If you ask anyone who knows me, they’d agree that I do my best to keep up with the latest and greatest trends that make their way to my TV screen, newsfeed, and inbox. I would, by no means, consider myself a trendsetter, however, I would generously label myself as a trend chaser. And let’s be real — I hate running. Trends come and go and it can be tough to jump on a bandwagon, only to watch it fade into washed-up fad land weeks or months later. The easiest trends to follow are the ones that never go out of style and nothing says “here to stay” like taking an interest in environmental sustainability and reviewing how our day-to-day functioning impacts the planet that we call home. Historically, the beauty industry has not been kind to good ole’ Mother Earth, as it relies heavily on plastic for packaging. According to Forbes, humans will be responsible for mass-producing 50 million tons worth of plastic by 2050. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association makes an equally terrifying claim that most plastic takes an upward of 450 years to decompose. Take a look in your bathroom. How many of your products are single-use, and how many times do you mindlessly toss said items into the trash once they’re done? In my bathroom alone, I own 34 plastic bottles that I shamefully toss after use and those 34 plastic bottles will outlive me in some landfill until the year 2470. I am quite particular about the ingredients I’m using on my face, my body, and my hair, so why don’t I take as much care in researching packaging and what happens to these products that I toss into the abyss of my trash chute when they expire? I agree, it sounds selfish. I’m not waiting for the new year to make the vow to myself to reduce my plastic footprint. I’m on the hunt for brands and products that offer more sustainable packaging and I’m here to share some of my favorite finds with you. Wake up, Everygirls…life in plastic isn’t fantastic.

5. Seed Phytonutrients

Seed phytonutrients is a brand that proclaims itself to be “a young company with old-school values.” They stand behind their mission to “plant the seeds of health, well-being, and sustainability for future generations.” They use recyclable, eco-friendly packaging for all of their products, have partnered with Ecologic to create the first shower-friendly paper shampoo bottle, and have partnered with TerraCycle implemented a recycling program for Seed Phytonutrients’ pumps.