Talking Plastic, Beauty and Christmas with @PlasticFreeMonkey

I met Paolo (@plasticfreemonkey) at Vevolution Festival earlier this year and had some great chats with him. We spoke about packaging in the beauty industry and I asked tonnes of questions about his beautiful hair. I was so happy when he agreed to be interviewed as he knows so much about eco-friendly living.

Paolo inspires me a lot, particularly when it comes to reducing waste and working hard for good causes. He knows his ethics and values and finds ways to align these to his entire life.

So firstly, what’s with the name Plastic Free Monkey?

So the name has changed a few times over the years but the monkey part has always remained mainly due to my love for climbing. And the plastic free part I guess in itself is pretty self explanatory but with my previous name of ‘Plant Fed Monkey’, I opted for the name change to put a bit more emphasis on the environmental side of things as this is my biggest passion. 

How long have you been vegan and what made you change?

In terms of being vegan, it will be 4 years come Easter and really and truly the thing that made me take the leap was the documentary Cowspiracy. I was and still am super into the environment and after watching and realising that going vegan was one of the most beneficially impactful things you could do for the environment, my mind was made up.

Also, as it was I already refused to eat factory farmed meat but once I went vegan I realised for myself that not eating any animals – no matter how they were raised – was the right choice for me ethically as well.

When we met at Vevolution I was mesmerised by your hair, did it take long to grow out?

Haha I think about a year and half ago; my hair grows pretty fast. 

What’s your hair care routine?

So, if I’m honest, my hair has quite a life of its own but in terms of routine nothing to crazy; a bit of shampoo, lots of conditioner and then after a little pat dry. I tend to let it dry out naturally either tied up in one big bun, pushed back with a band or just completely free depending on what I’m up too/feel like doing. 

Do you think beauty brands are doing enough to battle plastic waste?

If you want me to give you a simple answer then no, not at all. However, working for Lush, I do think their whole Naked range is amazing innovation in helping people move towards a world of plastic free cosmetics.

But in general I don’t think beauty brands are doing enough, more package free products and refill stations for cosmetics is really what I think brands should be moving towards. 

Christmas is nearly here, what are some great sustainable/vegan gift ideas for men?

It’s hard to say what is good gift for men specifically but I feel the best thing when looking for sustainable gifts in general is questioning whether you’re buying a gift for gifts sake as it is Christmas or whether it is something that that person will actually benefit from having.

In general, trying to find more second hand buys as gifts is a great way of being more sustainable. Gifting experiences is great as well. Maybe find a vegan place that serves their favourite meal.

It’s so easy to get indulgent and wasteful at Christmas – do you have any tips to keep waste at a minimum?

Like I said above, try to look for things second hand as this helps to create less demand for new things and in turn create less waste as it gives unused items another life. And in terms less direct waste, try not to get drawn in by the abundance of items in fancy packaging; stick to the basics. Maybe try to see if there are any local bulk stores where you can buy the typical items that you would ordinarily purchase in plastic completely package free and ready to be filled up and weighed in your own bags/containers.

Also, do your best not to waste food and, at least if you have garden space available to you, why not see if you can take some of the holiday time off and get yourself a compost bin for your garden – alongside watching lots of films and being cosy with all your plastic free snacks you’ve researched online and made, haha.

All-in-all, just have fun, try to spend quality time with people you love (if you a fortunate enough to be able to) and maybe do some volunteering if you have the time as well. But coming back to the question, really just try your best not to get caught up in buying unnecessary things just because it’s Christmas and maybe make if fun by challenging yourself to see how little waste you can produce over the holiday period. 

FEELING FESTIVE?

Stick around and check out some of my other posts:

• Use my Festive Drinks post to find what’s vegan at Costa, Starbucks and Pret this festive season
• Check through my Etsy Gift Guide to support small businesses this Christmas
• Look for Lush inspiration by reading about my 5 Favourite Lush Products