Plastic is one of the most widely used materials today, but it's also one of the most toxic to the environment. It's thought that around eight million tons of plastic waste goes into the ocean every year, doing irreparable damage to sea life. With the focus on finding alternate packaging stronger than ever, the beauty industry is sitting up and taking notice, with some brands determined to cut out pointless plastic packaging for good.

I've been making the transition from product junkie to zero waste beauty minimalist over the past year. Here's a little glimpse of the sustainable stuff in my bathroom currently: @lushcosmetics Magical Moringa Moisturizer. It's vegan and the container is recycled. I usually reuse mine (they make great travel toiletry containers or holders for jewelry and other treasures), but you can bring them back as part of the Lush recycling program. Love the way this moisturizer dries to a powdery primer finish. Shampoo and Conditioner Bar: I got this package-free at @plummarket and love how it smells and does double duty for hair and skin. Safety Razor: Old school, with steel blades that can be sharpened or recycled. Closest shave of my life, but requires a little more patience than the other more wasteful, multi-blade razors. Brush with Bamboo Toothbrush: These were the number one thing on my Christmas list this year. Sustainable, compostable, and totally awesome. Hair Shimmer Spray: @captainblankenship stuff always smells amazing, and this glass bottle contains salt and shimmer to add enough beachy body and shine to style my fine hair. And that, aside from deo and toothpaste (which I'll post later) is it for my body-washin' routine. I'm traveling light these days and freaking love it! Show me yours! 🛁

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According to Fashionista, the idea of environmentally-friendly products has been brewing in niche brands for a while, but mainstream lines are starting to follow suit. Sustainability expert and television personality Ashlee Piper explained why it was so crucial for big changes to start happening within the industry. "The obvious environmental burden of just the trash we create daily can be anecdotally attributed to non-food packaging, of which cosmetic and personal care packaging is a huge component," she says. "Secondly, reduced packaging is just one component of being truly 'green' and, in my opinion, an excellent gateway drug to becoming attuned to other sustainable elements."

You might wonder how a brand could fill a cardboard mascara tube with product, or how your favorite shampoo could stand it too, but it's not necessarily about abandoning the material altogether. Rather, doing away with the plastic wrapping that comes with a brand new tube of product and ensuring that the type of plastic used is fully recyclable. However, being recyclable doesn't always mean that people will do it, with only 12% of recyclable plastics being disposed of correctly. Worryingly, studies indicate that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish.

Loli Beauty, a lesser known brand, claims to be the first beauty brand that is zero waste. The products are all waterless with superfood ingredients and are in reusable, food-grade containers that you can put in your compost patch. Alima Pure introduced refillable compacts which hold magnetic color pans for easy switching, while the boxes are made out of consumer-friendly recycled paper and even printed with soy-based inks. Other smaller brands are getting in on the action too, while Unilever's Love and Beauty Planet also chose to use recyclable packaging, becoming one of the first big brands to do so.

What do you think, a worthy cause or is it too late? Personally, we'll be making sure to separate our plastics from our paper religiously from this moment forward.

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Kate Prince (87 Articles Published)

Kate Prince is a freelance writer based in Swindon, UK. As well as writing feature news for Moms, Kate contributes to over a dozen websites, including The Talko, Baby Gaga, The Things, Buzznet, Idolator and ConsumerHealthDigest. Kate lives with her daughter and loves sharing everything that she's learned throughout motherhood - mainly that nothing stays clean and Spongebob Squarepants is overrated. Passionate about lifestyle and entertainment, Kate has been writing ever since she was a child and is always looking for the next story. You can follow Kate on Twitter @_KatiePrince and Instagram @thekateprince.

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