If you’re looking to reduce the amount of plastic you use in your household, the bathroom is a great place to start. Take a look around it – all those shampoo bottles, toothbrushes, razors and more are made of plastic, and most of it will end up in landfill. It’s time to make a change.
Does going completely plastic free sound impossible? It doesn’t have to be. Even if everywhere you look you see another plastic item, you can make simple, small changes to gradually make your house more environmentally friendly. And remember, plastic free doesn’t have to mean there’s no plastic at all – just cutting out single use plastic will make a huge difference.
How to cut out plastic in the bathroom
There are many ways to cut down on your plastic usage in the bathroom – we could go on and on. Here are a few of the easiest ways to get started.
Use shampoo bars
Bars of shampoo have grown in popularity over recent years, and no wonder. Just like soap bars, they are solid, compacted shampoo that requires little to no packaging – which means no more shampoo bottles cluttering up your shelves! Available in a range of sizes, colours and scents, there really is one for everyone, and more and more brands are joining the trend.
Use plastic-free toothbrushes
You may think your trusty plastic toothbrush isn’t having a big impact since you use it every day, but it adds up to a considerable amount of plastic waste. Dentists advise you to replace your toothbrush every three months – that’s four toothbrushes in one year alone. Multiply that up to a lifetime and that’s a whole lot of plastic waste – so what are the alternatives?
Many people use electric toothbrushes – these are better for the environment as you only replace the head every six months, only wasting roughly half as much plastic each time. However, there is a better option available, one that wastes no plastic at all. The biodegradable bamboo brush.
Asides from having a cool alliterative name, bamboo brushes are also great because they don’t need to go to landfill at all – you can simply pop them in with your recycling. What could be easier?
Use soap rather than exfoliating scrubs
No matter how much you love the feeling of silky-smooth skin, is it worth the amount of plastic that ends up going down the drain? Prior to 2018, many exfoliating scrubs contained microbeads – tiny plastic balls that help to slough off the dead skin. Microbeads can easily harm marine creatures and pollute their habitats, so it’s best to avoid any scrubs you think might contain them.
Nowadays, there are lots of exfoliating scrubs available that don’t contain plastic, using salt as a natural exfoliator instead. However, they still come in little plastic tubs and tubes, so why not choose a completely plastic free option? Wooden body brushes are an excellent sustainable alternative – and they improve your circulation, too.
Purchase plastic-free toilet roll
A list about bathroom products wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the one item most of us use umpteen times a day – toilet paper. Say your household uses three rolls a week – that’s 156 a year, which could add up to a lot of plastic packaging going in the bin. Dramatically cutting down your loo roll usage isn’t an option, so how can you reduce your plastic waste?
Here at Oceans, we package our toilet rolls (and kitchen rolls) in 100% recyclable paper so you don’t have to worry about all that plastic waste.
Use a metal razor
Another option is to ditch your disposable plastic razors in favour of reusable metal ones. Yes, they’re a bit more expensive up front, but you’ll save money in the long run by not having to replace them all the time – plus, metal is far easier to recycle than plastic.
Buy refill containers
Nowadays, lots of products are available to buy in ‘refill pouches’ – with far less plastic involved than traditional bottled products. All you need to do is get a few refillable containers – plastic is fine so long as you keep reusing them – and you’re good to go. You can buy refill pouches of all kinds of different liquid products: from shampoos, conditioners and body washes to hand washes, detergents, and cleaning fluids. Being green has never been easier!
And if any of these tips seem out of reach, there is another way. By simply using fewer products – for example, using the recommended amounts instead of filling up your hand with shampoo – you’ll easily cut down on the amount of plastic and product you’re using, saving you money too.
