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10 Ways To Reduce Bathroom Waste
FINDING WAYS TO KEEP WASTE AND CHEMICALS OUT OF THE BATHROOM TO SAVE SPACE, MONEY AND TIME.
Our bathrooms and kitchens are the rooms that produce the most waste in the house. Not only do they bring more packaged products, but they are the ones we use the most and have to replace more often.
Because on average, an adult uses around 9 to 15 products daily in the bathroom, we thought it was a nice place to start our decluttering. Just thinking of the amount of harmful chemicals and the waste created to manufacture and distribute our bathroom essentials was enough to motivate our change !
It is true that we need products for our hair, teeth, faces, bodies, to wash, moisturize and keep in order, and it can be a bit overwhelming to tackle. But by making a few changes (at the time) to switch from plastic and single use items to more sustainable alternatives, we really saw that it wasn’t more difficult and actually saved us quite a bit of time. And it is true that our bathroom looks a lot cuter now.. Just a sweet little added bonus !
The important thing to remember is that each time you’re about to finish a product, you can research a more sustainable replacement. This way you can change your bathroom essentials little by little, instead of having to source new products all at once.
HERE ARE TIPS AND IDEAS ON GETTING RID OF WASTE IN THE BAHTROOM AND NOT ALLOWING IT TO COME BACK !
LOUISE HERE !
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1. SAFETY RAZOR
Last christmas we were running out of our small plastic razors and instead of adding them to our shopping list, I went to a barber shop and bought a safety razor. Now instead of having to shop for new ones every other month, we simply replace the blade from ours. It is quite sharp and easy to cut yourself (which I did a lot at first) but with a little practice everything falls into place !
2. DEODORANT
Artificial deodorant carry some of the most harmful chemicals you can put on your body. Some easy and incredibly efficient alternatives are Alum rocks or making your own with a mix of arrow root powder, coconut oil and soda bicarbonate. Because they are not like the store bough kind, know that it may take some time before you find the perfect match that works for your body. Joaquin stuck by me through my natural deodorant search last year, and I’m quite thankful for that..
Find the recipe on our 20 things to start making yourself post.
3. SOAP IN BARS
Bars of soap were a normal thing to find in every house just fifty years ago. No need for plastic bottles and dispensers, and most of the time, no need for so many chemicals either. I would still advise a bit of caution, as some companies still use a boat load of chemicals to make them. Just have a look at the ingredients before choosing one - although the smell is usually a good indicator !
Because I love to try my hand at new projects, I took a course on soap making and have been using my own ever since. Check out our easy lemon and poppy seed bar soap in our Guide to Slow, simple living Ebook !
8. MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS
This one has actually changed my life, and I’m not saying this lightly ! Incredibly easy to use, economic as you only need to buy them once every ten years, compared to the monthly stack of tampons (saving around 600€ worth of tampons and pads a year !!!) and oh so ecological. Using a cup freed space in our bathroom and helped me feel empowered during my period.
Society will have you believe that menstrual blood is dirty, well let me tell you that it actually is the most powerful thing in the world. Women are strong and able to create life; embracing this can truly change the way you look at that week !
Plus I have to say that they are so much easier for travelers and on the go ladies. Pretty obvious : if you are traveling, this means less changes and less things to carry in your bag.
Although some women have trouble with the fitting, I would definitely recommend giving it a go and seeing for yourself ! My favorite brand here !
9. MAKE UP REMOVING PADS
You can find cotton makeup removal in health stores or online, or make them yourself using an old towel or bath glove. To clean them, simply dip them into baking soda and water ! For cotton buds, you can find some biodegradable alternatives to the traditional plastic ones.
4. MAKEUP REMOVER
Commercial makeup removers come in all shapes and sizes, foamy or milky, to rub or to wipe, and although sustainable versions exist, they usually all come in non recyclable packaging.
One day as I was massaging kale with olive oil (that’s such a weird term for it, I know) I scratched my eye with a greasy finger and removed half of my makeup in one swoop. After a bit of research that night, I was amazed to discover that oil is a natural makeup remover. No need to spend extra money every month getting a chemical remover, any oil will do the trick !
I usually get organic sesame, avocado or sunflower oil in glass bottles in health stores, carry a smaller glass bottle with me, and refill it as I go.
I like to pour a small amount in my hand and rub my face with the oil directly, because I love the feeling of it, but you can also place some on a reusable cotton pad or towel to apply it. Then simply wash your face under water and pat it dry with a towel. If you get any makeup on the towel, you can soak it with bicarbonate soda.
5. TOOTHBRUSHES
This one is another easy change. No need to worry about your plastic tooth brushes ending up in landfills every three months or so, you can hold on to a bamboo one for six months and then just toss it in the compost bin ! You can get bamboo tooth brushes in most health shops and pharmacies, but if none close to you carry them, companies online (like this one) will ship them to you no problem.
6. FACE AND BODY CREAMS
There are so many skin types out there, and only you can know what you need. Luckily, there are also a bunch of different natural oils, butter and essential oils to fit all of our differences. Nature does it’s job well, and a perfect match exists for all of us.
You can make your face cream very easily, basing it on any natural butter such as shea, avocado or coconut, mix it with a carrier oil, I love to use hemp oil, sesame for very dry skins, sunflower or even olive oil. To help the mixture stick a bit more and retain moisture, I add some beeswax, but you can also use soy wax, and whip it up into a cream consistency with some aloevera. You can change essential oils according to your mood and the benefits you fancy, from uplifting bergamot oil to purifying lavender, choices are infinite. Make sure that the essential oil you choose is good for the skin, as some of theme can be too strong. For more details on this, check out our face cream tutorial in our Guide to Slow, simple living ebook !
7. FLOSS AND TONG SCRAPERS
Both of these items can be found made out of biodegradable ingredients or metal. Get it once and never worry about it again ! Although I have to confess that we use neither of these.. should we start ?? To reach a great company click here.
8. BEARD OILS
Beard oils can be found or made from sustainable products, natural oils and butters. A lot also come in recyclable glass container, helping the matter greately !
Ay other item we haven’t specified, I guarantee you can find a sustainable brand for. You can find cruelty free and all natural makeup, nail polish, hair gel, dry shampoo.. you name it.
The most important for us is to think about what we are putting on our skin and in our trash. Each product we now get goes through a heavy inspection of ingredients as well as a search for a reusable or recyclable container. During our travels, we rarely had troubles finding our zero waste products, and even found shops to refill our containers in most big cities.
WITH THESE SIMPLE SWITCHES, WE'VE REDUCED 90% OF OUR BATHROOM TRASH AND YOU CAN TOO !
Let us know what you think of these swaps and ideas, and don’t hesitate to share yours with us ! xx
