The world’s plastic problem can sometimes seem too big to tackle. In order to do so, it will require governments, big business and individuals to all do their parts. The good news is that as an individual, there is plenty you can do to reduce your plastic use.
The bathroom is a good place to start. In this article, we will explore how to make your bathroom 100% plastic-free – (or at least take steps to get you headed in that direction).
Why Make Your Bathroom Plastic-Free?
Plastic is everywhere. It’s a material that pervades our homes. Unfortunately, it’s energy intensive to produce and doesn’t usually biodegrade, so it sticks around, posing a problem not just for us but for future generations.
Waste plastic is now found in every ecosystem on our planet.
Take a moment to think of the awesomeness of that statement. It pollutes land, waterways and oceans, and kills wildlife. It can even be found in our blood.
A large proportion of the plastic waste we generate originates in our bathrooms. This is why the bathroom is a good place to start if you want to move to a plastic-free lifestyle.
General Tips for a Plastic-Free Lifestyle
Plastic waste in the bathroom comes in different forms. It’s in the disposable packaging of products we use on a daily basis. It also comes in the form of plastic items we may hold onto for longer – but will eventually throw away.
To move towards a plastic-free lifestyle, it can be helpful to consider the following general tips:
- Reduce – our consumerism drives plastic use and production, cut down on the number of things that you buy.
- Reuse – reusing items will help you reduce consumption (and thereby reduce plastic items and the plastic they come wrapped in).
- Repair – make do and mend, fix things – learn skills to help you to live a simpler, less cluttered and sustainable way of life. (Again, repairing old items can help you reduce the amount you buy.)
- Do it yourself – traditional skills can help you reduce your consumption, both in terms of plastic and in other ways.
- Use and value natural, renewable resources – there are plenty of renewable, natural alternatives to plastic items, and we’ll discuss a wide range of examples as we proceed.
Plastic-Free Packaging For the Bathroom
Plastic packaging, used once and then thrown away, is one of the most damaging and prolific forms of plastic. But you might think that the packaging items come in is out of your control. The truth is, as a consumer, you have more power than you think. Some ways in which you can help to reduce plastic packaging waste include:
- Choosing items from companies that package their items plastic free, i/e. choosing paperboard packaging over plastic-wrapped.
- Petition the companies that make your favorite products to reduce or even eliminate their plastic use.
- Engage with politicians and leaders to encourage legislation that reduces plastic packaging.
- Make the effort to recycle plastic packaging, most of which are stretchy plastics that can be recycled in the same place you would take plastic grocery bags for recycling.
Cleaning Your Bathroom Without Plastic
One of the major ways in which you can reduce plastic packaging in your bathroom is by simplifying your cleaning regime. Many people have rows of plastic bottles full of various cleaners to keep the toilet, sink, bath and shower sparkling clean.
It’s possible to eliminate almost all of these, and keep your bathroom healthy, clean and fresh with only a few natural (and plastic-free) products.
All you need to kill germs, deodorize and clean any surface in your bathroom, and leave it smelling delightful are:
- baking soda
- vinegar
- essential oils
Baking Soda
Luckily, baking soda comes in cardboard packaging, and buying it in bulk will further reduce waste. Baking soda is a mild surfactant and deodorizer. It can be made into a paste along with water or vinegar to clean many surfaces. When sprinkled into your toilet alongside some vinegar, it will foam up and get rid of lingering dirt or stains. Leaving an open pack of baking soda near your toilet can also deodorize the space.
Vinegar
Vinegar is easy to find in glass bottles with metal lids. However, you may be interested to know you can make your own apple scrap vinegar. Using apple cores and peels, a little sugar, water and a jar, you can create a useful product. It’s great to have around your kitchen, bathroom and for a range of other uses around your home.
Vinegar is just as good at killing germs as the commercial cleaning products on the market and will allow you to keep your bathroom safe without the need for products in plastic bottles. As mentioned above, combined with baking soda, it will create a foam that can get rid of dirt. Vinegar can also be used, diluted with water to leave surfaces such as tiles, shower screens etc., sparkling.
(You might be worried about the smell, but it dissipates quickly and will not pose a health risk in the same way as other pungent products on the market.)
Essential Oils
With the above two products, you can clean your bathroom effectively. But you may miss the pleasant fragrances associated with many bathroom cleaning products. Of course, you don’t need your bathroom to smell of zesty oranges, lemon, lavender or tea, but it can be nice.
If you want your bathroom to smell nice, simply adding a drop or two of essential oil to your DIY cleaning solution with water or vinegar will do the trick. Essential oils can also have antibacterial and antifungal properties.
If you want a natural, plastic-free cleaning solution that’s all-purpose and smells amazing, give Cheryl’s citrus peel cleanser a try.
Of course, in addition to the required cleaning solutions, you will need things to wipe surfaces and do your cleaning.
- A plastic-free toilet brush.
- A plastic-free plunger.
- Plastic-free cloths for cleaning surfaces.
(Though you could also simply use old rags or an old towel no longer useful chopped into smaller squares.)
- A wooden/ natural bristle scrub brush (to clean the bathroom floor and surfaces)
- Copper cloth (for rust on pipes/ stubborn dirt)
- A plastic-free bathroom trash can
- Plastic-free trash can liners for your bathroom bin.
With the above, it should be easy to keep your plastic-free bathroom clean at all times.
Bathroom Decor & Fittings
Before we look at other plastic-free solutions, let’s take a look at the overall picture. It’s important to think about the many elements of the interior if you’re trying to go plastic-free.
If your existing bathroom is fine, it would be a mistake to contribute to the problem by chucking everything out and starting again.
But if you’re creating a plastic-free bathroom from scratch or overhauling your tired old bathroom, it’s worth keeping in mind plastic-free alternatives to common products.
For example:
- Rather than installing laminate or vinyl flooring, consider plastic-free alternatives such as wood flooring, bamboo flooring or ceramic tiles.
- Choose ceramic sinks and tubs rather than plastic options.
- Select a wooden/bamboo toilet seat rather than a plastic one.
- Choose plastic-free faucets.
- Consider copper piping rather than plastic pipes for plumbing if possible.
- Opt for eco-friendly, low VOC, plastic-free paints.
- Wooden/natural material cabinets/bathroom storage.
- Bamboo or natural fiber bathroom rugs, bath mats & shower mats.
Plastic-Free Products for the Bathroom
Now, let’s take a look at some of the great plastic-free products you can choose to keep your bathroom 100% plastic-free:
Toilet Paper/ Wet Wipes
You may not think of toilet paper as a problem area when it comes to plastics. Though the paper itself and the roll it comes on may not be plastic, unfortunately, many toilet paper manufacturers do pack toilet paper in plastic packaging. Be sure to choose plastic-free, eco-friendly toilet paper.
Many people also choose to use wet wipes but are shocked to learn that many of them contain plastic. If you must use disposable wet wipes, be sure to choose fully compostable, organic options. But even these usually come wrapped in plastic, so consider instead buying some reusable organic cotton wipes.
Diapers & Baby Care
Washable wipes are one of the items that will come in handy if you have a baby. But you may find that taking care of your baby is a bit of a minefield for those trying to avoid plastic.
One of the items that many parents struggle to avoid is plastic disposable diapers. However, even when it comes to keeping your baby dry and comfortable, there are plenty of plastic-free alternatives out there. Looking at eco-friendly reusable diapers is a good place to start.
Some parents are worried that reusable diapers will stink up their homes, but with bamboo diaper pail deodorizers, your bathroom can still smell sweet, even with used diapers in a pail in the corner.
Feminine Sanitary Products
While it may be an uncomfortable topic for some, feminine sanitary products are a major source of plastic pollution. Tampons and sanitary towels contribute significantly to the plastic waste flushed away or sent to landfill each year. Sanitary products generate more than 200,000 tonnes of waste per year.
Fortunately, there are solutions for a plastic-free period. Silicone cups or menstrual discs make for easy, stress-free and plastic-free menstruation. There is no need to buy multiple sanitary products each month, so no need to rack up that plastic waste or spend a fortune, which is great news for women and the planet.
Plastic-Free Dental Care
Fortunately, there are also plenty of ways to keep your teeth clean and healthy in a 100% plastic-free bathroom. Choosing a bamboo toothbrush with natural bristles is a good place to start.
You can also find plastic-free toothpaste for the whole family, or tooth cleaning powder, or consider making your own.
It is also possible to find eco-friendly natural, plastic-free dental floss. Though it is worth bearing in mind that while silk is natural, its ethical credentials usually leave much to be desired. Eco-friendly dental picks are another potential plastic-free solution.
Facial Products & Cleaning
Many have a raft of products around their bathroom sink designed specifically to cleanse, exfoliate, tone and moisturize the face. But those facial products are by no means necessary. Many products on the market do more harm than good.
Often, they can destroy the natural pH balance of the skin, and the claims they make are often pseudo-scientific – at best.
However, when you want something to balance your skin and keep it healthy and clean, there are plenty of ways to make cleansers, scrubs, toners and moisturizing creams to use in your plastic-free bathroom. Often, you can use store cupboard basics and natural plant materials from your garden.
Natural organic cotton flannels or facial wipes can be reused again and again and avoid the need for disposable plastic wipes.
Plastic Free Shaving & Hair Care
Another common place where plastic is often found is shaving and hair care products. If you shave your face, legs or elsewhere then you may have gone through many disposable plastic razors in the past. Of course, your first option is simply to forgo shaving altogether and go all-natural in your grooming regime. But this is not for everyone!
Fortunately, there are a number of plastic-free products on the market for those who don’t want to give up shaving. A long-lasting and durable bamboo-handled safety razor is a great solution. A natural bristle shaving brush may also come in handy.
When it comes to the hair on your head, you can stay plastic-free in your hair care too. Choose a wood-handled brush with natural bristles to brush your locks, and consider a switch to a ‘no poo’ hair care regime.
‘No Poo’ Hair Care
Instead of buying lots of products, keep it simple and opt for a ‘no poo’ natural hair regime. Believe it or not, the simple products – baking soda and apple cider vinegar – that you use to clean your home can also be all you need to keep your hair glossy, healthy and looking great.
Simply dilute a tablespoon of baking soda in warm water, and use this to ‘shampoo’ your hair. It won’t lather, but you should feel a slippery sensation as the oils and dirt and any residue are washed away.
Next, rinse your hair with a solution of 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar and 2/3 cup of water. The alkaline and the acid will make sure that the pH of your hair and scalp is well-balanced.
Once the residue of commercial shampoos and conditioners is washed away you will find your hair is very light, bright and manageable.
Your hair will be fragrance-free and fresh smelling, but if you want to add fragrance, you can easily do so by diluting and using whichever essential oils take your fancy.
Showering & Bathing
Many people feel the need for a huge array of products to use in the shower or when bathing. As described above, you don’t need lots of products packaged in plastic to wash your body. Instead of buying liquid soaps, shower gels and other such products, instead, think about buying eco-friendly, natural alternatives – or, better yet, making your own.
Making Bar Soap
Bar soap is a great purchase, as it is easier to find plastic-free options on sale. However, making your own can also be a lot of fun. There are plenty of natural, healthy, organic recipes out there to choose from, and you may well be able to incorporate natural ingredients grown in your very own garden.
Making Bath Bombs or Bath Salts
You could also consider making your own bath bombs or bath salts. To make your own bath bombs, all you will need is bicarbonate of soda, citric acid, almond oil (or another natural oil) and whichever essential oils you choose to use.
You may be able to find alternative molds for your bath bombs around your home, but you could buy metal bath bomb molds to make the perfect round globes that you can buy in stores. Once you get the hang of it, experiment with adding natural pigments, petals, herbs or other additions from your garden.
When showering or bathing, you may also need:
After you’re all clean and freshly scrubbed, you can stay fresh smelling with a crystal deodorant, the natural alternative to harmful aluminum deodorant in plastic packaging. This will not stop you from perspiring but will reduce the incidence of any unpleasant odors in a healthy and natural way.
Makeup & Cosmetics
If you wear makeup, the first thing to consider is foregoing it all together and opting for the natural look. If you want to go plastic free, then this is the easiest option. However, for many, giving up makeup isn’t an option. It’s something they enjoy. Luckily, finding eco-conscious makeup brands is getting easier.
You might even consider making some of your own cosmetics.
For example, you can make mascara with charcoal and aloe vera. Or use natural beet juice to add pigmentation to your lips or cheeks. Those are just two examples though there are many other natural make-up recipes that allow you to avoid purchasing makeup in plastic packaging.
Make the Move Slowly
When we’ve become so used to having the ease and simplicity of plastic packaging, transitioning to a plastic-free household can feel overwhelming. But start slowly; as you run out of things, replace them with their plastic-free counterparts.
Once you have taken steps to reduce plastic use in your bathroom, perhaps it is time to move on to make the rest of your home 100% plastic free. The kitchen is another great area to conquer plastic. Eliminating plastic almost entirely may be a slow process, and feel frustrating at times. But each small step you can take is a step towards a more ethical and sustainable future.
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