Keen to green up your bathroom products? We’re giving you a list of our top 5 zero-waste bathroom essentials to help you cut down on plastics.
Shower gels, shampoos and toothbrushes can all come at a cost to the environment. Whilst many of these product bottles are recyclable, according to the Recycle Now campaign only 50% of packaging is being recycled in the bathroom.
We’re then facing an issue in which the bathroom can become the most wasteful room in your house!
Cutting down on waste
To protect the planet, sustainable alternatives are now more widely available. These have been designed to help you cut down on waste altogether! But where do you start? We’re providing our top 5 zero-waste bathroom essentials below to help you out:
Shampoo bars
A shampoo bar is a specifically designed soap for your hair! This means no packaging, no waste and zero plastic. The best part is that the majority of shampoo bars are also made with natural ingredients, from moisturising shea butter to refreshing peppermint.
In fact, bars are big news in 2018. From bath bars, to shower gel bars. Products without packaging are popping up everywhere so you can cut down on your packaging altogether.
Refill as you go!
Refillables are also a growing trend. Rather than buying by the bottle you can bulk buy some of your favourite brands (shower gels, hand wash etc) in refillable bottles. It’s less waste but maybe not zero waste unless you live near a refill station. These are popping up across the UK, giving you the chance to reuse a bottle and just refill whenever you need to. Look for stores such as Ripple in Cardiff who offer this amazingly eco, zero-waste service!
Bamboo toothbrush
Did you know a plastic toothbrush handle can take hundreds of years to fully breakdown? That means that every toothbrush you have used in your lifetime is still existing somewhere in landfill. We at TOTM LOVE bamboo toothbrushes. They perform just as well but replace plastic with bamboo. Bamboo has a lower carbon footprint and biodegrades naturally. Brands like Atlas & Ortus plant a tree for every bamboo toothbrush sold! They also use recyclable nylon bristles instead of pig hair to keep the brushes vegan-friendly.
Menstrual cup
Reusable menstrual cups are designed for a zero-waste period. The cup can be reused on your period time and time again. Simply insert, use for up to 8 hours, empty contents into the toilet, clean the cup and then re-insert! No waste and it also saves you money on your period. Reusable cups can be kept for years (with excellent hygiene and safe storage). The TOTM cup can also be recycled when it’s time for a replacement so you avoid sending any waste to landfill. If you’re not ready for a reusable cup but want to reduce your waste and plastics, organic cotton tampons with biodegradable applicators (or no applicator) are an alternative solution.
Eco- toilet paper
Toilet paper has a big impact on the planet. Due to how much is used around the world, toilet roll production destroys trees and wastes natural resources such as water. PLUS, many toilet rolls are wrapped in plastic! Luckily, recycled paper toilet roll and forest-friendly bamboo toilet roll options are now available. Brands like Who Gives a Crap don’t use plastic wrapping and give back with every purchase.
And there you have it! 5 zero-waste swaps that will help your mission to cut down on product waste in your bathroom. Fancy winning a zero-waste bathroom essentials bundle, including a TOTM menstrual cup? Head to our Instagram to enter (ends 12th November 2018). For more eco-friendly reading, catch up on our interview with plastic-free periods eco-campaigner Ella Daish
