MUST-knows about the products in your household!
30 December 2020
There are probably many products in your household that you keep buying over and over again because you are really positive about the product of have been using it for many years already. What you perhaps did not know already is that many products contain unsustainable parts and also generate a vast amount of waste. In this article, we will share the things you must know about the items in you household. Further, in tomorrow's article, you will be able to find swaps that you can make to make your household more sustainable.
1. Microbeads
Microbeads are a type of microplastics, which we can find in products particularly in our bathrooms, including, but not limited to toothpaste, detergents and cosmetic products. Microplastics are small particles of plastic (often smaller than 5 mm) that we can find not only in our products but it also ends up in the ocean and eventually our food since it is not biodegradable. Check out the website of Beat the Microbead to find out if your products contain microplastics or download the app on your phone to scan your products now! |
2. Plastic waste
Many of the products we can find in the stores contain plastic waste. Think of the bottles with shampoo, the packages of toothbrushes and sanitary products. Research has shown that each invidividual in the EU generates on average 31 kilograms of plastic each year, which has resulted in the plastic soup in the ocean and the mountains of plastic items. The waste in the ocean is killing aquatic animals whereas the processing of on-land waste affects the environment because of the emission of carbondioxide and greenhouse gasses. 3. Toxic chemicals
Volatile organic compounds are chemicals that may have a harmful effect on your health on either short- or long-term. The toxic chemicals can be found in, for example, dishwasher detergents, air fresheners, ammonia and bleach. Eventually, the contaminants are removed from the water in treatment facilities. However, a share of the impurities still remain and reaches bodies of water like rivers and lakes. Thus, the use of the toxic chemicals does not only have a negative effect on humans, but it also affects wildlife animals and plants. |
4. Palm oil
As mentioned in our article on sustainable food, the production of palm oil is unethical from a social and environmental perspective. The high demand for palm oil because of the relatively cheap price has resulted in deforestation of rainforest, animals losing their habitats, polution (of air, soil and water) and global warming. According to the European Palm Oil Alliance, "palm oil contributes to an estimated 5 percent of tropical deforestation". In addition, the indigenous inhabitants of those areas were forced to move and workers are underpaid in bad working conditions. |
Find our personal favourites under the heading “Sustainable Products”!
Check tomorrow's article to read which swaps you can make in your household!
Check tomorrow's article to read which swaps you can make in your household!
Sources:
- https://www.beatthemicrobead.org
- https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a899f44b1ffb63e0c81fed9/t/5bd606380852291fdf5b1d2b/1540753006345/Everyday+Plastic+-+What+we+throw+away+and+where+it+goes.pdf
- https://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do/food/palm-oil#gs.pbkrgw
- https://palmoilalliance.eu/palm-oil-deforestation/
- https://blueandgreentomorrow.com/environment/how-exactly-cleaning-supplies-affect-environment/