Whether you’ve been considering reducing bathroom waste for a while or it is a new concept to you, the task is fairly easy to do, especially with these ideas for eco-friendly bathroom swaps. The quickest and easiest way is to start by making a few simple reusable swaps in your bathroom. By removing as many disposable products as you can, you will automatically help to reduce the amount of waste you’re creating.
Disposable razors are not only expensive but they create a large amount of waste despite their small size. In addition, the cost of a disposable razor tends to be very expensive for the few uses you get. Instead of continuing to throw them away, buy a razor with replaceable blades such as a straight razor. This will reduce what you’re throwing out since the hand is reusable. For longer beards, consider going with rechargeable clippers. These produce very little waste and are a great reusable option. To get the most bang for your buck with clippers, try to find a set that will also cut hair. This will allow you to save money on haircuts at the same time you are ditching disposables in the bathroom.
Body wash in itself wasteful. Not only does it waste money but it also wastes packaging and product. Bar soap is a far less wasteful option. You can even make it stretch longer by allowing the bar to dry out fully before using and by using a soap saver bag. These mesh bags are designed to help every small scrap of soap be used. If using bar soap has you concerned about dry skin, know that the quality and availability of bar soaps has changed in recent years. It is very possible to find one that is moisturizing and cleansing at the same time.
Like body wash, shave gel is a pretty wasteful product. In addition to the packaging itself, the very design of the packaging is designed to dispense more product than you need. Instead, consider a shaving bar. These bars resemble a bar of soap but are expressly designed for shaving.
If you are using paper towels in your bathroom, a very simple reusable swap to make for them is regular hand towels. You would not consider drying your body with a paper towel so why would you dry your hands the same way? Picking up a few hand towels is very easy to do; far easier than continuing to buy disposable paper towels.
While it is not recommended, a lot of people clean their ears with cotton swabs. If this is the case with your family, swap them out for a far safer and far less wasteful ear cleaning kit. You will have far less risk when cleaning your ears and you won’t be throwing out cotton swabs every time you do.
Again, another disposable bathroom product designed for one use and then tossed. For makeup remover wipes, consider buying reusable makeup wipes and making your own homemade makeup remover (or just using soap). For face wipes, a simple cleanser with a regular washcloth will do the job just as well.
Another soap product that like the others is designed to make you use more which means more waste. They are also products that have bar alternatives that create far less waste. Using shampoo and conditioner bars is a great non-disposable way to reduce waste and they’re a super simple reusable swap to make in your bathroom. If you really want to reduce the waste your shampoo and conditioner are creating, consider trying the “no-poo” method. With this method, you either do a water rinse only, skip the shampoo, and only use conditioner, or you scrub your hair with baking soda and rinse then follow with apple cider vinegar. This method is not for everyone but does almost completely reduce waste created by washing your hair.