For the past couple of months, I’ve been trying some zero waste laundry and household products.

And to my disappointment, I was surprised that some of them didn’t work out for me.

Why am I surprised? I feel like there aren’t many honest reviews from bloggers or influencers saying these products don’t work. And I find that ironic because promoting zero waste products that don’t work, is actually just promoting more waste.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some incredible zero-waste and sustainable products that work amazingly. But I feel like we need to share more of the not-so-great items too so that others can be warned before they buy.

So that’s exactly what I set out to do with these mini product reviews.

I’m going to start with some zero waste laundry products I purchased a few months ago including TruEarth’s laundry strips, compostable dryer sheets, and soap nuts for laundry.

TruEarth’s Laundry Eco-Strips

I love the idea of these concentrated laundry detergent strips. They’re compact with minimal packaging, and therefore less transportation pollution compared to large and heavy jugs of laundry detergent.

Do they work? Yah. But do they work well? Meh.

They claim to be low-sudsing, which is true. I used them with cold water in my top-load washer. I find the best way to use the strips is by putting them in the machine first with the water running. And then wait for the strips to dissolve completely before placing my clothes into the washer.

Out the box, they come extremely scented. I left the opened box on my kitchen table and my whole suite smelt like laundry detergent for days.

But after washing, my clothes didn’t have any traces of the fragrance or scent. I mean, unless you’re really sticking your nose into the fibers and looking for the smell, you might be able to slightly smell it.

For someone who sits at their computer desk 8-10 hours a day. I do believe these laundry detergent strips work with washing my barely soiled clothes.

But they didn’t work for my fiance’s work clothes or to get stains off of my reusable makeup remover pads.

So, I guess they kind of worked? But they definitely didn’t work on stains or dirt. And don’t expect any brightening or softening effects when using these laundry detergent strips.

Also, they’re tiny. The paper envelope packaging is deceiving. And they tell you to rip the strips apart and use one half for one load. Or rip it in half again for a small load. But I always wait till I have a full load of laundry so I use both strips every time.

I also don’t understand why they come attached with two strips together and then tell us to detach them and to only use one. Why didn’t they just come detached in the first place? Because it’s technically 16 pieces in each pack but they’re “attached” so they call it 32 “strips”. I also don’t get why they called each half of the strip ‘one’. It’s more like ‘half’ because I had to strip it in half from the ‘whole’ piece.

I got a pack of 32 ‘strips’. But since I technically use 2 strips per large load of laundry, it’s more like 16 strips at the rate of how I’m using them.

I bought mine at well.ca for CA$14.99. So that’s $0.94/load, which is now making me realize that’s so expensive and I need to go back to using one ‘half’ of the strips per load if I want to make this pack last.

I most likely won’t be buying these again as I think I prefer my Nellie’s laundry soda over these laundry detergent eco-strips. But I do love the innovation and how TruEarth is a Canadian company! Nature Clean also has laundry detergent strips for about the same price.

Compostable Dryer Sheets by Mild by Nature

I didn’t realize that Mild by Nature is one of iHerb’s house brands. When I placed my last order on iHerb, I saw these compostable dryer sheets. They were under $4 for a 40-sheet pack so I thought, why not?

But don’t bother with these. They don’t do any of the things they claim to do like “help to soften fabrics, reduce static-cling, smooth wrinkles and freshen clothes.”

They smell great out of the box but they don’t leave any scent to your actual clothes. They come heavily scented and will leave your cupboard smelling perfume-y. But that’s all they’re good for.

They also feel like textured parchment paper.

These were marketed as being “compostable” dryer sheets but nowhere on the packaging or on iHerb’s website mentions if they’re compostable via home or industrial compost? or how long they take to fully break down?

Laundry Soap Nuts

I’ve heard about the magical cleansing powers of soap nuts for a while now and am finally giving some a try as a laundry detergent.

…And I’m not quite sure if they actually do anything. I can’t tell if they do a better job than just washing my clothes with water.

The instructions on the box says to place 6-7 soap nuts in the small cotton bag and tie the drawstring shut. Then remove the bag of soap nuts before putting clothes in dryer. And to lay the soap nuts out to air dry and if using water below 60°C, they can be used again for another load.

I followed those instructions and did not see any visible results. I read online that the soap nuts only work in hot water. But I never wash my clothes with hot water so I wished that was stated on the box or on well.ca’s website before I bought these to try!

I’ll be trying some of the other uses of soap nuts before giving up on these completely.

Unfortunately, none of these zero waste laundry products worked for me or amazed me enough to repurchase.

Not all zero-waste products are going to work for everyone so I think it’s important that we share our own experience. My goal is to help you find products that are useful to you and your lifestyle without having to try as many products as I did!

So I hope you found some of this information helpful on your journey to reducing waste!

The post Review of Some Zero-Waste Laundry Products I Tried appeared first on ethical elephant.

I’m happy to finally make and post this list of cruelty-free & zero-waste makeup brands with mostly vegan options!

Since there is no standard or legal definition of what exactly ‘zero-waste’ makeup means, I like to believe it’s supporting businesses that are reducing single-use and plastic packaging as much as possible. While aiming to have their packaging to be made from sustainable materials and/or biodegradable & compostable at the end of its lifecycle. Or to be made from infinitely recyclable materials like glass and aluminum. While I understand that 100% plastic-free is not always possible, if small components of plastic are absolutely necessary, they must be recyclable.

Taking all of the above into consideration, I’ve found 18 cruelty-free and vegan-friendly makeup brands that are as close to zero-waste as possible by either offering compostable packaging, refillable systems to reduce single-use packaging, or delivering plastic-free packaging solutions.

But above all, remember that the most sustainable and ‘zero-waste’ option is to use up what you currently have. And when it’s time to buy, consume lightly and waste little.

Elate Cosmetics

Based & Made in: Canada

Elate Cosmetics is cruelty-free, 100% vegan, and uses ethically-sourced mica without child labor.

What makes Elate zero-waste? Elate Cosmetics offers several low-waste makeup options that mostly come packaged in their signature bamboo compacts that are designed to be reused and refilled over and over again.

Elate offers refills of their pressed foundations, cream concealer, pressed eyeshadow, and brow balm which all come packaged in seed paper envelopes that can be planted in your garden to sprout wildflowers. All of their cosmetics come exactly as shown on their website with no additional boxes or packaging.

Although Elate Cosmetics isn’t entirely plastic-free, they’re committed to becoming the first 100% plastic-free and waste-free cosmetic company. Currently, the small amount of recyclable plastic that Elate does use is for their lip gloss, the inserts of their lipsticks, foundation pump, and mascara, as well as for the caps of their lip and eye pencils which are corn-derived.

Elate is also very upfront about what each component of their packaging is made from and what can be recycled or is biodegradable.

Axiology Balmies

Based & Made in: USA

Axiology is cruelty-free, 100% vegan, and uses ethically-sourced mica without child labor.

What makes Axiology Balmies zero-waste? Axiology’s Balmies is a 3-in-1 multi-use color for eyes, lips, and cheeks. Consciously created and designed to be zero-waste and plastic-free, meaning they’re tube and cap-free! The Balmies come wrapped in paper and are designed to be carried around in their durable recyclable paper box that’s made from recycled trash by a women’s cooperative in Bali. All of Axiology products are also handmade in small batches in their own facility, check their Instagram for behind-the-scenes of how their Balmies are made!

Although Axiology’s Balmies are plastic-free and zero-waste, note that their regular lipstick tubes and lip crayons are not completely zero-waste but they’re made from post-consumer recycled plastic.

Kjaer Weis – Refillable Compact System

Based in the US & Made in Italy

Kjaer Weis is cruelty-free, with some vegan options, and uses ethically-sourced mica without child labor.

What makes Kjaer Weis zero-waste? Kjaer Weis worked with an award-winning designer to create their thoughtful, refillable system of compacts, with the intention of reducing waste. The result is a luxury and sustainable makeup product that’ll inspire you to reuse mostly, refill as needed, and recycle when necessary.

Kjaer Weis also launched their Red Edition packaging made from textured red paper that’s recyclable and compostable. When shopping on their website, you’ll have the option to get just the refill or choose between their Iconic Edition or Red Edition compact. Both are incredibly sturdy, durable, and designed to be reused over and over again.

Note that Kjaer Weis does use beeswax in most of their cream makeup products which is why they’re not an entirely vegan brand. And they also have other makeup products that come in plastic packaging, meaning they’re not 100% plastic-free and zero-waste.

River Organics

Based & Made in: USA

River Organics is cruelty-free, 100% vegan, and uses synthetic mica therefore no child labor is involved.

What makes River Organics zero-waste? River Organics is committed to offering as close to zero-waste as possible makeup products. All of their products come in plastic-free packaging and a portion of each sale is donated to One Tree Planted.

Their collection of zero-waste makeup includes tinted lip balms, blush & highlighter sticks, as well as brow wax and concealers. All of which come in paper tubes and eco-friendly packaging, along with biodegradable sugar cane labels.

River Organics’ zero-waste philosophy also includes their shipping materials which consist of recycled envelopes from Eco-Enclose, sugarcane-based labels, and without additional marketing material or packing.

ZAO Organic Makeup – Refill System

Made in: Europe

ZAO is cruelty-free, 100% vegan, and uses ethically-sourced mica without child labor.

What makes ZAO makeup zero-waste? ZAO’s makeup products packaging is made from controlled harvested bamboo and designed to be refillable so that you can buy once and use it endlessly.

ZAO offers refillable makeup for almost everything in their collection including liquid foundation, concealer, lipsticks, mascara, and anything that goes into their bamboo compacts or palettes. Their refill system was designed to reduce waste and use less plastic & energy.

Note that some components of ZAO’s refilllable makeup product packaging are made of plastic. So they’re not 100% plastic-free.

Lush Cosmetics – Naked Packaging

Based & Made in: the UK

Lush Cosmetics is cruelty-free, with some vegan options, and uses synthetic mica therefore no child labor is involved.

What makes Lush’s makeup zero-waste? Only available in the UK, Lush offers several ‘naked’ makeup products that come package-free. Their range of zero-waste makeup includes solid foundation ‘slap sticks’, multi-use concealer and highlighter sticks, and low-waste refillable lipsticks.

Note that not all of Lush’s makeup products are package and plastic-free like their mascara and eyeliners aren’t.

ĀTHR Beauty

Based in US & Made in US, Canada, and/or Europe

ĀTHR is cruelty-free, 100% vegan, and uses a combination of ethically-sourced natural mica and synthetic mica that’s made in a lab and therefore no child labor is involved.

What makes ĀTHR zero-waste? ĀTHR’s palettes are zero-waste and fully recyclable. ĀTHR’s eyeshadow, blush, and highlighter palettes and compacts come in 100% recyclable packaging. No mirrors or magnets, only recyclable aluminum pans, FSC certified recycled materials, and printed using soy-based inks.

In addition, ĀTHR offers carbon-neutral shipping to reduce shipping emissions. All of their shipping and packaging materials are also fully recyclable, packed in an FSC certified box, and sealed with a sugar-based biodegradable sticker.

Principle Beauty

Based & Made in: USA

Principle is cruelty-free, 100% vegan, and uses ethically-sourced mica without child labor.

What makes Principle Beauty’s palette zero-waste? Principle Beauty’s zero-waste makeup palette is plastic-free and sustainable. Their vegan eyeshadow palettes are fully compostable and made from organic materials: paper and cork, and contain makeup pans made of 100% recycled aluminum. 

In addition, all of Principle’s shipping materials are made from recycled brown kraft paper and can be composted or recycled and again, zero plastics here.

Aleph Beauty – Circular Initiative

Based & Made in: New Zealand

Aleph is cruelty-free, 100% vegan, and uses ethically-sourced mica without child labor.

What makes Aleph Beauty zero-waste? Aleph Beauty’s core packaging is made from glass and their lids are made from aluminum. Currently, Aleph’s collection of zero-waste makeup includes vegan concealer, cheek & lip tints, and highlighters.

Aleph also has a Circular Initiative where you can send in your empty Alpeh jars and container to be reused and refilled by them, thereby reducing single-use packaging and new materials entering the loop.

Note that Aleph Beauty is not 100% plastic-free as they do use plastic when absolutely neccessary and when there’s no alternative like the cuffs on their serum/primer bottles. But they assure the small amount of plastic they use is recyclable. 

In addition, all of their courier bags and courier labels are biodegradable and compostable.

Clean Faced Cosmetics (Etsy)

Based & Made in: USA

Clean Faced Cosmetics is cruelty-free, 100% vegan, and uses ethically-sourced mica without child labor.

What makes Clean Faced Cosmetics zero-waste? Clean Faced Cosmetics is almost completely zero-waste and plastic-free. Most of CFC’s zero-waste makeup comes in refillable and recyclable tins or glass veils. And they offer vegan mascara, eyeliner, lipstick, foundation, concealer, bronzer, and eyeshadow.

They also offer refills that come in biodegradable bags and since Clean Faced Cosmetics is sold on Etsy, the retailer offsets all carbon emissions created by shipping.

Dirty Hippie Cosmetics

Based & Made in: Australia

Dirty Hippie is cruelty-free, 100% vegan, and uses ethically-sourced mica without child labor.

What makes Dirty Hippie zero-waste? Most of Dirty Hippie Cosmetics’ product packaging is zero-waste and plastic-free, made from 100% compostable and recycled materials, and are refillable.

Dirty Hippie has a range of cream and powder makeup in metal tins, eyeliner and mascara in glass veils, and lip & cheek tints in 100% compostable and recycled paper push-up packaging. Refills come in 100% post-consumer recycled paper envelopes.

They also offer a recycling program for Australian residents. And Dirty Hippie’s shipping materials consist of post-consumer recycled paper tape, boxes, and recycled newspaper they collect as waste from local businesses for padding.

All Earth Minerals

Based & Made in: the UK

All Earth Minerals is cruelty-free, 100% vegan, and uses ethically-sourced mica without child labor.

What makes All Earth Minerals zero-waste? Almost all of All Earth Minerals packaging is plastic-free, refillable, biodegradable, or recyclable. They offer mineral makeup in their low-waste Pots for Life containers or it also comes in compostable paper tubes, and they also have cream concealer, highlighters, and tints in glass jars.

The only recyclable plastic they use is in their Pots for Life. The outer casing is made from solid beech wood sourced from sustainable UK forests and the inner plastic casing and sift is made from reclaimed fishing nets salvaged from the sea. All Earth Minerals also offer biodegradable refill tubes so that you can reuse and refill your Pot for Life.

Their shipping materials are also made from recycled and biodegradable materials.

Zerra & Co.

Based & Made in: USA

Zerra & Co. is cruelty-free, 100% vegan, and uses ethically sourced natural mica but they’re transitioning to become 100% mica-free by 2022.

What makes Zerra & Co. zero-waste? Zerra & Co. offers many plastic-free and zero-waste makeup products stating Zerra & Co. “never use single-use plastics and limit plastic in product packaging as much as possible.”

Some of their zero-waste cosmetics include vegan mascara and eyeliner in a plastic-free glass vial, mineral foundation and setting powder in a 100% paper container, tinted lip balm in 100% compostable packaging, and eyeshadows in metal tins or in a plastic-free palette.

Zerra & Co. also ships carbon-neutral and use 100% plastic-free shipping materials.

Love The Planet

Based & Made in: the UK

Love The Planet is cruelty-free, 100% vegan, and uses ethically-sourced mica without child labor.

What makes Love The Planet zero-waste? All of Love The Planet products are plastic packaging-free. Their zero-waste mineral makeup products come in recyclable and refillable tins.

Love The Planet also offers their vegan and zero-waste mineral foundation, concealer, blush, and eyeshadows in compostable refill pouches (made from paper, starch, and cellulose film from wood fibre).

In addition, Love The Planet ships orders in paper envelopes that are also plastic-free.

PHB Ethical Beauty – Zero Waste Makeup

Based in the UK & Made in the UK and Canada

PHB Ethical Beauty is cruelty-free, 100% vegan, and uses ethically-sourced mica without child labor.

What makes PHB Ethical Beauty zero-waste? Not all of their makeup products are plastic-free and zero-waste but PHB Ethical Beauty does have a collection of zero-waste makeup. The collection includes pressed mineral foundation, blush, highlighter, contour, eyeshadow, and brow powders, all of which are packaged in paper compacts without magnets or mirrors, making them fully recyclable.

PHB Ethical Beauty also has a low-waste vegan lipstick packaged in a paper tube and may not be entirely plastic-free but it uses 70% less plastic than traditional lipstick packaging.

Hurraw! Aura Balms

Based & Made in: USA

Hurraw! is cruelty-free, 100% vegan, and uses synthetic mica that’s made in a lab therefore no child labor is involved.

What makes Hurraw! zero-waste? Hurraw! offers ‘Aura Balms’ that are essentially vegan cream highlighters, bronzers, and blushes, available in six wearable colors and they come packaged in a glass jar with a tin lid that is 100% recyclable.

Note that some of Hurraw’s other products, like their lip balms, aren’t plastic-free or zero-waste. But Hurraw is continuously striving to reduce their plastic use and choosing readily recyclable and PCR materials.

Hurraw! also ships their orders in recycled and recyclable corrugated packaging and use 100% recycled post-consumer paper for void fill.

Root Beauty – ECO Refills

Based & Made in: USA

Root Beauty is cruelty-free, 100% vegan , and uses ethically-sourced mica without child labor.

What makes Root Beauty zero-waste? Root Beauty isn’t entirely plastic-free, but I’m adding them to this list of zero-waste makeup brands because of their compostable ECO refills and bulk options.

Root offers ECO Refills for pretty much all of their powder makeup products including foundation, blush, and eyeshadow colors. Their innovative refill pouches are made from plant-based material derived from corn, making them compostable. You can refill your existing container or get one of their reusable glass jars.

In addition, many of their other makeup products are available in refills and low-waste options, including their pressed eyeshadow pans and cheek + lip tins. They also accept back all empty Root packaging to recycle them for you or they’ll sanitize and reuse them, if possible.

Honourable Mentions

Besame Cosmetics, Fat and the Moon, and RMS Beauty all offer some zero or low-waste makeup options but unfortunately, most of their plastic-free and zero-waste makeup products contain beeswax, making them not vegan.

Final Words

This is the first post of my journey to transitioning to more sustainable makeup (in addition to cruelty-free & vegan of course), I plan to post more sustainable and zero-waste makeup guides in the coming weeks & months. So, please let me know in the comments below what type of content you’d like to see more of!

The post 18 Cruelty-Free & Zero-Waste Makeup Brands (With Vegan Options!) appeared first on ethical elephant.

It’s no secret that I love doing my nails with my weekly #VeganManiMonday posts but in an effort to go zero waste and live more sustainably, I’m trying to find ways on how I can reduce waste without giving up my nail polish addiction.

In this post, I’m sharing some zero waste and sustainable nail products that are better for the environment, including a list of non-toxic & vegan nail polishes I recommend, as well as, nail polish removers and reusable nail polish remover pads.

Zero Waste Manicure

The very first thing to going zero waste is to simply use up what you currently have! And when it’s time to dispose of used or old polish, we need to be mindful of what happens to them after their life cycle.

So before we get into the list of eco-friendly nail products, let’s first begin by answering.. is nail polish recyclable?

Are Nail Polish Bottles Recyclable?

Unfortunately, most curbside recycling programs don’t accept nail polish bottles because they’re considered hazardous waste and can’t be recycled.

For example, in Vancouver, Canada, my local curbside recycling does not accept nail polish bottles and instruct they belong in the trash bin.

(If you know of any creative ways to reuse or upcycle old nail polish or their bottles, please let me know!)

Although you may be able to find a recycling facility in your area that accepts empty glass nail polish bottles but note that most nail polish lids and brushes aren’t recyclable.

With that being said, it’s best to look for non-toxic and sustainable nail polish bottles made with recyclable lids, or purchase from brands that have a recycling program.

Eco-Friendly, Vegan Nail Polish

Unfortunately, there isn’t a zero-waste nail polish on the market as nail lacquer is essential a polymer aka plastic. So, if you want a truly zero-waste manicure, you may have to skip applying nail polish altogether.

I personally love doing my nails and it’s not something I’m willing to give up yet. And from my research, there are some ways we can shop more consciously to minimize our environmental impact.

Buying nail polish that is non-toxic, vegan, and 10-free is one of the best ways to protect the planet, animals, and our health.

10-free nail polish means they are free from 10 harmful ingredients including formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, formaldehyde resin, xylene, parabens, fragrances, phthalates, or ingredients derived from animals.

You’ll also want to avoid glitter nail polish, even if they claim to be 10-free and vegan. Glitter in nail polish are essentially micro-plastics that don’t break down and end up in our oceans.

So, ditch the chemical and glitter nail polish and choose these non-toxic, vegan, and sustainable nail polish brands instead:

Wooden Cap Vegan Nail Polish Bottles

As mentioned earlier, nail polish bottle caps are not recyclable. Some cruelty-free & vegan nail polish brands have swapped out non-recyclable plastic lids with wooden caps that can be taken off and recycled.

Habit Cosmetics, Zao Organics and Nails Inc. offer non-toxic and vegan nail polish with wooden, recyclable bottle caps.

But Sienna is my overall favourite vegan & sustainable nail polish brand, reason’s why I love Sienna:

Sienna is a Certified B Corporation making vegan & sustainable nail polish. Their nail polish caps are made from a local, non-native weed wood. Sienna nail polish formula are non-toxic, vegan, and cruelty-free and they refuse to use micro-plastic and glitter in their production.

Their head office and warehouse uses 100% renewable energy and everything they produce is within Australia to keep their carbon footprint low.

Sienna’s packaging is 100% recyclable, printed on 100% local recycled stock, and they also offer an in-house recycling program where customers can return their empty bottles.

Vegan Nail Polish Brands with Recycling Programs

In addition to Sienna offering a recycling program for their customers, I found some more cruelty-free & vegan nail polish brands that also offer their own recycling programs.

tenoverten is a female-owned, non-toxic nail salon with locations in New York, Los Angeles, and Austin. tenoverten also offers a range of 8-free, cruelty-free, and vegan nail polish.

In addition, tenoverten has partnered with Chemwise to recycle old nail polish bottles including plastic caps and brushes. Bring any old polish bottles from any brand to their salon and they’ll recycle them for you.

Based in LA, Côte also offers its customers 10% off their next purchase when they bring in their used and old polish to be recycled.

During Earth Month, Zoya lets customers ship any brand’s nail polish bottles to them and exchange it for a new Zoya nail polish with a $5 credit for every bottle exchanged.

Eco-Friendly Vegan Nail Polish Brands

If you’re unable to find vegan & non-toxic nail polish with wooden or recyclable bottle caps or ones that offer a recycling program, then look for brands that are consciously doing business sustainably. Read the About section of their website and buy from brands that have a social and environmental policy like Kester Black.

Kester Black is also a B Corp certified, sustainable, and vegan nail polish brand. The company and all of their products are 100% certified carbon neutral, cruelty-free, and vegan.

Their water-permeable and breathable nail polish are 10-free and do not contain formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, formaldehyde resin, xylene, parabens, fragrances, phthalates and animal derived or tested ingredients.

Kester Black designs with the end-life of their products in mind and uses as much recyclable packaging as possible, all of their shipping boxes are made of 100% uncoated recycled stock and printed with soy inks, and their shipping bags are made from recycled limestone.

In addition, Kester Black also donates 2% of all revenue to social causes.

Dazzle Dry is also another brand I recommend, developed by a bio-organic chemist, their non-toxic and vegan nail care system is formulated without nitrocellulose meaning they will never expire so that you can use up the bottle till the very end thereby reducing unnecessary waste.

In addition, Dazzle Dry uses eco-conscious packing materials like biodegradable packing peanuts and their manufacturing facilities have rigorous recycling methods in place to reduce landfill trash. They’re also phasing out single-use plastics and have partnered with WeForest Project where they plant a tree for every purchase made.

Mineral Fusion’s CarbonFree nail polish is another great eco-friendly option that I would recommend, especially because they’re affordable and accessible where you can find their products at the drugstore. Mineral Fusion has partnered with CarbonFund.org to neutralize their impact on the planet.

By calculating the carbon emissions created when producing their nail polish, Mineral Fusion then contributes funding to energy efficiency, forestry, and renewable energy projects to offset their emissions.

Zero Waste Nail File – Glass File

My mom gifted me a glass nail file 8 years ago and I’ve been using it ever since. It’s still holding up wonderfully and I haven’t had to use or repurchase anymore nail filers since.

Glass files, also known as crystal files, are chemically-treated, tempered pieces of glass that gently buffs your nails down and seals the keratin layers at the edge of the nail, preventing breakage and chipping.

And unlike super-gritty nail files that can be too rough and end up tearing the edge of your nails, glass files are more gentle with its smooth but sturdy surface.

They’re also super easy to clean with just soap and water so you can easily reuse your glass file over and over again.

Where to buy a crystal file? Amazon sells a bunch of glass files but note some come in excessive and/or plastic packaging.

If you’re shopping on Amazon, try and find one with minimal packaging. Although it is glass, it’s very sturdy and won’t break so you don’t need a plastic case.

I keep my glass file in a velvet-like pouch that it came with, similar to this one on Amazon.

Sienna Byron Bay also offers a zero-waste glass nail file.

Zero Waste Nail Polish Remover

I’ve switched over from acetone nail polish remover to soy and water-based nail polish remover and my nails are much happier for it.

Although water-based, natural nail polish remover does take more time and patience compared to chemical and acetone nail polish removers, but they’re way more gentle on my nails, doesn’t dry them out, and they don’t have that strong chemical smell too.

Look for soy and zero-waste nail polish removers packaged in glass bottles that can be reused or recycled, I recommend 786 Cosmetics, Karma Naturals, Sienna, and Priti NYC.

Zero Waste Nail Polish Remover Pads

Swap cotton pads and balls with reusable nail polish remover pads like the Bamboo Rayon Felt ones I recently got from Etsy.

I’ve reused these zero-waste nail polish remover pads countless times and they’re well worth it in my opinion as they’ve saved many single-use cotton pads from sitting in the landfill.

Use the reusable nail polish remover pads the same way as you would with regular cotton pads and then once you’re done, rinse them under water without soap and let them air dry.

I’ve reused mine for well over a month now and although they may not look the nicest after several uses, they’re still holding up perfectly fine and no one is going to see them but me.

Vegan Tip: Some reusable nail polish remover pads are made with wool felt, so be sure to look for ones made with other materials like bamboo rayon for an animal-free alternative.

So there you have it! Some of my zero waste tips and sustainable nail products that I would recommend to living your BEST ethical life!

The post Zero Waste Manicure + Sustainable Nail Polish Options appeared first on ethical elephant.