There are an endless number of easy solutions that we can all implement on a daily basis to reduce our environmental impact. For example, every room in the house presents opportunities to live a sustainable and conscious lifestyle. But where do you start? And that’s where I hope to help you with this simple guide to a zero waste bathroom. There are the classic gestures (stainless steel razors, cotton shower flowers, etc.) and there are those we think less about (refillable and natural household products, homemade cleaning products, etc.). So here are 8 sustainable swaps you can adopt right now if you want to turn your bathroom into a zero waste bathroom.
My personal advice: don’t try to change everything overnight, too much change at once never lasts. Start with one room in your house, one aspect of your life, and little by little adopt a new sustainable action.
As usual, if you have Pinterest I invite you to save this article to find it easily! 🎯
How to achieve a plastic-free bathroom?
Solid shampoo: a must have!
Whether travelling or at home, we haven’t bought shampoo in plastic bottles for years.
First of all, it allows us to reduce our waste. There are now many brands offering solid shampoos for all hair types and all budgets. Be careful to avoid solid shampoos wrapped in plastic, otherwise there is no point.
A few years ago, when it wasn’t so easy to find effective solid shampoos that foamed, we bought them from Lush. But since then, solid shampoos have been democratised and can be found just about everywhere. Today we alternate with two brands. The first is APO France, which I buy in a bulk shop in Biarritz. We both use it and it suits our hair perfectly and foams well. The second is just for my hair, every other time I alternate with Umai brand solid shampoo for oily hair. I buy it in a hair salon in Ciboure which tries to offer ecological products and services. This solid shampoo is also really good and you can find it in many hair salons, in organic shops or on the internet.
But also, it is the perfect ally for the sustainable traveller’s toiletry kit. That’ s right, another advantage of solid shampoos is that they are perfect for the needs of the green traveller. They are easy to carry around in a small metal box or Tupperware. And you don’t have to worry about the amount of liquids for air travel. That’s one less and counting!
The soap bars festival!
Since I was a little girl I have loved soap stores. All those soaps arranged by colour and their delicious scents, it doesn’t take much for me to get hooked and buy some! And it’s a good thing because it’s another easy green swap towards a zero waste bathroom 😊 A good reason to stop using shower gels in plastic bottles and to treat yourself by buying lots of soaps in various colours and scents!
Personal tip: we often buy our soaps when we visit a new place on holiday, from a local soap shop or market. This also helps to support local producers. Don’t forget checking where the soaps are produced and where the ingredients come from though. And it makes us a holiday souvenir for the following months! 😊
Of course, I suggest you replace liquid hand soap with a solid soap that smells like a holiday!
PS: 2nd ally of the green traveller and one less liquid to go through security at the airport when you travel with only a carry-on bag.
Bamboo toothbrush
Do you know how many plastic toothbrushes are sold each year in France? 100 million. That’s 100 million plastic toothbrushes that are not recycled and may end up in the environment. I’ve found them several times while collecting rubbish on the beaches in the Basque Country and also in Mexico.
Not being able to be recycled and the fact that they can end up in nature are two good reasons to use bamboo toothbrushes instead of toothbrushes made out of plastic. And another solution towards a zero waste bathroom!
Today, you can even find some with a removable head to go even further in reducing your waste.
Bath Shower loofah sponges
For a long time I was frustrated not to have a loofah sponge in my bathroom, out of environmental awareness. But I finally found the solution and an ecological one at that! No more plastic shower loofah and welcome to the cotton shower loofah.
A big advantage is that you can put it in the washing machine when necessary. You can buy it in some supermarkets but also in soap shops or organic shops.
And that’s it! One more step to a zero waste bathroom! 🙌
The end of the disposable razor!
We’ve all had it at some point, or we still have it in the shower or on the edge of the bathtub. The famous disposable razor. But now there are zero waste stainless steel razors that can replace plastic razors. Oliver chose the Bull Dog men’s razor, which can be found in any supermarket. It’s made from bamboo and stainless steel, and he’s been using it for over a year now (about once a week). He is very happy with it.
As for me, I’m still looking but the Bambaw reusable razor looks pretty good. There are so many options for reusable women’s razors and sometimes I feel like it’s more of a greenwashing strategy as all the brands are doing it. I don’t want to buy ten of them before I find the right one (not very eco-friendly either), so I prefer to do some research beforehand. As a result, I still haven’t decided which one to buy. As soon as I find one, I’ll come back to this article to share it with you 😉
The cotton bud: the number one enemy of a zero waste bathroom
The ideal option: washable and reusable cotton swabs. And also the most economical and ecological option. Sure, the purchase price is higher but it’s an investment over several years and in the long run it’ s a win-win for you (and the planet!). We opted for the Last Swab brand a few years ago but I didn’t like it at all unfortunately. I know some people who are perfectly happy with it so don’t hesitate to try it.
However, if that doesn’t work for you either, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to reduce your impact in this area. In this case, choose paper cotton buds and if possible recycled paper. They are easily found in any supermarket.
Choosing a zero waste cleaning product for your bathroom
An often forgotten but super important point, the impact of cleaning products on the environment. Reducing plastic in our bathrooms is crucial and easily achievable. But it is possible to go further by also paying attention to the household products we use.
Zero waste bathroom cleaner
We have been looking for a solution to stop buying cleaning products in plastic bottles for a while. After all, cleaning products are also an area where you can reduce your impact on the environment. You can either make them yourself or buy products that meet reliable ecological labels.
Remember that sewage treatment plants are not always (if at all) as effective in treating wastewater. Even though, it is supposed to be their main goal. As a result, anything that ends up in the pipes is likely to end up in the soil and the ocean, leading to invisible pollution. This pollution not only has catastrophic consequences for these environments but also for our health. We should not forget that everything we eat comes from these environments, another good reason to do everything we can to avoid destroying them with all the chemicals we use.
For a zero waste bathroom, we found a new brand in our supermarket called You. The active ingredients contained in the product are 100% of plant origin and this brand has the Ecocert label.
The principle is simple, you just buy the product in spray and once it is finished, you can buy refills. No need to buy a new spray and therefore a new plastic bottle. Household products are mainly made of water. So you just add water to the tab and you have a bathroom cleaner and you don’t have to buy a new plastic bottle! I think it’s a great idea 🙌 And we also tested and validated the one for the kitchen if you’re interested too.
Maintain your pipes without polluting
Again, this is not necessarily what comes to mind when looking to reduce our environmental impact. And yet, it’s not just about reducing the plastic in your bathroom, it’s also about choosing products that are less polluting and less chemical. Imagine the impact of bleach, for example, if it ends up in our soil or rivers.
For this reason, you can try to choose less chemical and more natural products, if possible labelled. For weekly drain maintenance, I recently found the “ecological” version of the famous Destop. It is a product with a maintenance purpose and not for unblocking. But if your pipes are well maintained, there is less chance that you will have to use an ultra-chemical product to unblock them.
The best solution: Make your own household products
Another way to significantly reduce your impact on the environment is to make your own household products. There are plenty of websites and blogs with DIY recipes, so if you have the time, take a look at them too.
One of the blogs I really like that offers DIY solutions is Isabelle’s blog, Un pas pour la planète.
Another site I love where you can find everything you need to make homemade household products is Greenweez.
This article is coming to an end, so feel free to leave a comment if it was useful and if you have other tips for achieving a zero waste bathroom! Or share this article to bring eco-friendly solutions to more people. That’s the whole point of this blog 😊
Talk soon 🌿
