Plastic objects have invaded our daily lives. Can we live without? Journalist Raphaële Schapira took up the challenge. “Super satisfying”a first sorting in his kitchen leaves him “the feeling of breathing, [s]e free from lots of objects… to start a new life”.
Who says new life says adequate equipment… head to the Maison du Zéro Déchet. This Parisian associative shop also offers initiation workshops – which are sold out. Living without plastic is a widely shared ideal, it seems… On its shelves, the store has an answer to every little challenge that living without plastic represents. Canvas bags for storing bulk groceries, multi-purpose Marseille soap, reusable cotton make-up remover squares…
A long-term investment
For the toilet, everything exists in a solid version: toothpaste, make-up remover, shampoo… Twice as expensive as in the supermarket, but guaranteed without plastic packaging. At the checkout, a little moment of doubt: life without plastic begins with more than 60 euros in expenses… “It’s a small investment, it’s true“, recognizes the coordinator of the place, Pauline Imbault. But some of these objects (shopping bags, cotton squares which, according to her, replace five years of disposable make-up remover cottons) will not have to be bought back, she underlines.
Raphaële Schapira returns home, in a hurry to try on her “zero plastic” toiletries. After washing up with Marseille soap (perfect), it’s time for the bathroom test. The toothpaste, despite a slight earthy taste, leaves the teeth clean. Even satisfied for make-up removal with a solid oil roller and a washable cotton pad. Verdict: “I’m quite convinced“, concludes the journalist.
Excerpt from “My life without plastic”, a report rebroadcast in “Special Envoy” on June 1, 2023.
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