Keep your eyes open...

Image courtesy of Wix

Despite now running this series, it’s only been a few years since I really focused on my footprint on the planet. Before that - in all honesty - I wasn’t really interested.

I thought I was doing what I could by recycling where possible, and reusing items and odd objects. And I was blaming high street stores and supermarkets for not making it easier for us to make conscious choices.

I can’t tell you exactly what changed or how, but I know it started with skincare. I’ve always been one to read ingredients lists, and when I started to find natural products, it opened a door to companies and people who have found ways of making everyday items from materials and ingredients found in nature.

But the problem was that I was having to search for them, or I would come across a product in a random article that just happened to be exactly what I was looking for.

There was no sign of these products in stores, and I found myself wandering around looking at items that I no longer wanted to buy, because I knew they were causing harm to the planet, potentially our long-term health, and there were better options out there.

So I was suddenly seeing everything differently. It was like wearing green goggles and disapproving of all the single-use plastic and non-biodegradable items on the shelves. Knowing there were people producing and selling solutions to these, why weren’t they in these stores?

From what I’ve read so far, the answer is usually to do with costs. It’s cheaper for small businesses to sell from their own sites rather than be stocked in large stores, because the latter take a cut of the price. That would mean the price goes up, and it costs more for us and the company.

But it’s also to do with what’s in demand. Whether products will sell. Whether it’s worth the store’s time to stock them.

And from when I started actively looking for alternative brands to now, I can safely say I’ve noticed significant change when it comes to the high street.

Brands I originally found online or in whole foods stores I’ve now spotted in my local supermarket or drugstore. ‘Natural Skincare’ categories have even been added to aisles to group these products together.

But it’s not just in stores where I’ve noticed a shift.

When ordering products online, the majority are now delivered in plastic-free packaging, with everything except the delivery label recyclable. Others have changed their packaging to something kinder such as being made from biodegradable or recycled materials.

Clothing stores are promoting cotton items (especially if the cotton is responsibly sourced) or the use of recycled polyester. I’ve even seen and heard adverts on t.v and the radio for brands I never knew about (from trainers and clothing to deodorant and energy drinks), who are producing products from natural, plant-based or organic materials.

Because I tend to shop with this mindset now, my ears prick up whenever I hear or see words like ‘organic’, ‘natural’ or ‘biodegradable’. Sometimes they’re used to greenwash products (which is an issue for another time), in which case I lose interest. But when they really are what they say they are, I notice, do the research, and save their name on a note of some sort.

I know that you and others might not notice as many changes as I do, or even care about them. You might walk into a drugstore to see another ‘vegan’ beauty brand and roll your eyes. I know I have. But this is progress. Slow progress I'll admit, but it's still moving forwards.

Stores know we are after kind products - whether it's a natural soap that doesn't dry out our hands, or wanting to sneeze into a tissue that isn't wrapped in plastic (you know the little pocket ones?) - and are stocking alternatives as a result.

I have actually seen pocket tissues in biodegradable packaging, but most are non-recyclable. Slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

So just keep your eyes open. See if you notice anything new. That’s all I do, and it's made all the difference.