Why make the switch?
It’s no secret most products come in plastic packaging. Plastic accounts for 75.5% of landfill waste. 60% of all plastic ever made in the U.S. is still in our landfills today. Help reduce the amount of waste in landfills and keep our oceans clean! Consider swapping some common bathroom products with reusable, eco-friendly, and low-waste options.
Here are several swaps you can make!
1. Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
Shampoo and conditioner bars are more sustainable than their bottled counterparts. They simply disappear at the end of their use! The ingredients used in shampoo bars are often non-toxic and eco-friendly, so it’s sage for residual soap to wash down the drain. Some ingredients to avoid are: sodium laureth sulfate, parabens, phthalates, ammonium chloride, formaldehyde, methylchloroisothiazolinone, and artificial fragrances.
2. Toothpaste and mouthwash tablets
Often sold in glass or metal containers, toothpaste and mouthwash tablets are a wonderful alternative to the common plastic-packaged brands. Most companies also offer tablet refills, so you can reuse the original container as well! There are many brands out there, so do your research and see which one works best for you!
3. Reusable cotton rounds
Instead of potentially throwing away hundreds of cotton rounds a year, consider swapping to reusable cotton rounds! They are easy to clean – just add them to your typical laundry routine!
4. Menstrual cups
Aside from the money it saves women yearly, menstrual cups greatly reduce bathroom waste. They are just as effective as disposable feminine products, and one cup can last about 10 years! Just in North America, about 20 billion period-related products are sent to the landfill yearly. When using a menstrual cup, you are also avoiding harmful chemicals, pesticides, and fragrances commonly found in some feminine products.
5. Metal safety razors
Someone who shaves daily will go through an average of 40-50 disposable razors a year. While safety razor blades can be recycled with other metals, disposable razors cannot. If cared for well, one safety razor can last throughout one’s entire lifetime!
Which switches will you make?
While we mentioned several simple options, there are many more ways to swap typical bathroom products into eco-friendly alternatives. Check out www.litterless.com for some local zero-waste stores. Do your part in reducing landfill waste, and let us know which switch you’re planning to make!
We hope these tips will help you be more aware of your water usage, and help you take steps toward more sustainable use!
(Information from Eartheasy, Environmental Protection Agency, Green Matters, LeafScore, NY Times, and Safe Cosmetics.)