You might not notice it, but your bathroom produces a good portion of your daily household waste. Take a look at your trash bin. If you live like most consumers, you’ll probably see single-use plastic waste of all sizes, from bulky shampoo bottles to used tampons.

Unfortunately, most people find the idea of a zero-waste bathroom impossible. Wasteful habits like taking long showers, using several rolls of toilet paper daily, and buying luxurious cotton towels are the norm. Not everyone can suddenly change these practices.

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If you want to build a more sustainable bathroom but can’t find the right starting point, we can help! The easiest ways to reduce your bathroom waste include:

Eliminating wasteful beauty products

The beauty industry stands among the biggest contributors to global pollution. Reports indicate that cosmetics and skincare products produce over 120 billion units of plastic packaging per annum—79% of which end up in landfills.

Fortunately, you don’t have to sacrifice the environment for beauty. Create eco-conscious, sustainable beauty routines with the following items:

  • Reusable cotton pads: Cotton rounds play a crucial role in any skincare routine. Most people need over a thousand pads every year just to remove their everyday makeup. If you need an alternative to cotton pads, try LastRound! Since you can reuse each washable pad 250 times, a pack of seven replaces 1,750 cotton rounds.
  • Plant-based makeup: As the name suggests, Plant Makeup carries a broad range of organic, non-toxic, and cruelty-free cosmetic products. They also come in 100% recyclable packaging.
  • Sustainable brushes: EcoTools offers 100% cruelty-free, vegan, eco-friendly makeup brushes encased in tree-free paper packaging materials.

Investing in a toilet bidet

zero waste bathroom guide - toilet bidet

The recent pandemic exposed the consumers’ unhealthy obsession with toilet paper. Most cannot even imagine going to the toilet without it. Contrary to popular belief, however, cleaning with soap and water is the better option for several reasons, including:

  • Less paper waste: Most Americans exhaust over 20,000 sheets of toilet paper every month.
    Better Hygiene: Cleaning with soap and water removes all traces of feces from your bottom. On the other hand, solely wiping with toilet paper puts you at risk of infections and rashes in the long run.
  • Long-term savings: Arofa carries durable, reliable handheld toilet bidet attachments under $30, which should last several years. Since most people spend $10 on toilet paper every month, you would get a return on your investment after just three months.

Getting sustainable, organic towels

Cotton-based bath towels feel comfortable and luxurious, but manufacturing them wastes massive non-renewable resources. For starters, cotton farming requires a lot of water. Manufacturing a single two-pound towel exhaust over 5,700 gallons of water, which is enough to keep 10,000 people hydrated for a day.

If you want a more sustainable alternative without compromising quality, opt for Under the Canopy. They are a fair-trade brand that offers ethically sourced, vegan, organic bath towels. As part of their eco-conscious movement, they avoid mass-production techniques that exhaust non-renewable resources and contribute to global pollution problems.

While sustainability may be at the forefront of their business model, they don’t skimp on aesthetics. Their bath towel lines consist of several luxurious, elegant designs.

Switching to shampoo and conditioner bars

Most people overlook shampoo bottles when eliminating single-use plastic. While everyday items like cups, straws, and grocery bags stand out, you shouldn’t forget these bulky bottles in your bathroom. Statistics even show that America alone already sends over 550 million plastic shampoo bottles to landfills per annum.

shampoo bars - zero waste bathrooms

Half a billion might be a far cry from the millions of grocery bags and water bottles wasted every day. However, producing shampoo bottles requires more resources. Manufacturing the bright labels, intricate pumps, thick packaging, and fancy caps on these bottles requires over three to four times more oil than grocery bags or water bottles.

To minimize the environmental impact of bottled hair products, switch to shampoo bars. Eliminating the need for large, bulky shampoo bottles yields the following benefits:

  • Eco-friendly cargo delivery: Since shampoo bars come in compact packaging, brands would need less fuel and cargo space to deliver these products.
  • Quicker manufacturing: Factories can produce shampoo bars faster than their bottled counterparts since they come in simple packaging.
  • Less plastic waste: Soap bars typically come in biodegradable paper packaging instead of bulky plastic bottles.

Pro tip: Are you having trouble finding the perfect shampoo bar for your hair? Try Ethique! They carry an array of shampoo and conditioner bars suited for various hair types.

Build a more sustainable, eco-friendly bathing space today!

Stop delaying your plans to create a more sustainable bathroom. Instead of overhauling the entire space right from the get-go, focus on changing one thing at a time. Consistency yields significant results.

Only take on more significant changes after adopting daily mindful habits like using eco-friendly towels, vegan shampoo bars, and paperless toilet bidets. Start with small steps. Consistent efforts benefit the planet more than large yet unsustainable renovation projects.

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