Question from EF
I have recently began attempting to convert to all natural products for my home as well as my personal hygiene. It really bothers me that everything is packaged in plastics. I was wondering if there are any alternatives and if you purchase your dish detergents, laundry powders, shampoos, conditioners, cosmetics, etc. in plastics? I have not found any sold in glass anywhere.
EF, Abingdon VA
Debra’s Answer
I agree with you. It bothers me too.
I do buy things in plastic packaging all the time, though I wish I had an alternative. I do put them in the recycling. This is better than sending them to the landfill, but not the best for the environment, which would be to have them biodegrade and return their elements to the ecosystem.
You will probably not find any of the products you mention sold in glass, for two reasons. One is safety. Glass breaks easily. And the other is that plastic is lighter, so it costs less to ship (and does save on the pollution that contributes to global warming). But this is shortsighted thinking, because it doesn’t look at all the effects throughout the lifecycle of the product.
Many green companies do consider their packaging as well as their products, so it would be more likely that you would find good packages containing the products sold on Debra’s List.
It’s also important to keep in mind that any product is a combination of both product and package and it is possible to have a green product in a not-so-good package and a not-so-good product in a green package. For example, non-organic, highly sugared cereals are now sold in recycled paperboard boxes.
