Following on from my previous post about reducing waste in the kitchen, as you would have guessed from the title, we are now tackling the bathroom. I hope this post helps you to reduce waste in your bathroom. Every small change is a move in the right direction!
Beauty And Skin Care
- Replace Your Disposable Razor – Instead use a a razor which just requires the razor head to be changed, the head can last for up to ten shaves. For a more permanent change, you could invest in an electric razor or epilator.
- Ditch Your Plastic Toothbrush – Swap it for a biodegradable one, there are affordable ones on the market which you will be able to find at your local drug store for under $15. A popular replacement is a bamboo one, these are also thought to be more hygienic due to not holding onto bacteria like a plastic one would.This small change to your life will make a big difference to the environment as research has shown that each year in the United States 850 million plastic toothbrushes are disposed of and end up in landfills, unable to break down.
- Replace Your Q-Tips – A Bathroom staple, that most of us wouldn’t realise the plastic impact of. Unfortunately, billions of these are found in our oceans each year – if you google the heart-breaking image of a seahorse hanging onto one, this will certainly give you the nudge to stop using the plastic ones.There is a simple swap to be made which will allow you to achieve the same results, which is to swap to ones that are made with wood instead of plastic.
- Swap Your Loofah For A Long Lasting Product – Loofahs are known to quickly fall apart and cling onto a nasty damp smell, meaning you have to often replace it. So, instead swap your loofah for a Susi Scrubbers’ Body Scrubber, it is long-lasting and will effectively scrub away your dead skin cells with the use of minimum products.The design includes handy hook, which allows it to thoroughly dry and the breathable materials will keep it smelling fresh.
- Stop using one-use make-up wipes – Instead use your make-up remover (use coconut oil for natural alternative) with a cotton flannel or reusable cotton pads. These alternatives are very affordable and can be washed with the rest of your laundry. The cotton will also be gentler on your skin than a make-up wipe, which is likely to contain a formula of chemicals – the more natural the better.
- Look For Products With Minimum Packaging – I find beauty products often have a large and unnecessary amount of excess packaging, so when you’re next shopping for products look for the ones with the least amount of plastic packaging, or even better packaging which is bio-degradable.
- Make Your Own Products – Following on from the last point, the best away to reduce plastic packaging is to make your own homemade products. One of my favourites is a sugar and salt scrub, to make the mixture simply mix equal amounts of sea salt, brown sugar and honey together until you create the right texture – It works wonders and smells heavenly.
- Replace Your Dental Floss For Silk Floss – Silk Floss offers the same results but unlike usual dental floss made of nylon, it can be broken down. You will find it will come packaged in bio-degradable packaging.
- Avoid Wasting Water – Whether this means taking a bath instead of a shower or turning the tap off while you brush your teeth, these small changes will make a difference, as well as saving you money.
- Choose Refill Options – Many brands now offer refills of your favourite products, so you can re-use the containers the next time you run out of the product.
- Double The Size Of Your Products – If homemade products are not for you, make a conscious effort when shopping. For example, choosing the biggest container of your product will save you re-purchasing it as soon and you will, therefore, be making the most of what you already have.
- Ditch Your Plastic Hairbrush/Comb – Swap them for wooden or metal alternatives, you will also find the wooden ones with natural bristles can be gentler on your hair.
Cleaning
- Ditch One-Use Cleaning Wipes – Alike the one-use make-up wipes, these are extremely wasteful and not degradable. So, what you need is a hard wearing, reusable product, this is where Susi’s Scrubbers’ Bathroom Scrubber comes in.You can use it to clean your bathtub, shower, sink and other bathroom services. They require a lesser amount of product to clean, meaning it will take half the time. They are designed with two different sides for cleaning, one which is absorbent and slightly scratchy for gentle services and the other which is fully scratchy and will ensure it removes all dirt and soap residue.
- Make Your Own Cleaning Products – A large amount of plastic found in the bathroom can be from the containers of our cleaning products, so it would make a huge difference to make your own.A very simple and easy cleaning solution is to mix one cup of baking soda, a quarter cup of white vinegar and half a cup of water together and pour this mix into a spray bottle. Paired with the bathroom scrubber, this combination will leave your bathroom gleaming.
Storage
- Smart Upcycling – Instead of buying new plastic containers for your beauty and skincare products use what you already have. For example, you could use pretty candle holders for your make-up brushes.
A gift box you have been given to store your skincare products in or use a spare shelf to create a DIY bath caddy.
- Don’t Over Buy Products – You don’t need every new product on the market, ensure you use every product to the end before buying another of the same product. This will save you storage space and money.
- Remember To Recycle – This may seem obvious but it can be easily be forgotten in the bathroom, a good way to keep on top of this is to get two bins for the bathroom – one for paper and another for plastic.
