Magic Algorithm

It happens, for me at least, mostly at night before bed.

Tucked in and ready to call it a night, in my head I'm thinking: scrolling through social media right before sleep is bad for you, put it down. The blue light suppresses melatonin... it decreases sleep quality, remember?

Just as I talk myself out of the pretty-hard-to-break bad habit, "it" somehow knows what I’ve managed to do and it doesn’t like it.

It seeks to keep me glued to my device and often, I'm at its mercy. Is the algorithm psychic? Can it read thoughts? Or is it just by chance? Because it is scary accurate sometimes. Somehow, before I even do what I intend to do (go to sleep), it already knows the perfect thing that will pull me back into the same vicious cycle: ordering things I never knew I needed. But do I really though?

It knows, for instance, that for days in a row after watching a Ted talk about the world’s plastic and waste problem, I’ve clicked on similar recommended videos and documentaries about it. So this is what she's into, I assume it thinks.

Somehow it also knows that earlier in the day, I recalled with guilt the countless tubes of toothpaste that I’ve used in the past which are now probably sitting in a landfill somewhere and will for potentially hundreds of years, if not thousands.

Enter Bite.

How the heck did it know I was on my last tube?

Bite is basically a vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, toothpaste alternative in the form of bites. It's for everyone. Instead of coming in the typical tube, Bite comes in a refillable glass jar and the aluminum-lined Kraft packets the refills come in are, get this, home compostable. How?! The company boasts that they are completely plastic-free and contain no harsh chemicals. A four-month supply will cost you $30, but they also sell individual smaller bottles for $12. Refills are automatic (if you want them to be of course.)

Lindsay McCormick, founder and CEO of Bite, said that it occurred to her how wasteful toothpaste tubes were while working her previous job which involved lots of travel. I mean... right?! “Over one billion plastic toothpaste tubes end up in our landfills and oceans every single year. That’s the volume of the Empire State Building fifty times every year,” she states. That is a lot of plastic toothpaste tubes—and growing by the second. Make it stop. Have you seen the pictures of seabirds with guts full of plastic? It's not right...

Lindsay's story is also a major selling point for me. I love how she took it upon herself to study chemistry online after coming up with the idea, to create and formulate what is now Bite. She had no previous background in dentistry or chemistry but she made it happen anyway. Talk about dedication and passion for a cause. I'm inspired in more ways than one. And even if someone doesn't like Bite and could never get behind it for whatever reason, at the very least, admit it's a good idea. Or better yet, admit we have a monstrous plastic pollution problem and Bite is a decent solution to a part of it.

I'll be honest, I haven't tried the stuff yet but as soon as I'm done with the last full plastic tube of toothpaste I have (I've been using and stocking up on Desert Essence fluoride and cruelty-free whitening toothpaste), this is the next thing I'll be using. Promise. I haven't been able to stop thinking about them since.

To use Bite costs $7.50 a month at $30 for a four-month supply, but the low to zero-waste sustainable aspect of it all is, in my opinion, worth it. Reviews (almost 10,000 for their Fresh Mint bites) have been stellar. Customers are saying this stuff, while it may take some getting used to after years of conventional toothpaste, foams well and tastes good. I believe them. Sign me up. I’m sold. I want to try this stuff, review it, and share it with everyone.

I know what some of you may be thinking: why don't you just make your own toothpaste? That is a valid point, but I just can't imagine using coconut oil to brush my teeth. At least, not yet. Plus, I love a good foam!

Once you get started on reinventing basically how you do everything in order to “save” the planet and the oceans from the very real plastic problem we all have, you won’t be able to stop. One step in the right direction towards sustainability means no leaf will be left unturned. Obviously the algorithm knew that too (it knows everything) because as days passed, my kitchen counter cleaner along with my dish soap and dishwashing liquid, I've noticed, have begun to run low. Sure enough, as I'm scrolling on Instagram probably right before bed, an ad for Blueland comes up. Is it paying attention to my cleaning habits too?! Yikes…

Blueland is a sustainable and innovative subscription-based cleaning product company. Their $83 starter kit called “The Clean Suite” pictured below, comes with everything you need (refillable containers and tablets) for their 3 cleaning sprays, hand soap, powdered dish soap, and laundry and dishwashing tablets. They also sell everything individually if you don’t want to subscribe or get the whole set.

The packaging is colorful and cute and I think the whole thing is a neat and simple idea to help reduce consumer waste. I also love how transparent they are with the ingredients contained in the tablets. They even explain what each ingredient does. Does it work though? According to verified buyers, it does. A favorite seems to be their powdered dish soap—I can't wait to try that the most. The less plastic everyone uses as soon as possible, the better. Add to cart.

I've actually tried a similar company called Supernatural (also recommended by the magical algorithm), but it's more expensive. Their main differences being how their refills are packaged and the basis of the ingredients in their cleaners.

Blueland comes in dissolvable, dry tablets in little Kraft envelopes whereas Supernatural comes in glass capsules with plastic caps, consisting of a concentrated mix of various essential oils. I loved Supernatural. It smelled really good in my opinion, plus the spray bottles were cute, glass, and had a cool design on them. The kitchen cleaner the starter came with smelled like a delicious basil—which I adored. It brought on a sense of peace and serenity for me. For my older sister, on the other hand, it did not.

The main downside with Supernatural for me was the price for the refills ($40 for four, plus, the kitchen cleaner didn't last very long with me) and all the plastic caps each concentrated refill capsule came with. Don't get me wrong, I would definitely buy it again but only if they found a way to rid of the plastic completely, especially because the caps are so small and are easily lost in the recycling process. So for now, I'll have to say goodbye to Supernatural and hello to trying something new: Blueland. Besides, I dig their name.

But wait—there’s more!

Shortly after, I realized within a month I would be due for shampoo and conditioner. For over two years, I’ve been using Love Beauty and Planet’s Clean Oceans Edition Shampoo and Conditioner from Target (Target is a popular general merchandise retailer in America if you didn't know) but I wasn't blown away or anything by its effects on my hair. After switching from Tresseme, I started using their Clean Oceans Edition products solely because of their claim that their bottles are made from 100% recycled ocean-bound plastic.

The company also claims to donate to causes that help keep our oceans clean, healthy, and thriving. Their products are okay for my wavy hair overall, but I wanted something better and I was still so uncomfortable with the amount of plastic I was using and continuing to use and I really just wanted to do away with all of it as soon as possible. You may already know what happened next.

The all-seeing algorithm magically knew just what I was searching for in the privacy of my thoughts. All jokes aside, basically an ad for The Earthling Co. came up as I was scrolling on Instagram.

The Earthling Co. is a small but growing online store that sells a range of low-waste items—their hair-care and skin-care bars are the most popular—but they also sell kitchen and bath items such as soap dishes, reusable muslin bags, or wooden dishwashing brushes with replaceable heads.

I saw their shampoo and conditioner bars going for $15 each and became intrigued. How did I not think of using bars before? I’ve been using liquid shampoo bottled in plastic since forever so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try something new. I looked through the reviews as one does and so many women were raving about them—newbies proclaimed newfound love and vowed to never go back. According to them, the bars “last longer than expected.” From all the reviews I’ve seen and read, they seem to last up to 4 months depending on how long your hair is or how often you wash it. Add to cart.

If you want or are interested in a complete overhaul of all the disposable items you use in your home and daily life but want more options than what is available at The Earthling Co., check out Package Free Shop, another online zero-waste store recommended to me by the magic algorithm. They have more options in every area whether it be bath, kitchen, bedroom… they even have “sustainable condoms.” Seriously—they have so many more items that you could potentially switch to in an effort to create less waste. They even have shampoo and conditioner bars selling for $14 each. Unfortunately, when I last checked, they were out of stock of the one I wanted. Besides, The Earthling Co.’s hair bars have great reviews, so it works out okay.

The Package Free Shop was founded by Lauren Singer, a leader in the zero-waste community. I first saw her on Youtube years ago actually when an interview of hers went viral. When her online store and company came to my attention through an Instagram ad, I remembered her instantly. She was the young woman who kept four years worth of trash in a 16 oz mason jar. She was definitely a key influencer for me in the sense that, she made low-waste living look and feel possible when it didn't.

In the following video, Lauren shows us how she shops and the lifestyle shifts she had to make in order to generate as little trash as possible.

I wonder—how many of us are zero-waste or trying to be? And does it matter? I won’t get into the details and science behind it all too much, but I think it’s safe to conclude that, yes, it matters a great deal.

For one, seafood, especially mollusks, are often found to contain microplastics in its stomachs and tissues. That means if you eat seafood or know anybody who does, you will likely consume plastic at some point if you haven't already. Plastics have been shown to cause adverse health problems for humans and animals. Not to mention, multiple whales in recent years were found washed up on shores all over the world, their stomachs filled with pounds of plastic! This is just the tip of the iceberg.

More than ever, I know I have to do my part which means sacrifices must be made. I’ll always strive to protect the oceans and mitigate plastic waste, and even though I’m not perfect or completely zero-waste *yet,* by starting to change certain habits, pushing myself and trying new things, I can be eventually. "Picking at the low hanging fruit" as Lauren calls it and making the easiest changes to make a difference, is the first step.

As for the all-knowing algorithm… it’s not exactly an enemy nor is it a friend. It works best and in our favor when we are consuming the things that are good for us and help us grow, otherwise, it'll just keep feeding us the same type of content that have been getting us down. We always have some choice in how that plays out.

I don’t know what you’re ads look like although I’m curious, but I do know a lot of what you see depend on your interests. When I’d get caught up binging on true crime or watching mukbangs, I get more of it. Sometimes that doesn't have to be such a bad thing especially if there's something to learn from it all, but it is when it starts to change how I behave or think. True crime, for instance, may cause fear or paranoia in some people. For others, it's educational and brings more awareness.

For the same reason that certain groups avoid certain content or behaviors, avoiding what I know affects me negatively is a boundary that is necessary for my well-being. I know the influence of what I’m consuming just grows unless I realize autonomously whether what I’m engrossed in helps or hurts me, and also, where that line begins and ends. Easier said than done at times, for sure.

Maybe the algorithm is “all-knowing” in some sense, but it isn’t all-powerful, and I hope it never is! But in this case, I do believe it was working in my favor because I allowed it to. Luckily, instead of taking my choices away, it has given me more opportunities to grow and be aware. I’m more passionate than ever to do my part in mitigating the world’s plastic problem because of it and who can argue against that? It will only get easier from here on out to lead an overall better and healthier lifestyle now that I’m aware of these companies and others like it, as well as the pioneers and leaders behind them or close by.

What we demand is supplied. When we ask, we receive.

So. Is the algorithm working for you? Or is it working you?

If you liked my recommendations and enjoyed this article, I'd appreciate it if you gave it a heart. Thanks!