Why Choose a Plastic Free Deodorant

It’s essential that we use less plastic and millions of well-intentioned consumers are already looking at ways to reduce their plastic usage- such as switching to a plastic free deodorant.

With COP26 currently in the headlines, we’re all talking about the climate and our planet more than ever and we are thrilled!

As more people have started to prioritise the planet, brands noticed the change in consumer habits and have adapted their product offerings accordingly. But, are some bending the truth to inflate their eco-credentials?

Unfortunately there aren’t any hard and fast rules for what constitutes honest effort for the environment so we need to be able to trust that brands who claim to be launching planet-friendly products.

Is the Phrase ‘Single Use Plastic Free’ Just Greenwashing?

Not in all cases. Many truly reusable products still use plastic, but they are items for life. If a product we’re buying claims to be ‘single use plastic free’ we really need to question whether this is a product we’ll keep for a very long time.

Also, if you can easily choose a plastic free alternative, that’s the way to go.

Companies should be absolutely transparent about the plastic in their packaging, if there is any. It should not be acceptable to advertise the fact that ‘this part of our packaging is compostable’ without disclosing that other parts of their packaging is, in fact, plastic.

Companies and brands use words like ‘green’, ‘sustainable’, ‘eco-friendly’, or ‘vegan’, without any deep interrogation over what those terms actually mean. And crucially – without any accountability for their actions. We want to see meaningful action, but how can we tell the difference between real commitment to change and ‘greenwashing’?

Greenwashing: misleading consumers or audiences by falsely suggesting that a product, or organisation is environmentally friendly/sustainable. 

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/greenwashing-what-is-it-and-how-to-avoid-it/

As consumers we need to be more vigilant about the sales language we’re now seeing. If you pick apart the ad campaigns, you might find pretty standard and basic packaging with a clever slogan. 

Hook, line and sinker. 

You’re mindlessly scrolling through facebook or instagram when a well-worded ad calls out with bold claims about the products environmental credentials.

It’s almost as though these companies know you’re trying to reduce your plastic footprint!

But wait, there is a caveat. It’s not clear instantly but if you dig a little bit, the product does contain plastic after all. 

If this was an item you could keep for life, that’s no problem…but are these products really that durable? A deodorant that lasts a lifetime would be a seriously impressive accolade. But if they last 30 years, we should only need to purchase one…ever.

Just another PR exercise. 

What isn’t made clear enough, is when there is plastic in packaging. Otherwise, we can’t make well informed decisions.

Perhaps a percentage, like those we’re seeing with ingredient labels ‘97% natural ingredients’.

What are you going to do with the plastic components in your ‘life long’ product once it breaks? 

The stats don’t look good. 

Did you know that less than one third of plastic waste is recycled in the UK, and approximately 5,000 items of marine plastic pollution have been found per mile of beach in the UK

https://www.sas.org.uk/our-work/plastic-pollution/plastic-pollution-facts-figures/

So if we’re honest, the chances are the plastic components are going to end up in the ocean. Contributing to the 269,000 tonnes of plastic waste there already.

Every one of our natural deodorants is a 100% plastic free deodorant.