A Special Message from the UM Pantry: Choosing Sustainable Personal Care Products

Dear friends,

Are you bothered by all of the plastic that seems to accompany nearly every product on the market today? We sure are. What about all the harmful & unnecessary additives in most conventional products? Those bother us too, which is why we recently applied for funding from UM’s KLESS Sustainability Fund to purchase more environmentally friendly personal care products.

A menstrual cup- Photo by Oana Cristina on Unsplash

Plastic production is among the most CO2-intensive industries in the manufacturing sector. The U.S. generates 34 metric tons of plastic waste each year, more than half of which is from single-use plastics. The average American generates 231 pounds of plastic waste annually, and only ~9% of it ever gets recycled.

Conventional cleansers such as laundry detergent, shampoos & conditioners often come packaged in plastic bottles; it is estimated that 700,000,000 of these bottles end up in landfills across N. America each year. Most of these products also contain sulfates, parabens, polyethylene glycol, artificial fragrances, dyes, and phthalates- all of which have been shown to negatively affect human health and other living organisms.

Plastic pollution- Photo by tanvi sharma on Unsplash

Conventional menstrual products generate another 200,000 tons of waste annually. A single person who menstruates will use between 5,000 and 15,000 pads and tampons in their life, generating more than 400 pounds of waste. Furthermore, tampons may contain rayon, polyester, and polypropylene- all of which are toxic to the environment.

Thanks to the KLESS Sustainability Fund, which funds sustainability initiatives across campus, in addition to our recent partnership with Earth Breeze, the UM Pantry is proud to offer a limited selection of the following environmentally friendly personal care products:

• Earth Breeze Eco Sheets- a plastic-free, liquidless laundry detergent, free from phosphates, parabens, phthalates, and artificial dyes. 100% biodegradable packaging, lightweight & compact!
• Menstrual cups- Menstrual cups are reusable and can save a person who menstruates up to 2,400 pads & tampons in their lifetime. Initial cost may be a barrier, but this option is cost-effective in the long term.
• Organic cotton tampons- free from plastic & other harmful synthetics. Some may have a cardboard applicator; others may not- either way, simply insert just like you would a regular tampon!
• Shampoo & conditioner bars- made with plant-based ingredients; plastic-free, liquidless bars in 100% compostable packaging. To use: first wet your hair, then swipe the shampoo or conditioner bar across it few times from root to tip. Next, work up a nice lather & rinse- just like you would a bar of soap!

These items are now available in the UM Pantry, free of charge, while supplies last. It is our hope that by informing people of these options and removing any barriers to access, our customers will be more likely to seek out more sustainable personal care products in the future. If you do happen to take advantage of this limited-time offer, we’d love to hear about your experience!

“Individual choices- and the collective shifts they bring about- add up quickly. Making just one simple swap, like purchasing a reusable water bottle, can spare the environment hundreds of plastic bottles each year.”- Natural Resources Defense Council, 2020.

Swing by for your free trial & make a change today!

*This offer is made possible by UM’s KLESS Sustainability Fund. Thank you, KLESS committee!