put all the garbage in one basket.

Why is this not possible: in nature, plastic decomposes up to 400 years, glass – up to 1000 years; a coffee glass will disappear from the face of the earth in 30 years, and a juice box in 350. Recycling is necessary, otherwise the planet will become mired in waste. Moscow will switch to separate waste collection only in 2020, but it is better to start sorting it right now.

Alternative: sort waste and hand over separately. It’s easy: put several containers on the balcony or in the kitchen: for paper, metal, glass and plastic. In Internet search engines, find a separate waste collection point in the neighborhood and do not be lazy to visit there once a month.

Not all types of plastic are subject to recycling, so learn the recycling signs: the numbers 1, 2, 4, 5 enclosed in a triangle mean that the plastic can be recycled. As a rule, bottles from drinks and household chemicals, food containers and packaging from cosmetics are taken for recycling.

Roll-on deodorant packaging Weleda 70% recycled plastic and is itself recyclable.