I’ve always been a bit on the “crunchy” side. You know, into shopping secondhand and carrying around a reusable water bottle. But honestly, I never took the time to really delve into what it means to be low waste and live sustainably.
While I was pregnant with our oldest, that’s when my curiosity about sustainable living really started coming about. I had a birth plan, I had a nursery ready to go, and I was determined to cloth diaper. Cloth diapering ended up being so much easier than I had anticipated, that I can genuinely say it got me excited to see where else around the house we could make low waste swaps.
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Five easy low waste swaps for your bathroom you can make today
Zero Waste Shampoo and Conditioner bars
My favorite zero waste shampoo and conditioner bars are from Viori. Not only are their products of the utmost quality, but their passion for sustainability can also be seen from origins to delivery. Viori works directly with the Red Yao tribe, high in the mountains of Longsheng. For centuries, the Red Yao women have developed and passed down a completely natural method to achieve long, strong, and healthy hair.
Working directly with the Red Yao villagers, Viori sources their Longsheng rice at a premium to use in their hair care products. Additionally, Viori donates 5% of its profits back to protect the Red Yao culture. Together with the Red Yao, Viori can share affordable zero waste shampoo and conditioner bars that are vegan, plastic-free, sustainable, sulfate-free, paragon free, cruelty-free, pH balanced, and ethically sourced.
Ditch your single-use facial rounds for reusable crochet rounds
My favorite reusable facial rounds are from GayCrochetCo. Jess donates 5% of her sales every month to the Human Rights Campaign, which is just the cherry on the top of her philanthropy. I’ve used cotton, flannel, etc, and keep coming back to Jess’ crochet facial rounds. I love that they’re absorbent and wash and dry well, but the biggest draw for me? The texture! It definitely helps add that little bit of gentle exfoliation and I feel like my face gets so much cleaner. Use code SHYNNZ to save!
Now that you’ve got your reusable facial rounds, consider a facial rounds container. I love mine from MarleysMonsters. First off, their gorgeous facial rounds containers are handmade from Douglas Fir and finished with natural tung oil. All done by Marley’s dad in Oregon! There’s a finger slot for easily pulling your rounds out, and looks really pretty on your bathroom counter. But it’s more than aesthetics. Keeping my rounds in this container has kept them clean, organized, and easily accessible.
Rethink your plastic bottle skincare, and consider Organic African Black Soap. A Spirit of Joy’s handcrafted, vegan, fair trade Organic African Black Soap has been one of my favorite discoveries this year. It’s great for families as it’s a gentle enough cleanse for all skin types! This soap eliminates dead cells, as well as excess sebum and dirt, without stripping the skin of its natural oils.
Ditch the bleached, over-processed toilet paper for a natural, low waste toilet paper.
Reel premium bamboo toilet paper is always the #1 sustainable toilet paper brand recommended to me. And for good reason. Reel is tree-free, plastic-free, BPA free, fragrance-free, chlorine-free, ink-free, and dye-free. Along with being biodegradable and sustainable, Reel toilet paper boasts 3 ply for softness and strength. But that’s not all. Reel is on a mission to bring accessible clean toilets to everyone, everywhere. Save $10
Toilet paper, that builds toilets. Do I have your attention? Who Gives a Crap Toilet Paper is one of the few plastic-free toilet paper companies making the world a better place. Their 100% recycled toilet paper comes in 3-ply jumbo rolls, delivering 400 sheets per roll! There are no dyes, inks, or scents and Who Gives a Crap is biodegradable and a-ok for most septic systems. Plus, with almost 7,000 reviews and a 4.9-star rating, you know it’s gonna make for a good wipe. Save $10!
No. 2 Bamboo Toilet Paper is another recycled toilet paper that acts more as decor than the current bleached toilet paper you’re using and hidden under the cabinet. GoNo2 is a 100% bamboo roll, strong enough for a clean wipe, but soft enough for a comfortable one. Printed with soy ink on 100% recycled paper packaging that’s also recyclable, you’ll feel good about No 2’s ink, dye, and scent-free toilet paper.
Consider Reusable “Family” Cloth:
The MVP of sustainable toilet paper options? Reusable. Yep, an adult version of cloth wipes, MarleysMonsters Toilet Unpaper Roll is changing the zero waste bathroom game. Each Unpaper Roll comes with 24 washable and reusable wipes rolled onto a Kraft Paper Tube. After washing and drying, you can re-roll them back onto the tube, stack them in a basket, whatever works best for you. Toiled UNpaper is 100% cotton flannel, cut into single-ply strips measuring approximately 3 paper squares long, with sewn edges to prevent fraying. The thought of reusable TP freak you out? Try starting out using UNpaper for #1, and your favorite recycled TP for #2.
For ease of washing, I’d recommend grabbing a pail liner to throw your UNpaper into after use.
Change out your water hogging towels for more eco-friendly options.
We bought linen sheets several months back and fell in love. They washed beautifully, took half the time to wash and dry, and get better with each wash. So I went back to MagicLinen and ordered their linen waffle towel set. No shocker – I haven’t used anything but MagicLinen’s towels since. And magic they are! Stonewashed for extra softness, these linen towels absorb and release moisture extremely fast. Smaller footprint, sustainable fabrics and you’ll be shocked at how absorbent they are, yet how quickly they dry!
The set comes with 3 linen waffle towels: washcloth, face, and a body towel. My Woodrose choice is a gorgeous dusty purply pink, and somehow feels simultaneously minimal and luxurious. Made from 53% linen and 47% cotton, each of the three towels come finished with a discreet hanging loop.
Want to dip your toes into the sustainable bath towel world? Try a Turkish towel! I have two that I very much enjoy as well. One is a thinner herringbone quick dry Turkish towel. The designs are bright and colorful and although the towels themselves feel insanely thin, they are able to absorb more than your traditional towel.
However, my favorite Turkish towel? These extremely fluffy, oversized towels! Kalkedon Towels has created a luxurious and eco-friendly 100% organic cotton bath towel. Unique color choices and patterns and super absorbent, these Turkish Towels wash beautifully and are as durable as they are plush.
For more low waste sustainable living tips, check out:
12 Easy Ways to Live Sustainably
Curious About Low Waste? The Top 4 Swaps for Living Sustainably
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