Sunday, April 22, 2018

Where do our old makeup brushes go?

It is important that we become aware of how our actions and choice affect the environment. It is only by becoming aware that we can start to change and affect the environment for the better. Every year, thousands of tons of makeup brushes are thrown away. Most of these brushes have handles made of plastic. Plastic in the environment can cause all sorts of damage. It can contaminate soil and water and harm animals. What makes the situation more unfortunate is that there is something we can do about this. The only problem is that we are not doing enough of what we can.

Nothing is too small when it comes to the environment. And this is more than just about makeup brushes. We can all start caring for the environment. What appears as small actions can make a big impact when done collectively. This is what makes makeup brushes an interesting point of conversation.

There are eco-friendly solutions available when it comes to makeup brushes. An example is the bamboo makeup brushes. Bamboo is an excellent material for brush handles. It is light and durable, but also biodegradable. Bamboo can grow almost anywhere and grow very quickly. Unlike other trees that require decades to reach maturity, bamboo trees are ready for harvesting within three to five years. This makes bamboo farmable. Also, it can grow in locations where other trees could not. In some places, it is a common practice to plant bamboo in depleted soil. The bamboo helps return nutrients to the soil and prevents erosion. Bamboo is a sustainable and very eco-friendly raw material.

But how many cosmetic brands sell bamboo brushes?

It is hard to blame them. These are businesses and just like any business, actions are always the result of balancing expenses and income. Why spend for the research and development of new products when the current ones are selling well? As far as the big cosmetic companies are concerned, there is no incentive in doing so.

However, we have the power to shake things up. We can implement change by how we spend our money. Many startup companies are introducing eco-friendly products like the bamboo makeup brushes mentioned above. If we are smart with our purchases and demand eco-friendly products, even the big and callous companies are going to have to take action to meet our demands.

A strong case for eco-friendly makeup brushes

Evolving technology is providing tools to help the environment. As consumers, our decisions and actions can help the environment. All we really need is a change in mentality.

In the cosmetics, makeup brushes are considered consumables. This means that these require replacement every now and then. Unfortunately, plenty of brushes from popular brands use plastic for handles. Every time you replace your makeup brush set, you are adding to the pile of throwaway plastics in the environment.

This is unfortunate because, in reality, we have the choice of stopping this. There are eco-friendly makeup brushes.

Eco-friendly makeup brushes use biodegradable handles. Wood the material of choice because of its biodegradability. It is quick to degrade and breaks down into nutrients that nourish the soil. It does not stay long in landfills.

At this point, your critical mind might be thinking that wood comes from trees. Cutting down trees just to reduce plastic use seems counterintuitive to protecting the environment. You are absolutely right.

Just because makeup brushes have wood handles doesn't automatically make them eco-friendly. Some are only substituting one environmentally-harmful practice with another. There are smarter and truly eco-friendly solutions.

One of the best examples are the bamboo makeup brushes. Bamboo is an excellent choice of material for brush handles. It is a fast-growing plant and can be grown almost anywhere. In fact, it thrives in depleted soil and helps return nutrients to the soil. It doesn't require chemical fertilizers and pesticides to grow. It also doesn't require irrigation.

Bamboo reaches maturity and is ready for harvesting in three to five years and it doesn't require replanting. When harvested, the stem is left in the soil where it will sprout a new shoot and the growing process starts anew. As a raw material, bamboo is renewable and very sustainable.

Unfortunately, not many cosmetic companies are quick to adopt bamboo and other materials for their products. As consumers, how we spend our money will incentivize the big companies to doing something food for the environment.