FOR STARTERS columns
RETHINKING OUR ENVIRONMENT SHIKHA BHATTACHARYYA
Naked soap — at reTHink ’ s Zero-Waste Store
At reTHink ’ s Zero-Waste Store , we pride ourselves on selling our soaps naked . You read that right : naked . So what does that mean ? We sell our soaps without any form of packaging . No plastic bottles , no cardboard , no plastic wrap , just good old soap bars . In fact , we even have shampoo bars , dish soaps and pet soaps !
So what makes naked soaps so good ? One thing is the lack of packaging cuts down on a lot of plastic . Think of it this way : The average American uses 11 bottles of shampoo a year . The United States as a whole uses 550 million bottles a year . Can you even imagine how much plastic that is ? In just a few years , that number becomes astronomical , and we ’ ve been using plastic shampoo bottles for over 50 years . But hold up , this is just shampoo bottles . Now think about all the plastic packing for soap , body wash , conditioner and the myriad of other products we use daily . That is why we don ’ t sell anything with plastic packaging in our Zero-Waste Store unless it is recyclable or reusable .
Apart from shedding their clothes , there ’ s
another reason our soaps are more sustainable than their more conventional counterparts . They are made naturally with the most basic ingredients , unlike commercial products that are loaded with sometimes harmful chemicals . Some examples of these ingredients are parabens , which are hormone disruptors , formaldehyde , which is a known carcinogen , and synthetic fragrances , which contribute to indoor air pollution . We want to avoid these substances and their harmful effects , which is why our soaps are made with healthy and natural ingredients , such as goat milk , olive oil , lye and essential oils . These will effectively clean your skin and hair , while also nourishing and moisturizing your body .
If you want to see firsthand the awesome benefits of using our naked soaps , you can either visit our Zero-Waste Store or shop online at wabashrethinks . com / shop . Our shop is located at 608 N . 13th St . in Terre Haute . Store hours are 11 a . m . to 6 p . m . Monday through Thursday ( Check our Facebook page for Sunday hours ).
Dr . Shikha Bhattacharyya is a pharmacist and an environmental activist who founded reTHink , Inc . in late 2015 to bring attention to the problem of plastic pollution in Terre Haute .
8 Terre Haute Living • January / February 2022