Eco Bathroom

Perhaps the most overlooked room in the house for the amount of plastic waste produced, bathrooms offer huge potential for plastic waste reduction and recycling.

‍Plastic waste in bathrooms

‍The amount of plastic waste generated by your average household bathroom is staggering.  From beauty products, to hygiene products to oral care, almost everything comes in, or is made from, plastic. The personal care and beauty industry generates over 120 billion units of plastic packaging each year, with much of it ending up in bathrooms. One person's annual bathroom plastic waste production could include: 10-12 shampoo bottles, 5-6 conditioner bottles, 3-4 body wash bottles, 2-3 hand soap bottles, 4 toothpaste tubes, 1-2 mouthwash bottles, 1-2 floss containers (700-1,000 floss picks), 7-10 disposable razors and 4 toothbrushes.  Americans alone discard over 1 billion toothbrushes and 3.4 billion single use flossers every year.

‍Reducing bathroom plastic

‍Much like the kitchen, the key to reducing plastic waste in the bathroom comes from sustainable and reusable products.

- Explore bamboo options for toothbrushes that are sustainable and biodegradable.  There are also sustainable options available for electric toothbrush heads.

- Check out alternatives to toothpaste in tubes in the form of toothpaste tablets.

- Ditch single use floss picks for biodegradable and sustainable flossers.

- Replace single use ear buds and beauty swabs with reusable products.

- Use sustainable toilet paper that is not heavily packaged in plastic film.

- Use organic towels and bathmats

‍- Ditch disposable razors for reusable and sustainable shaving options.

‍Greener baths and showers

‍Most beauty and hygiene needs can now be met with refillable soaps or bar-based products, eliminating unnecessary plastic bottles, and many of these products contain less chemicals and toxins.

- Try out some of the refillable options available for shampoo, conditioner and body wash, as well as face and skin care.

- Explore some of the newer bar-based shampoos, body washes and hand soaps.

- Many cosmetic companies have removed micro beads from products - always check to make sure you beauty products are using natural exfoliants and not plastic beads.

- Checkout alternatives to plastic-based band aids.

‍Other eco friendly options

‍- Water conservation is key to environmental sustainability - toilets that dual flush, low flow shower heads and taking shorter showers can lead to significant water and energy savings.