Adding a zero waste kit to your beauty routine is simple, easy and fun. However the term zero waste isn't actually true - there's always waste. When building a sustainable replacement for single-use and plastic objects, the materials chosen matter most. Because eventually everything becomes waste. That's why zero waste kits need to be designed with the end of life cycle disposal in mind. 

Cork is a sustainable resource that is both renewable and biodegradable. The cork oak tree (Quercus Suber) is unique in that its thick bark can be stripped off every decade to extract the cork without damaging the trees, which live 170 to 250 years. Once harvested, the cork tree begins to absorb 3-5 times more CO₂. Cork trees in Portugal alone help offset 10 million tons of carbon every year. Cork trees are also important producers of oxygen. Cork forests, or ‘montados’ in Portuguese, are home to at least 135 plant species and 42 bird species. These forests are the most biodiverse in the Mediterranean and Europe. They are also a vital source of agricultural and rural employment.

Bamboo is not a tree. It is a fast-growing grass (up to 3 feet per day!) that is often planted to prevent soil erosion. It absorbs up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide per hectare and produces 30% more oxygen than any comparably sized hardwood forest. Bamboo can be selectively harvested annually and it naturally regenerates without replanting. Bamboo growth requires no pesticides or fertilizers. If everyone switched to bamboo toothbrushes, more than one billion plastic toothbrushes would be saved from the landfill in North America *per year*.

Adapting and using sustainable skincare packaging is one of the major ways that zero waste skincare brands can impact the clean beauty movement. Reusable bags made from sustainable, eco-friendly materials like cork are just the beginning! One of the major bamboo toothbrush benefits is that they are a biodegradable alternative to plastic toothbrushes. An easy way to start or enhance your zero waste lifestyle. Read more zero waste beauty tips to learn easy steps to starting your sustainable beauty routine now.

We discuss bamboo toothbrushes more in our blog post. The bristles are usually nylon, which is plastic. All the "fully biodegradable" versions we have tested fall apart completely after less than a week of use - the downstream/unintended consequences of having to replace a toothbrush weekly would be untenable (humans already throw out 3.5 billion plastic toothbrushes per year). We are on the lookout for better options, but for now this seems best overall.

Depending on the size of your green beauty order, your package will arrive in either a fully biodegradable bubble-padded mailing envelope or a FSC Certified, custom recyclable box made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials.