Slow Transition To A Low-Waste / Zero-Waste Bathroom
Updated: Mar 13, 2020
I was first introduced to the idea of over consumption and waste in 2008 when one of my college professors played a short twenty-minute documentary called The Story of Stuff From there a slow but steady interest in the environment began to develop. Actually, much change didn't emanate from just that one video I saw. It took the continuous bombardment of plastic waste pollution videos on Facebook and the movie Cowspiracy to make me want to change.
So here I am a few years later realizing that we are drowning in plastic; frustrated after every time I notice something else around my house that has no business being a disposable plastic item and looking for an alternative.
I will begin my journey to a more eco-friendly home in the bathroom. Below are a few items that I found in my bathroom that have plastic parts.
+ All purpose disinfecting cleaner
+ body sponge/brush
+ body wash
+ conditioner
+ contact case
+ contact liquid
+ cotton buds
+ cotton face cloth
+ dental floss
+ deodorant
+ face and body lotion
+ hair gel
+ hand soap
+ makeup
+ menstrual products
+ mirror cleaner
+ razor
+ shampoo
+ toilet bowl brush
+ toilet bowl disinfecting cleaner
+ toilet paper
+ toothbrush
+ toothpaste
+ witch hazel
This is not to say that I will throw away what I currently have in lieu of new eco-friendly alternatives. I will use up what I have and purchase its replacement then.
Some time ago, I switched my plastic toothbrush to a bamboo toothbrush, my plastic razor to a double edged safety razor and my body wash for a bar of soap. I've been trying the no-poo-shampoo method for about a year. It took a bit of figuring out and now I can say that I am happy with the results. I dilute a bit of apple cider vinegar into water and use my fingers to scrub the mixture on my scalp and hair as you would if you were using foamy soap. I will write a post on no-poo soon. Anyway, there is no need to purchase any plastic bottles when using this method.
Although I know that some of the items mentioned above might be close to impossible to replace, like contact lens solution and contacts themselves, my goal is to find a replacement for as many items as I can. Currently available:
+ Vegan Dental Floss In Eco-Packaging
+ 100% Plastic Free Vegan Waxed Dental Floss
+ Double Ended Bamboo Stick Cotton Swabs In Compostable Packaging
+ Toothpaste
+ Bamboo Hairbrush With Natural Rubber Cushion
+ Plastic Free & Vegan Sisal Dry Body Brush
The products that I use will be the products offered in my store so I hope that you can join me on this journey to a more sustainable way of living.
Did I forget to add some other plastic bathroom items? Do well to let me know in the comment section below. :)