Sustainable Living
These days it is virtually impossible to open a magazine or newspaper without reading about climate change, pollution and new initiatives such as green living, sustainability and the importance of reducing our impact on the environment.
Whilst climate change not surprisingly steals most of the headlines (together with Brexit, Boris Johnson and Donald Trump of course), pollution is actually an equally important and, quite possibly, more pressing issue. It is no coincidence that the public is becoming more aware of the global ecological crisis, with pollution impacting on virtually every single aspect of our lives. The extent of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans has reached staggering proportions, impacting not just the marine environment, but resulting in microplastics now routinely found throughout the human food chain. Whilst going completely plastic free is probably next to impossible at this stage, raising awareness of the disastrous impact of single use plastics in particular, should surely be a top priority for eco-warriors and governments alike.
Not helping of course, is the fact that consumers, many still recovering from the 2008 financial crisis, have sought cheaper alternatives for staple goods, maintaining lifestyles at the cost of the planet. In doing so, they have created vast new profitable markets for anything from factory farming on an industrial scale, to discount supermarkets and fast fashion manufacturers, which produce mass-market clothing in low wage countries, often involving child labour. It is not widely known that the fashion industry in particular is now one of the greatest polluters globally, benefiting from the growing demand for inexpensive fashion and happily promoting a ‘throw away culture’ to fund its growth. As an illustration, in the United Kingdom alone, up to 300,000 tonnes of clothing items end up in landfill every year - it is impossible to put a figure on the true cost of this practice.
The good news is that pollution can actually be tackled head on by introducing relatively simple changes at consumer level, without adding the exorbitant financial and life-style costs commonly associated with climate change initiatives. What is required however is buy-in from both sides – consumers as well as producers.
It is issues like these that green living seeks to address, promoting a more sustainable approach to everyday life. By recycling, reducing waste (including plastic free packaging), reducing reliance on fossil fuels and, where possible, switching to chemical free natural alternatives to everyday products such as cosmetics and household cleaning solutions, consumers can play their part in the conservation of the planet’s natural resources. Guernsey’s Plastic Free initiative is a perfect example of how we can make a change with #2minutebeachclean or even just #take3forthesea.
At Maiiro we are 100% committed to promoting a credible and, above all, sustainable natural alternative to traditional skincare. We want to become the industry leader in minimising our negative impact on the environment by reducing waste through recyclable packaging and ethically sourced organic ingredients. We are not perfect yet, but are well ahead of the pack in terms of our transparency and commitment to making a difference.
After all, your beauty does not have to cost the earth.