When people think about having an eco-friendly bathroom the first thought tends to be about plastics. The first thing that comes to mind is plastic accessories, for instance, the plastic tray that holds the wet bar of soap or a toothbrush holder. So it is natural to think that having a plastic free bathroom begins and ends at using ceramic dishes. This is a good start, and remember to recycle or donate your plastic ones, but this only addresses one issue.
Now take a deeper look at the products in your bathroom.
1) Cleaning Products – bathroom cleaners can be very harsh and abrasive, to your skin, your tub and tiles, and especially when washed down the drain.
a. The best thing to do is to switch to natural cleaners or to even make your own (http://www.davidsuzuki.org/publications/resources/2011/green-cleaning-recipes/).
i. A paste with baking soda and water set to dry between tiles is a great tile cleaner
There are several companies that make and sell environmental cleaners.
In Canada
Gentle Earth
Nellie’s
Sapadilla
In Australia
Murchison-Hume
Eco Green (they have distributors and ship to New Zealand, Asia, and Africa)
In USA
Common Good
The Good Home Co
In the UK
Big Green Smile
2) Personal Care Products – the average woman uses ten to twelve products daily and the average man uses six. The first question this raises is how many of those products contain harsh chemicals – that will either be absorbed by the skin or washed down the drain.
a. Making the first step in an eco-friendly bathroom to switch to all natural, biodegradable products
b. The second step would be to reduce the number of unnecessary products. Not to say make drastic changes in a skincare routine, just to see what products are multi-use, and eliminating any excess. This will keep the amount of containers used down.
i. As bars tend to be sold without packaging (all natural, local ones anyway), they create little to no waste and make for an easy switch from shower gels and shampoos.
3) There are some other plastics in bathrooms people rarely think about.
a. Toothbrushes. There are a few companies selling biodegradable and bamboo toothbrushes, however some of those use plastic bristles. Another problem is that many of the companies selling these brushes do not have them available with soft or extra soft bristles, only medium or hard. This can make the switch difficult for some.
i. http://www.ecoplanetbamboo.com/news/the-environmental-impact-of-toothbrushes
ii. Toothbrushes may be recyclable http://earth911.com/living-well-being/health/recycling-toothbrushes-and-toothpaste-tubes/
b. Cotton Swabs. The stick in the centre of the swab can be made of plastic. There are brands that sell them with paper centres, such as Swisspers or Organyc. In the UK grocery giants,Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s recently made the decision to stop selling swabs with plastic. There is also an alternative of a reusable ear cleaners or there are natural remedies that would not involve so much waste.
i. http://thinkbeforeyouflush.org/sewage-related-litter/
ii. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/12183883/Cotton-bud-sticks-to-be-made-from-paper-help-save-sealife.html
c. Feminine Hygiene. The waste created each year in terms of the pads and tampons themselves is astronomical. The average woman will go through 8 000-17 000 products in her lifetime, and the fact that feminine hygiene may only make up 0.5% of personal waste, does not seem that high, however factor in the production that went behind that tiny plastic applicator. Alternatives include, biodegradable products, washable pads, menstrual cups e.g. the MoonCup in Europe, the Diva Cup in North America, or Mina Cups in South Africa.
i. http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_green_lantern/2010/03/greening_the_crimson_tide.html
ii. http://www.thechicecologist.com/2010/04/the-environmental-impact-of-everyday-things/
d. Disposable Razors. There are estimates that as many as 2 billion razors are thrown away annually. There are few people want to give up shaving, so what are the alternatives. Well there has been a 19th Century shaving renaissance in recent years (thanks largely to hipster culture), where people have been shaving less, going to barbers for a shave, using straight or safety razors (these will cost more to purchase but they last longer and the blades are cheaper and do not require replacement as often). Some people opt for laser hair removal and others waxing. There are eco products available for home waxing if going to a salon ask about their products first or opt for a sugaring (sugar wax).
These are some things to consider when moving to a zero waste, eco-friendly bathroom and lifestyle.
http://treadingmyownpath.com/2015/03/24/a-guide-to-reducing-plastic-in-the-bathroom-part-1/