What happens in our bathrooms is not gorgeous. This is why one of the first steps we can take to create a more sustainable home is moving on to plastic-free bathroom products. Here are the top swaps to score your zero waste bathroom kit!
Just with soap bottles in the US we’d fill 1,164 football fields. EACH YEAR! Did you know that the beauty sector generated over 142 billion units of packaging in 2018 – most of which ended up in landfill or the ocean.
Facts are that only 50% of bathroom products’ waste is recycled, simply because we don’t tend to have a recycling bin in our WC’s. Are major corporations doing enough to kick the habit? Definitely not. SMALL BRANDS ARE!
The alley to a zero waste bathroom
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. These are the ‘3 Rs’ that are taught to us from an early age about our obligation to the environment. In order to pass along a sustainable living environment to future generations, we need to reduce waste, reuse products, and recycle materials. And it’s easy to create approachable lifestyle changes that help you do so. These eco-friendly measures are a great way to spruce up your home. Take the bathroom for example.
Here are some ways to turn your bathroom into a sustainable oasis on your own terms:
1. Eco-friendly bathroom swaps
It can make a big difference in sustainability efforts when you switch to eco-friendly products. For example, choosing a bamboo bathroom mat instead of a fabric rug. The bamboo dries quickly and repels water, so it’s useful and requires zero maintenance. That’s one less load of laundry, which saves you time and conserves energy and water!
Other bathroom products you may use can also be contributing to the endless cycle of waste. It’s time to ditch the single-use plastic for more biodegradable materials. That’s why we listed natural and reusable bathroom products to add to your grocery list that reduce the amount of waste you contribute to the landfill each month.
Other sustainable swaps:
- Unbleached 100% recycled toilet paper like Who Gives a Crap or The Cheeky Panda
- Reusable, dishwasher-safe cotton swabs
- Naturally sourced and fluoride-free toothpaste
- Create your DIY makeup with plant based ingredients
- Zero waste makeup brands
- All-natural skincare products with eco-friendly packaging
- Get yourself a zero waste razor
- Refillable vegan bath & body products
- Reusable & plastic-free period products
- All other ideas for zero waste bath products!
Get a 10% discount on all EarthHero zero waste bathroom products using the code OURGOODBRANDS
https://ourgoodbrands.com/natural-products-beauty-healthy-routine/
2. DIY Natural Products
There can be so many ways to achieve a natural bathroom environment, but a great place to start is by ditching the toxic cleaning supplies. They can be harmful to ingest and even worse for the environment.
Instead, try making your own cleaning products. More people are enjoying the ease of using common household ingredients as homemade disinfectant, detergent, or even toothpaste. It is surprisingly simple to create DIY bathroom cleaners using essential oils.
3. Reduced Water Waste
See a bathroom renovation in your future? Consider ditching the bathtub. It wastes a lot more water than you might think. On average, a regular bath wastes about 35-50 gallons of water whereas a 10 minute shower only wastes 25 gallons.
While soaking in a bathtub may feel like one of the finer things in life, it can be equally as wasteful as wonderful. If you can visualize life without your bathtub, this might be the perfect opportunity to reduce your water use significantly. If taking baths is a nonnegotiable for you, then we recommend using it only on special occasions. It will feel much more relaxing, knowing you’re not going overboard with wasting water.
Tip: Assess your water footprint to learn how much water you waste on a regular basis. Be honest with your evaluation to receive ways specific to you that help water conservation efforts.
4. Add Plants to Your Bathroom
Grow your own air purifiers by adding some foliage to your bathroom space. There are plenty of house plants that can thrive in a bathroom climate, and they’re a great addition to any eco-friendly abode. They look super cute and they remove toxins from the air. Don’t know where to start? Depending on humidity levels and accessible sunlight exposure, there are options for any type of bathroom.
Tip: Want some DIY aromatherapy? Tie a bouquet of eucalyptus hanging down from your shower head for steamy, relaxing health benefits. Replace every few weeks.
9 Ethically-made & Organic essential oils: the bliss of natural healing
5. Ditch the Disposables (forever!)
When your shaving razor has gone dull or gathered rust, what should you do? If your immediate answer is to throw it away and replace, then you are likely contributing to the average of 2 billion cartridge razors that are thrown out in the US each year.
All that plastic packaging and non-recyclable material can be avoided by switching to a plastic-free safety razor. The razor heads are typically made of pure single metals, like brass or steel, so they can be recycled instead of tossed. That means you get an incredibly comfortable shave without the guilt of adding to disposable waste.
Tip: Be careful! Safety razors are as sharp as they are sustainable. Once you make the switch, take your time in learning how to perfect any close shave.
Other bathroom disposables you’ll want to ditch right away are your single-use period products. Not only are they highly toxic for your health, but also expensive and heavy in waste (pssst… reusables will get you saving 16,000 single-use menstrual products in your lifetime)! Here’s a full guide on how to have a zero waste period!
58 Plastic Free July tips on how to reduce your waste like a pro!
6. LED Lighting
A sustainable swap that makes a difference is LED lightbulbs. These high-efficiency bulbs are a great way to conserve energy without even thinking about it. If you still use CFL bulbs (compact fluorescent light), especially in items close to you like a desk lamp, there may be potential hazardous particles in the air.
The ultraviolet light emissions are not sustainable, and the traces of mercury found in CFL bulbs make it difficult to dispose of in an environmentally friendly way. Making the switch to LED not only makes recycling so much easier, but they also have much longer life spans than previous lighting technology!
The Best Day to Live Sustainably is Today
Today is the perfect opportunity to reevaluate your daily consumption of toxic resources and nonrecyclable products. We’re lucky to live in the modern age with so many resources on how to live sustainably and chic products that are great for the environment. Try starting with small changes that can completely update your space. Mother Earth thanks you.
