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Meet The Woman Who Quit Single-Use Plastic 10 Years Ago

And how she does her beauty routine without it - by Samantha McMeekin
  • 15 Jul 2020
Meet The Woman Who Quit Single-Use Plastic 10 Years Ago

As we all become increasingly aware of the detrimental effects human consumption has on our planet, single-use plastic is usually the first habit we aim to overthrow.

But as many of us have encountered, eliminating plastic from our everyday lives is easier said than done. It’s everywhere.

However, some people do succeed in this mission, one of which is Kate Nelson, aka Plastic Free Mermaid and author of the recently launched book, I Quit Plastic. 

Nelson started her plastic-free journey ten years ago and has a wealth of knowledge on how to lessen our own use, particularly when it comes to building a sustainable beauty routine.

You have to start somewhere

No effort is ever too small and it’s the power we have in changing our own habits that started Nelson’s lifestyle transformation years ago.

“What first sparked [the idea for] me to go plastic free was learning that plastic does not biodegrade for 1,000 years,” she tells Marie Claire. “I felt that of all the things impacting the planet, this was one thing I could do something about.”

At the time, Nelson says she was using so much single-use plastic every day that she hoped even just one person giving up plastic for a lifetime could eliminate a huge amount of plastic pollution.

“I started where most of us start our plastic-free journey; by eliminating plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic straws, and plastic cups,” she says.

plasticfreemermaid View Profile
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CURRENTLY LISTENING to #1619Podcast from @nytimes . Please listen to Episodes 1 + 2 . Regardless of the good that she has done, we must acknowledge that America's super power was built on centuries of brutality & hypocrisy. (more: iquitplastics.com) . Our all important economy, the principles of our esteemed capitalism, the democracy we proudly boast of & identify w, "the American way" racing to the top, the selfish pursuit of wealth-was built w slavery. Built by beating human bodies, separating families, selling ppl in the masses to work for free for lifetimes to increase individuals wealth. . Our nation's founders desired freedom & independence, but not w/o the enslavement of other humans to enjoy the freedoms & build wealth. . So, our CONSERVATION POLICIES & REGEN SYSTEMS are not actually regenerative if the folks benefiting from these policies r the same folks who have always benefitted. We can't afford to live in a fantasy that we r "eco conscious" if vulnerable people r being killed. Do we think we r 'evolved' bc we eat local & recycle, but ignore the overworked & underpaid communities of color? We may be more conscious of pollinators & native plants-but it's bs if we're ignoring visibly oppressed & perpetuating racist systems. . The environmental mvmt must stand up 4 & pull up black, indigenous, & people of colour. These ppl r vulnerable to big oil, to the destruction of construction or poisons of fossil fuel extraction, r targeted by poor quality food in plastic packaging. The culturally ingrained racist systems keep churning out $ to the top who come from long history of stepping on bipoc to get there. The same systems oppressing the BIPOC people are those responsible for polluting our planet. . Recently we realised we have to fight for nature. Now we are seeing the human beings who are A PART OF the eco-systems we feel so compelled to defend. These human beings we must defend above all, bc in the nature-aligned, thriving world we dream of, there cannot be oppressive brutal capitalism. Our goals & targets are the same as the crusade for racial justice. Get uncomfortable. Face the truth. Collaborate for change. . Ty @jarolson for pod tip off

It took years to actually become ‘plastic-free’

Take a deep dive into plastics and you’ll quickly realise just how much it’s ingrained in our daily doings. And after ditching the most obvious single-use culprits to start with, Nelson says that was only the very beginning of a complete overhaul.

“The moment I decided to go plastic-free was 10 years ago [and] I thought that was that, not realising how ubiquitous plastic truly is,” she explains. “So it took me a few years as my definition of single-use plastics continued to expand, including more and more of the products I previously engaged with.” 

What some may see as a sacrifice, Nelson sees as an exciting opportunity to make things herself at home, using all-natural, non-plastic wrapped ingredients, particularly regarding her beauty routine.

plasticfreemermaid View Profile
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Easy for me say, "SHOP BULK!" . But these stores are expensive & not always close or easy to access. . What's the strategy to budget for bulk OR is the plastic free lifestyle just for the privileged? . Of course it's not. But how much context can one insta tip give? And how much does this movement need that extra context to be inclusive and empowering to all communities? Is it enough to sway the privileged purchasing power and social sway to make bulk foods and reusables more affordable and accessible to all? Or is this a perverse colonisation of natural ways of living? With the wealthy donning clay dyed fibres carrying hand sculpted reusable cups.. Or is this an essential part of the global awakening? An exciting turning point in the revolution? The commoditisation of "natural lifestyle" or "eco living" a basic truth about the role of capitalism in our buyer society, and it's very nature a win in comparison to the wasteful alternative trends? And then, how might we sustain these shifts to be less fleeting and more rooted? Is this our one chance to lock in regenerative systems or is this humanity's coming of age? Are we in an eco chamber of change or can we build momentum and create the thriving world our hearts know is possible? . This is a topic I explore in my book #iquitplastics (link in bio). I also just published an article on @elephantjournal I'd love to hear your thoughts on. . An excerpt "I share a lot of what I personally do as an array of options for y'all to take in & perhaps adopt a few along the way. By no means is this the only way to live a life w a light footprint in alignment w nature. I was unaware of the privilege my skin tone, nationality, accent, extroversion afforded me. As a young activist, I was loud, passionate, unrelenting. I was also broke. I decidedly gave my time to ocean conservation nonprofits & marine debris research institutions & plastic ban policy campaigns. So, whilst it's easy to endorse branded reusables & spend hundos at the bulk stores-that's not the bourgeois approach where my method has it's roots." . 💙 Read more & please comment your thoughts iquitplastics.com or @elephantjournal 💙💙💙

Creating a plastic-free beauty routine

The beauty industry is one that’s come under fire frequently for waste. But positive steps are being made, with L’Oréal recently announcing new sustainability plans up until 2030 and Garnier reporting that in 2019, by using recycled plastic, the brand saved 3,670 tonnes of virgin plastic. No small effort.

For Nelson, her personal beauty style is minimal and she lives by the motto, "if you wouldn't eat it, don't put it on your skin," of which she says most plastic-packaged products don’t qualify. 

“I love using macadamia, coconut, almond, and sesame oils for both washing and moisturising,” she says. “My kitchen also doubles as my beauty haven.”

From using oats as an exfoliator to avocado as a face mask, Nelson turns her beauty routine inward, rather than looking for plastic-free options on the market. “10 years ago, it was impossible to shop for beauty that was plastic-free. It didn't exist,” she says. 

“Now there are a lot more brands making beauty products in glass jars. I avoid most of them as I'm happy with my simple, healthy beauty routines and the basic DIY recipes I stick to, but these are good options for people to start to move away from plastic.”

Brands are also making efforts towards refillable packaging (L’Occitane now has this option for 21 products) and recyclable plastics being reused, actively taking plastics out of landfill to repurpose.

plasticfreemermaid View Profile
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#plasticfree BOOK GIVEAWAY & CASE STUDY . Do you want to participate? . I am looking for people who are: . 1. NEW to the idea or practice of reducing plastic in their lives. 2. KEEN to try my "I Quit Plastics" book (for free) & take a short daily journal of their actions for 2 weeks 3. WILLING to speak with media about their experience of reducing plastics - learnings, challenges, and how they feel about their efforts post the #plasticfreejuly or 2 week challenge. 💙💙💙💙💙 . PLEASE SEND the following with subject: CASE STUDY to hello@iquitplastics.com : Your Location, 🏠 Age, 👶🏼 How many people in your family/who you live with, 👯‍♂️ a bit about yourself 👩🏿‍🎨🧑‍🎤👩🏾‍🚀🦸🏻 & what you are most interested in learning about by taking this challenge & getting the book! 🧠⚡️ . (If you already have a book, I'll send you one to gift on!) . THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP in making this lifestyle more accessible, and helping me learn more about your learning process! 💙💙💙💙💙 . Excited and grateful to the team who shall become the case study! 🙌🏽 Meet you soooooonnn.

Beauty recipes you can make at home

Nelson tends to go makeup-free most days, but has a few DIY recipes to help enhance her natural glow.

“I make the most delicious lip balm from coconut oil (3 tbsp), honey (1/2 tsp), macadamia oil (1 tbsp), and cacao butter (2 tbsp),” she shares. “Plus, it doubles as a highlight. If I want to look fresh and glowy, I'll run my ring finger through the balm and dab across my features: the under arch of my brow, the tip of my nose, and my cheekbones or blush line.”

She also makes her own bronzer using mostly cacao, a pinch of cinnamon, turmeric, sweet paprika, and arrowroot. “It's easy, looks great, and is safe for your skin.”

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