By Helen Chaplin
The bathroom maybe a small room, but it can be very wasteful. Luckily there are plenty of easy changes that can be made to lead a zero waste lifestyle in the bathroom.
Oral Care
Bamboo toothbrush
Substitute your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo one, and once it reaches the end of its life you can compost it. There are loads of brands of bamboo toothbrushes out there now.
Toothpaste and mouthwash tablets
This clever invention eradicates the need for a toothpaste tube. They are solid tablets that foam like conventional toothpaste. You can also buy jars of toothpaste that can be refilled or recycled. Mouthwash tablets dissolve in your mouth with a sip of water.
Face
Reusable make up wipes
These cloth wipes are great for removing make up. Buy (or make!) some make up remover solution to use on the cloth pads. Once you’ve used them, just throw them in the washing machine the next time you do a load.
Safety Razor
Swap the plastic disposable razors for a safety razor made from stainless steel. The blades can be recycled, and the razor can last a lifetime.
Hair
Shampoo and Conditioner bars
Instead of endless bottles of shampoo lining your bathroom, buy a bar of shampoo. These come without packaging, or just wrapped in paper. The benefits of shampoo bars, is that you can take it them in your hand luggage when you fly!
Toilet duty
Toilet paper
Who Gives a Crap make toilet paper from bamboo and sugarcane. It comes wrapped in paper which can be recycled. They also donate 50% of their profits to charity to help build toilets for those in need. There are other brands available such as EcoLeaf Recycled Toilet Paper which are wrapped in compostable bioplastic material.
Hopefully this post has inspired you to take a look at your own bathroom routine, and think about the other alternatives available. I have only scratched the surface with suggestions; and I haven’t covered products such as deodorant, shower gels, dental flosses or moisturisers amongst many others.
Make small changes, and these amount to much bigger positive environmental impacts.