if you want to make your bathroom zero waste, look no further!

how can we make our Bathroom Zero Waste and what are the different options we have

recycling your plastics is not that hard, or is it? Reading if you want to make your bathroom zero waste, look no further! 5 minutes Next attention! here Is the memo

Apr 19, 20240 comments

do you want a detailed guide to make your bathroom zero waste?

As eco-conscious citizens, extending ecological efforts to all aspects of our lives is important, and this includes the bathroom too. This is pretty apparent when you realize that 75% of the water used at homes, is in the bathroom. Small changes to our routine and being mindful of the products we use, can make a big difference. Here are some suggestions that everyone can try to implement.

soap and body wash

As opposed to the usual brands of soap available at supermarkets, there are several organic and low waste alternatives. Consider switching out your body wash, and face wash for soap bars too, with lesser packaging waste, and a 20x lesser carbon footprint.
Brands such as Kamarkattu Ecostore, Re Earth, Bare Necessities, and many others provide soaps made from more natural ingredients, leaving out sulfates that contribute to water pollution and have low waste, biodegradable packaging. This eliminates all the unnecessary plastic packaging waste that comes in the way.

shampoo and conditioner

Shampoo bars are a great replacement for liquid shampoos or conditioners. Like the abovementioned soap brands, they eliminate plastic waste, and the paper or cardboard packaging of these products is biodegradable. These products while unconventional, are still easy to use and eliminate the use of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and parabens - harmful chemicals and water pollutants in usual shampoos.

female hygiene products

Menstrual cups are the best for the environment from all possible options. Not only are they reusable up to ten years, but their environmental impact is also lesser than pads and tampons, just considering the production. Moreover, the only solid waste generated is the >50g silicone cup. This is one of the easiest ways to be more sustainable. Other low waste options include reusable cloth pads, but these have shorter life spans and a higher associated carbon footprint in production. Store Soup is a great brand for these solutions.

deodorants

Sustainable deodorant alternatives now come packaged in cork, cardboard or metallic tins. These are all biodegradable and eliminate the use of plastic packaging and encasing. Also, a better alternative to aerosols, is natural fragrance sprays in glass bottles, cutting down on the pollution from the propellants in aerosols, as well as the packaging. Offerings from Greengift are a naturally fragrant replacement for deodorants – and unlike regular deodorants that contain complex compounds that burn your screen, these products act as natural moisturizers.

razors and shaving cream

When it comes to shaving, the environmental impact is not very different for electric, or disposable razors. Electric trimmers are better by a narrower margin, but this could also vary depending on the battery of your trimmer, and its life. Considering the unrecyclable solid waste of disposable razors though, electric is a better choice. If you do consider disposable razors, wooden and bamboo safety razors are low waste. Switch out plastic bristled shaving brushes for bamboo fibre brushes, or a cloth, and use shaving soap bars with paper/tin packaging instead of shaving cream.

dental hygiene

The plastic waste of toothbrushes and their small plastic bristles can be easily undercut by using another option namely bamboo, or wooden toothbrushes, which are completely biodegradable except for the bristles. Plastic tongue cleaners can be switched out for longer-lasting metal ones, or wooden alternatives. Plastic floss too has bamboo fiber alternatives that do not skimp out on the quality of your dental hygiene. Tubed toothpaste can be replaced by toothpaste in jars or dental tabs, now provided by some eco-companies.

Besides all these low waste products, installing Aerators in taps, and showerheads with more spray also ensure the water waste is kept to a minimum. Solid waste from toilet paper can be avoided altogether by switching to a bidet. Small lifestyle changes, like short cold showers instead of warm baths, can also massively contribute to decreasing waste in the bathroom.

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Photo by Viktor Forgacs on Unsplash

Author - Yuktee is a final year physics undergraduate, passionate about science communication and spreading awareness on available intersectional sustainable options. She can be found at Linkedin