Building a Sustainable Future Through Your Food and Cosmetics

Although we may not realize it, food and cosmetic choices influence sustainability. These choices are vital to creating a sustainable future, but accomplishing that goal comes with its own unique challenges.

We can make easy swaps to integrate sustainable practices into our lifestyles. The first step is to conduct an audit of the products we use and the effect they have on our environment. After the audit, delve into the indicators of sustainable food and cosmetics and identify what is needed in order to embrace sustainability standards.

Through Our Food

Choosing sustainable foods and sustainable practices, from the packaging to the amount you buy, is one big way to reduce waste. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that in 2019, 66 million tons of food were wasted in the U.S., most of which wound up in landfills. Food waste seriously threatens our ecosystem, as it is responsible for nearly 8% of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Food waste is an even greater problem as overconsumption is increasing globally. The Food Loss + Waste calculator allows you to see the abundance of waste that certain foods generate.

There are solutions to prevent the damage from progressing. Consider making a list before buying groceries to reduce the number of products bought and the likelihood of being thrown away. In addition, use leftovers effectively. Get creative; that same tomato you chopped into your salad could inspire a bowl of tomato soup! Lastly, freezing products is an easy way to extend their shelf life and allow you to save them for later use.

Aside from physical food, the materials used to store food also affect the environment. Finding solutions to reduce the need for single-use plastic using reusable food storage is important. Glass, silicone, recycled PET, stainless steel, or bamboo are all recyclable-friendly items to use for cookware, utensils, or food storage.

Through Our Cosmetics

If skincare ingredients are not natural in formula and packaging, chances are they will not benefit your skin naturally. You can improve the sustainability of your skincare and beauty routines by actively seeking products listed with natural ingredients. Look for keywords such as mineral, vegan, and clean to ensure your cosmetics do not include harmful ingredients that contain chemicals and toxins. An important label to look for is the Safer Choice Label, which indicates the product’s company has complied with EPA standards and invested in research to ensure safe, high-quality ingredients were used.

To be more consciously sustainable in your cosmetics packaging, look for packaging that states:

- Carbon-neutral, indicating the company minimizes or offsets the environmental impact that the production and packaging of this product create.
- Refillable means that instead of wasting packaging and resources, you can reduce the environmental impact by refilling the same packaging with new product(s).
- Waterless products are more concentrated, reducing packaging size and increasing the volume of products shipped with less transportation.

For Our Future

As the world becomes more industrialized and we remain educated on innovations concerning sustainability, our impact (negative or positive) matters. These simple suggestions are just a starting point to help reduce the negative impact of being one of the 7.8 billion consumers on our planet.