Trying to start zero waste in your home can be overwhelming to say the least, but the bathroom is probably the easiest place to start.
Here are 10 easy swaps you can make:
- Bamboo toothbrush. Every plastic toothbrush ever created is still around today, how scary is that! You might have noticed that bamboo materials are quite common in the zero waste world, this is because of how fast it grows making it much more sustainable to produce. The toothbrushes are sealed in an edible wax and have bristles made from recycled nylon. Typically toothbrushes will sit in a cup in your bathroom where water tends to pool in the bottom, however to ensure bamboo ones last, it is essential to keep them dry between uses; with mine I pat it dry and place it in the drawer.
- Shampoo & conditioner bars, don’t be fooled these things actually last! The trick is to not leave them constantly exposed to the water. I keep mine in a container in the bathroom cupboard, allowing it to dry between uses. Don’t get me wrong, it can take a while to find a bar that’s perfect for your hair, (because as we all know, everyones hair type is different), but please don’t give up!
- Bar soap instead of liquid pump hand soap. How about I let you in on a little secret: the foaming agents added to your hand soap and other toiletries do absolutely nothing, less foam = less chemicals. If you can purchase bar soap packaged in cardboard or even without packaging at all, that’s a bonus!
- Eco floss made from a plant based ‘plastic’ that will decompose. I only just purchased some of this myself and hallelujah! Now I can now have a clean conscience and clean teeth!
- Bamboo cotton buds. They are literally the same price as plastic/cotton(non-organic) ones from the supermarket, so why the hell not when they can go in the compost afterwards.
- Menstrual cups, sometimes the cups just don’t work for everybody, and that’s okay. There’s always fabric pads or organic cotton tampons to try.
- Safety razor instead of plastic disposable razors. These For some reason these aren’t as common as they should be?
- Tree free toilet paper. Yes, that’s right, it’s a thing. One brand is Smartass, they are made from sugarcane and bamboo fibers, free of bleach, inks, dyes and perfume. There is also now a brand of eco toilet paper being sold at New World supermarkets in NZ.
- Get creative and D.I.Y! You can literally make toothpaste, deodorant, lip balm, mouthwash and many other products.
- Swap Moisturiser for natural oil blends. Bonus – these usually come in glass bottles as opposed to plastic ones like most moisturisers do!
I hope these easy swaps have given you a starting point on your own zero waste journey!