I’m sure it’s crossed the mind of many men to wonder about what exactly is kept inside a woman’s handbag. And if you asked them to guess what sort of things would they likely find in one, I sure the list they come up with would never fall short of having at least the following on it:
- 1. Purse/Wallet
- 2. Make-Up Kit
- 3. Pack of pocket tissue
- 4. Cell Phone
Now stereotyping is one thing, but facts are another. So let’s revisit that list and see which is which.
Item 1 the purse/wallet is obviously a fact. We can’t possibly carry our cash, Ids and cards loosely stuffed in a handbag. It would be impossible to find anything without turning the bag inside out and a great way to have all those plastic cards break.
Item 2, the makeup kit is stereotyping. Not all women wear makeup and not all women carry big giant bags that can fit an entire sub-bag. Some of us carry small ones that only have enough space for a purse/wallet, a phone and keys.
Item 3 the packet of pocket tissue is probably a fact and I say probably because I know there are the exceptional few women who don’t carry them. In fact if you’re a mom or a pet owner you are more likely to have a pack of wet wipes instead (this is me).
Item 4 is also likely a fact because in our modern times it’s difficult to find someone who hasn’t got a phone but of course there will be the exceptional few who differ.
Going back to item 3, the tissue and wet wipes, many amongst us don’t notice the environmental effect of using them. The most obvious is of course the effects of using virgin pulp to make them. But nowadays lots of companies have jumped on the go green band wagon and use 100% recycled/recovered pulp instead so I suppose that’s one step forward for the environment.
However the next issue with usage is the waste it becomes. Now of the two (between tissue and wet wipes), tissue is the kinder one because it bio-degrades quite fast. Wet wipes on the other hand are made from stronger fibres to maintain strength whist wet so they don’t bio-degrade as fast (or at all) and end up collecting at the landfills.
So what’s the solution? Use eco-friendly wet-wipes! What makes these different from the conventional ones? Well they would be made up of environmentally safe ingredients such as Purified water, enzymes, ethanol (derived from corn) and biodegradable 100% natural anionic coconut kernel oil-based surfactant.
If you need some ideas of eco-friendly wet-wipes then I can suggest Avalon Organics’ Flushable Biodegradable Baby Wipes and Earth Friendly Products’ Pet Wipes. Another fantastic product is Wysi Wipes.
Similar to compressed t-shirts (you know those novelty t-shirts compressed into a tiny cube), Wysi Wipes are moistened towels that come in the shape of small little white pills- Small enough for you to carry around in your bag or pocket. All you need is to add water to it and the little pill instantly becomes a wet wipe towel! Eco-friendly and made without the use any chemicals, they are completely bio-degradable so safe for both you and the environment. I haven’t tried these because the set back to me is having to have water handy each time to grow those pills into a towelette. I can fit a packet of wet-wipes in my bag but I don’t think I’m prepared to carry a bottle of water…but that’s just me. I find this an amusing eco-solution but perhaps just something better for left for home use where water is easily available.
