Try looking around your bathroom and take note of all the plastic there – yes, it will feel overwhelming – plastic in your toothbrush, plastic razors, plastic-wrapped sanitary pads, plastic packaging, and oh so many plastic tubes and bottles. And all of it in your bathroom alone!
Each year, millions of plastic containers from soaps, shampoos, and personal hygiene items end up in our landfills and worse, oceans. Most of our bathroom products are not just packed with toxic chemicals but wrapped in single-use plastic. They contribute significantly to pollution.
Take, for example, a plastic toothbrush that takes 400 years to biodegrade, or that array of plastic bottles that sit in landfills for almost 500 years. Some are even worse – toothpaste tubes take more than 500 years to decompose, during which time microplastics leach underground, polluting our soil and water bodies.
In this article, we will see how by switching to zero-waste bathroom products, you can make a tangible difference to both your health and the planet.
How to make your Bathroom Eco-Friendly?
Be mindful of a few things and take a step towards a zero-waste bathroom.
- Check what you do and don’t use – There might be many such products that are lying away on the corner shelves that you might never actually use. Your sustainable bathroom journey begins by clearing out these products. Either use them up, recycle, or donate them so that they are disposed of responsibly.
- Turn off water while brushing or shaving – This is the most common one, but the vast majority of people forget to turn the tap off while brushing their teeth or shaving, which can have a huge impact. This could save us hundreds of litres of water.
- Cut down your shower time – Be mindful of how much time you are spending in the shower. Switch to a low-pressure shower head as the use of a high-pressure one results in higher water consumption.
- Get rid of single-use plastics – Clean up plastic pollution on your part by making one sustainable swap at a time. Below we have listed out 8 eco-friendly swaps you can apply to get rid of all those nasty single-use plastic in your bathroom that you eventually dispose of.
8 Natural Bathroom Products that are Plastic-Free and Zero Waste
1. Organic Bamboo Toothbrush
For starters, the best and easiest way to start your transition is by swapping your plastic toothbrush with a bamboo one. Though they are tantalizingly cheap and offer a rainbow of colors to choose from, they create a devastating environmental impact. With most of us replacing a toothbrush every three months, we are throwing away approximately 1 billion toothbrushes each year, given the huge population of India.
As per research, a plastic toothbrush can take up to 500 years to degrade into microplastics. The first plastic toothbrush was invented in the 1930s; this means every toothbrush ever made is still out there, sitting in a landfill.
The awenest Bamboo Toothbrush comes in a pack of 9, is BPA free, and is biodegradable with bristles treated with neem oil. Apart from being plastic-free, these eco-friendly toothbrushes are gentle for those with sensitivity problems and can be composted or recycled at the end of their life. Isn’t that a win-win situation for both you and your planet?
2. Zero-Waste Toothpaste
Once you’ve swapped your toothbrush, the next eco-friendly bathroom item to consider is your toothpaste. Not only are toothpaste tubes made up of layers of different plastic types, which are nearly impossible to separate, but regular toothpaste also contains saccharine, detergents, and other harmful ingredients.
The Shunyam Toothpaste Tablets are eco-friendly, SLS-free, paraben-free, and they come in a travel-friendly pack. Free from fragrances, they come in two flavours – peppermint and mint charcoal. If you are comfortable, you can also go with Ayurvedic Tooth Powder, which is 100% herbal and organic.
3. Natural Loofahs
That fluffy, synthetic loofah may look all cute and colourful, but it’s 100% plastic and nothing else! Apart from having a terribly short lifespan, they breed bacteria if not rinsed and dried properly. They are full of microplastics that get washed down the drain—and eventually into some poor sea creature’s body (possibly even ours).
You can very easily switch to the natural loofah available in plenty in the Indian market, which are made from a coconut coir scrub, the fibre of dried gourds, or maybe a vetiver (khus) bath scrub.
You can also get your natural sun dried bath loofah from Nat Habitat.
4. Bottle-Free Shampoo and Conditioner
Shampoo and conditioner bottles are among the major sources of plastic pollution and damage to the environment. Apart from the plastic packaging, commercial shampoos are known to include various harmful chemicals and ingredients that are damaging to our hair, while being released into our waterways.
There are loads of zero-waste shampoo and conditioner options that either come in reusable, zero-waste containers or have no plastic packaging.
Shampoo bars are also a great, eco-friendly, zero-waste, and long-lasting bathroom alternative to traditional shampoo bottles. Apart from being free of plastic, they are packed with natural and vegan ingredients. The cherry on top? They are soft on your hair and scalp as they are made with organic materials that don’t contain artificial preservatives or fragrances.
If you like reading about sustainability and want to know more about clean brands and products, you can read our blogs here. You can also read our latest blog on how you can save tons of water by using nearly waterless washing machines.
5. Zero-Waste Bar Soaps
Another very easy swap is switching to a soap bar instead of a shower gel. Regular soap usually comes in paper packaging; this way you can avoid plastic shower gel bottles. Nowadays, there are tons of brands making all-natural soaps.
Khadi Natural’s Coconut Milk & Honey Soap is a handmade herbal soap and an excellent choice if you like organic over chemical ingredients. Nat Habit’s Neem Basil Butter Soap is a cold-pressed Ayurvedic soap with neem actives.
6. Sustainable Safety Razors
Ditch those disposable razors lying in your bathroom and replace them with safety razors. Made with stainless steel and bamboo or wood, they are durable and can last a lifetime, saving you tons of money along the way!
Just like toothbrushes, these plastic razors and cartridges are manufactured with mixed materials that are not recyclable. They sit silently in a landfill, polluting our earth and disrupting our waterways, taking 1,000 years to finally decompose! The eco-friendly bamboo razor is reusable and can be used by men and women alike.
7. Planet-friendly Period Products
Not only do regular sanitary pads come individually wrapped in plastic, but they also contain plastics and synthetics themselves, and are usually treated with chlorine and other toxic chemicals that irritate and dry out your skin. Plastic-free and zero-waste menstrual products are a better and healthier option for your health and the planet. There are a galore of alternatives to single-use period products, including menstrual cups, period underwear, and reusable cloth pads.
Sirona’s Reusable Menstrual Cup comes in 3 sizes – small, medium, and large. They are soft to use and beginner-friendly.
Period Underwear is very comfortable and great for pad users. Mahina’s cotton period underwear comes in an array of colours and styles for different body types and flows so that you get to choose what works best for you.
Another great option is reusable cloth pads. Being good for health and hygiene, they are becoming a mass favourite and they aren’t treated with any toxic chemicals.
8. Zero-Plastic Bathroom Cleansers
All those heavily marketed bathroom cleaners that you see in advertisements are extremely toxic for your family and the environment alike. Instead, you can switch to homemade bio-enzyme cleaners. This DIY cleanser is super simple and can be easily made at home. For this, you will require fruit peels (citrus fruits are the best), jaggery, and water. You can use it not just as a toilet cleaner but also as a floor and surface cleaner.
If you don’t want to make the bioenzyme cleaner, you can buy Eco-Friendly Natural Toilet and Bathroom Cleaner from Econice. Beco Natural Disinfectant Floor Cleaner is baby and pet-safe and comes in a variety of soothing fragrances to choose from.
Final Thoughts
Eco-friendly toiletries and bathroom products do not harm the environment, as they are made from natural ingredients, in small batches, and packaged without any plastic. Switching to eco-friendly toiletries and bathroom products can dramatically reduce your plastic consumption and immediately change the impact you have on the environment.
By switching to natural and plastic-free toiletries for your bath, dental care, and shaving routine, you take a step forward in your plastic-free journey.
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