Waste-Free Bathroom Essentials

Have you ever noticed the amount of plastic you use in your daily routine? Items we think are necessary and good for us tend to be packaged in not-so-good materials.

Throughout my research process this summer, I have learned about different negative impacts of purchasing products packaged in plastic or paper materials. Not only do these items take a while to biodegrade/cause harm to many animals, but they can also be harmful to consume as chemicals from the plastic enter our bodies. (Not-so-fun fact: BPA is not the only bad guy we need to look out for).

Have no fear, going waste-free can be much easier (and less expensive) than you think. For example, I would recommend focusing on one area of your life at a time, modifying that, and then moving onto another area once you have made some swaps. However, if you run out of essentials packaged in plastic in other areas of your life, I highly encourage you to look for waste-free swaps first.

Disclaimer: Please do NOT just throw away the items you have which are currently packaged in plastic. Use the remainder of the product, reuse the container, or give it away to someone to reduce the waste.

Without further ado, here are some simple bathroom swaps:

Dental Hygiene:

• plastic toothbrush-> bamboo toothbrush

• plastic toothpaste container -> glass container of toothpaste from Georganics or Dirty Hippie (or a DIY toothpaste recipe)

• plastic mouthwash container -> glass container of mouthwash tablets from Georganics

• plastic floss container/floss -> Dental Lace in a refillable glass container

• plastic tongue scraper -> stainless steel tongue scraper

Shower:

• plastic shampoo bottle -> no poo method, DIY shampoo, or shampoo bar

• plastic conditioner bottle -> DIY conditioner, conditioner bar

• plastic shaving razor -> stainless steel/metal safety razor

• plastic bottle shower scrub -> DIY shower scrub

• plastic bottle of soap -> local, hand-made soap bar

• facial cleanser -> no cleanser, DIY, or waste-free store cleanser

  • My skin has cleared up amazingly since I stopped using cleanser and reduced the amount of makeup I wear. I only rinse with water and apply aloe directly from the plant.

• Loofa -> coconut bristle loofa

Toilet:

• toilet paper -> recycled paper toilet paper, wrapped in paper OR bulk toilet paper purchase (to reduce plastic wrap)

• plastic toilet wands -> bamboo material toilet wands

• sink/glass/toilet cleaning solutions packaged in plastic -> DIY home cleaner recipes

Sink:

• plastic bottle hand soap-> local, hand-made bar soap

• paper hand towels -> actual towels