As consumers, we utilize a range of beauty products in our daily lives, whether it's makeup, skincare, or haircare. Once these things have been used up, what do we typically do? Throw them in the trash. However, most products are typically disposed of improperly. 

Beauty brands have started shifting their focus on sustainability by creating marketing campaigns focused on refillable and recyclable packaging, “clean” formulating, microplastics, carbon footprints, energy efficiency, and more. Companies that increase efforts to make their brands more sustainable lead the way in showing responsibility for their environmental impact, but much more can be done. Biodiversity is one of the least-discussed efforts that are just as important as sustainable packaging and products.

If you’ve gone for takeout recently and received your food in cardboard-like takeout boxes, then you may have met “bagasse” in real life. Many eco-friendly restaurants and companies are prioritizing sustainability within their single-use containers, choosing packaging that is made from environmentally-friendly materials. While bamboo is well-known for eco-friendly packages, bagasse is a lesser-known material.

Ordering takeout or picking up dinner curbside has been a staple of the pandemic thus far but comes with a flood of harmful plastic and styrofoam packaging. But a new startup is trying to reduce damage to the environment by highlighting takeout options that use Earth-friendly packaging.

All change starts small and has the potential to ripple into a much larger movement. While large issues like climate change and plastic pollution require large solutions, starting small and locally can inspire the big waves needed to save the planet. This is precisely what happened with a group of five middle schoolers in 2015. 

You may have noticed that quarantine-cuisine and to-go coffee orders come with a lot of plastic utensils, single-use straws, and styrofoam containers. What were once sustainability sins are now quarantine commonplace as we navigate the realities of COVID-19. 

Efforts to reduce plastic consumption do not need to go out the window. There are still plenty of things you can do to reduce your own plastic intake and spread the socially-distant word to your friends and family. Here are a few ideas to get you started.