Zero-Waste Hair Styling: Accessories That Won’t Cost the Planet
From stretched-out elastic hair ties snapping into the abyss to cheap plastic claw clips breaking after a single drop, bathrooms are often quietly overflowing with single-use plastics that end up in landfills.
Whether you’re looking to upgrade your plastic hairbrush or switch to plastic-free hair tyes, making the switch to zero-waste hair accessories is an easy way to make your beauty routine truly sustainable.
Jungle Culture bamboo hairbrush is designed for all hair types, with a pressured paddle surface and soft bristles to brush your hair wet or dry, without irritation.
Avoid boar bristle brushes for animal welfare reasons. Also avoid tortoiseshell (illegal) in combs.
Ecotools Hair Combs and Brushes
Eco Tools is known for its vegan make-up brushes, but also makes eco-friendly combs and brushes, made from recycled materials. Some brushes are specifically designed to tame unruly hair or deal with tangled fine hair.
Why avoid plastic hairbrushes and combs?
As well as being made from oil, plastic hair brushes and combs tend to generate static electricity, and cause micro-abrasions on the scalp (if you think it’s your shampoo, it could be your hairbrush).
Static also forces hair cuticles to lift and results in frizzy and flyaway hair, and an increased risk of split ends. Many generic plastic combs and brushes are made with injection moulds, that leave sharp seams and jagged edges.
Why avoid natural boar bristle brushes?
Many natural hairbrushes boast they are made from boar bristle. As well as not being suitable for vegans, they tend to cause hair breakage on fine and chemically-treated hair and are not good to detangle. Porous animal hair can also absorb oil, dead skin and product build-up.
Boar bristle is of course made from male pigs, as if these beautiful animals don’t suffer enough in the food industry. Most boar bristle is a by-product of industrial livestock production.
Wild & Stone Plastic-Free Hair Ties
Most hair ties are made from nylon (plastic) which means that when they slip out of loose ponytails (or get lost when children are doing handstands), they fall down drains and go into the sea. Where they are broken down into microplastics, which are accidentally ingested by marine wildlife.
Next time it comes to replace, consider Wild & Stone’s plastic-free hair ties, which are made from natural cotton, in plastic-free packaging.
Keep hair ties away from young children and pets. Don’t tie hair back tightly, as this can cause traction alopecia.
Avoiding Elastic Bands Helps Wildlife
Elastic bands not only rip your hair, but again if dropped, can cause harm.
Campaigners want Royal Mail to stop using red elastic bands (they trap wildlife paws/claws, and ducks feed them to chicks, thinking they are worms).
If you see littered bands, cut them up and pop in a secure covered bin (or use them within the office, never outside).
Kooshoo (fancy plastic hair ties from abroad)
Kooshoo (USA) is another brand worth mentioning. Although ordered from abroad, one order should last years (you could bundle with friends to cover shipping – costs around £20 and takes 1 to 3 weeks).
We only recommend hair ties, as hair bands/scrunchies contain synthetic fibres.
Where to recycle plastic hair accessories
Salons, offices and schools can order a Terracycle Hair & Body Care Waste Box (a one-off pooled fee) to then send back using the prepaid postage, to get plastic hair goods out of your town forever).
You can recycle empty pressurised cans, take half-empty ones at your council’s hazardous waste department).
