In a continuation of my ‘Where to Start & Tips to Change’ mini-series here on The Low Waste Weekly, today we’re covering the Bathroom. With suggestions on how to reduce your plastic, waste and overall alter your habits to steer towards being kinder to the planet. My bathroom is still nowhere near as sustainable as I wish it would be, but slowly over the past year I have made lots of different swaps and can confidently share what I’ve done to be more sustainable.
I’ll also share some swaps I am still needing to do, area’s in which I have not gone around to swapping out yet or found the right product. Like I said, my bathroom isn’t perfect but rather a sustainable work in progress..!
To Start With..
I have said many times, you simply need to work out where the most plastic is gathering in your bathroom, first of all. Likely this will be with handfuls of plastic bottles of shampoos, shower gels, lotions and cleaning products alike. My suggestions for sustainable versions include:
Soap Bars
An incredibly simple and cheap bathroom swap; replacing shower gels in plastic bottles with soap bars (they last three times as long too!)
Plastic-Free Face Cleansers
Replace all those face lotions and cleansers with plastic-free solid versions, Ethique has a great selection as an example.
Old Rags & Ocean-Friendly Cleaning Products
Instead of cleaning rags that are likely made from fibres that release micro-plastics, rags made from old material you own already could be your eco-alternative. Cleaning products-wise I swear by Ocean Saver who sell plastic-free capsules that you dissolve into water (in a bottle you may already own). They do anti-bac, floor cleaner.. you name it!
Shampoo & Conditioner Bars
A swap that is becoming more available and common on the high street; replacing hair products for solid bar versions, this eliminates plastic as well as washes the hair with natural ingredients (they do take a while to adjust to though!).
Razors
There are many eco-alternatives to disposable razors readily available, with one example being Friction Free Shaving where you can buy the razor handle as well as heads that you can return to be recycled by the company!
Sustainable Teeth Cleaning Routine
Another area of the bathroom is your teeth cleaning routine. Personally, this is an area I have most recently began to tackle, with purchasing Brushd recyclable toothbrush heads for my electric toothbrush as well as compostable floss by Georganics. Both products help the planet in their own way, with the recyclable toothbrush heads steering plastic away from landfill (as Brushd recycle them for you when you send them back to them in the prepackaged box!) as well as the floss naturally biodegrading due to the natural ingredients.
In terms of toothpaste, this is still an area I am yet to tackle but am aware of many sustainable alternatives on the market. Firstly, if you are not wanting to give up your trusty Colgate just yet, Terracycle have thousands of recycling points across the world where you are able to take the tubes to drop-off and they can recycle. But, for a plastic-free alternative, there are many toothpaste tablets and capsules on the market that seem to work just as well. A simple Google reveals many different brands if you’re looking to switch over!
Switching Toilet Paper To More Eco Brands
A similar area I have yet to switch to (but am planning on!) is toilet roll from a more planet-conscious company. I have seen people switch to reusable toilet cloths, washing said cloths each time they’ve used them. Personally, that isn’t something I could bring myself to do (for hygiene purposes) but switching to companies such as Who Gives a Crap or Bumboo is (to name just two!). Companies like these are often plastic-free, and give back profits to countries with poor sanitation. This as well as the toilet paper itself being made from recycled materials.
It is likely there are a handful of other suggestions out there to switch up your bathroom habits to more sustainable choices, but the progress I have made so far I am definitely happy with. It goes without saying that some of these switches can be a little pricer, but where one side you spend, the other side you save so it can go hand-in-hand. If you have any suggestions I haven’t covered, do let me know!
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Useful Resources:
The Green Purpose