The bathroom is where I like to have a little bit of luxury, so these zero waste swaps will be pain free I promise. Do not immediately throw out all of your plastic single use items today. Instead let’s swap them out together! As part of our journey to zero waste we have looked at the kitchen we have even looked at moving house! So now is the time to tackle the bathroom!
Zero Waste Floss
I would say this is one area that most people would overlook. But it boils down to this, if we all overlook it then that is a lot of plasticized floss to hide somewhere in our oceans or landfill. So why not go for a natural product in a glass jar? Organic Bamboo Fibre with Activated Charcoal Floss in Glass Jar with Tea Tree and Peppermint essential oils separately and then buy floss refills which means that the glass jar is reusable. This is a nicer one as it is scented with peppermint oil and is fully biodegradable. Meaning a bonus for our compost heap!
Zero Waste Toothbrush – the ultimate bathroom essential
We have a lot of options here! I want the most sustainable option and one which best suits my family needs. The last thing we want are to spend money on toothbrushes which degrade too quickly. Also we need different colours for each member of the family! No arguments about stealing each others toothbrushes please!! So here we have a range to chose from..
Mère Nature Natural Bamboo Toothbrushes Soft Nylon Bristles BPA Free Non-Toxic Recyclable Biodegradable Vegan these have nylon bristles. According to the manufacturer the nylon is biodegradable. Well yes it is, however there are studies which show that nylon clothes take around 40-50 years to decompose. So this is not a suitable option for my garden compost bin.
Premium Bamboo Rainbow Toothbrushes | Beautifully Crafted with Medium Bristles | Natural Organic Toothbrush | Biodegradable | Eco Friendly | 100% Recyclable Packaging | Pack of 4 in Rainbow Colours These are also biodegradable. Our family love the colour mix and will happily stick to their handpicked colour! These ones are slightly chunkier and much loved. So we stick with these.
Plastic free electric toothbrush???
Yes indeed!
Oral-B Compatible Toothbrush Heads-100% Recyclable-Return Your Used Items For Recycling! Make sure to return your old heads and they will honour the recycling ethos too.
Bamboo toothbrush top tip for the bathroom
One major tip that I have for using the bamboo toothbrushes is to use a toothbrush holder and not a cup. The reason being that any water that doesn’t drain away can make them look as if they are going moldy. That will be a real killer for winning over any reluctant family members!
Zero Waste Soap
We used to love our shower gels. We would still hunt for the cheapest ones but go for the little luxurious ones when we could or they were on offer. But now we know better than to rely on plastic bottles which all form part of our single use plastic obsession. So now we look to find soaps that are palm oil free.
If you are not fully aware of the effects of deforestation for growing palm oil please do have a read of the rainforest rescue charity site. Be warned though it is a harrowing read.
On to brighter topics, we swapped the palm oil filled shower gel out and replaced it with palm oil free soap. I was expecting all sorts of struggles with this one. Mainly from my husband. However he has reported that he is using far less soap then he did shower gel and is very happy with it overall. We are still experimenting but we buy from Lush who are plastic free and palm oil free. They are expensive, but last a long time. Once we have gained confidence in soaps we will be making our own. Obviously there will be tonnes of articles to follow guys, so just subscribe to keep in the loop!
Zero Waste Shaving – a cost effective bathroom swap!
Now i’m not sure where their marketing department are but the makers of Bambaw should be mindful that it rhymes with ‘red raw’ and creates all sorts of images. However that said it is a very sexy looking product Double Edge Safety Razor with Long Natural Bamboo Handle The price point for this is in keeping with the nasty looking plastic ones as well. Meaning it is a simple swap for us. Obviously it is also possible to function as a human and not shave at all!
Plastic free cotton buds
We have been using these Alyn Bamboo Cotton Wool Buds | Pack of 4 (800 Pieces) | 100% Biodegradable Organic Wooden Ear Swabs | Sustainable & Vegan Qtips | Plastic Free Environmentally Clean Packaging | Free E Book for a while now without feeling the need to consult the free e-book! Perhaps I am over confident with my ability to swab my own ears? But in all seriousness these are a very good alternative to plastic q-tips and they are another item that can go straight to the compost heap. I hope you can see that the waste bin in your bathroom is starting to look more like a compost bin now?
Reusable Make up removers – instant bathroom swaps
These are super cute 18 Reusable Bamboo Cotton Make Up Remover Pads perhaps they could be part of a zero waste swap challenge? This is basically a challenge where you invest in one item of plastic free alternatives which are quite pricey, but then you save each month. So the next month you invest in another longer term piece. I have chosen a good value set for you though as these ones include 200 cotton buds as well!
We have also made our own if you fancy trying to crochet your own? 
Once you have used them you can just wash them and we have already covered a lot of laundry detergents in our Zero Waste Kitchen article, but get a Eco Friendly and Chemical Free Washer Laundry Balls from All Natural Alternative Laundry Detergent For up to 1000 Washings Set of 2
Plastic Free Deodorant
Natural Deodorant with Activated Charcoal Why did nobody activate charcoal sooner? Apparently it does everything? This is the one zero waste bathroom swap that I have been putting off. If i am honest I fear that I may be a sweaty person. Reality is that i think we all are. It is the bacteria which causes the odour, so this works in the same way as other chemical deodorants.
Because it is alcohol free I find that there aren’t any nasty reactions after shaving. I also like that this 60ml tub will keep going for probably about 3 months. So i can fit it on a plane carry on as well! All that said, I have put the link in for one with a money back guarantee. So don’t say I am not good to you all! If you are going to try something outside of your comfort zone it may as well be risk free.
Zero Waste Toilet Roll
We all know the best brands to buy in the supermarket. The ones which are made from recycled paper. However there is also an even higher level of zero waste to be reached via who gives a crap as they make paper with no single use plastic wrapping. Also very luxurious, and the wrapping paper they do use is ace to then wrap presents with later on!
Reuseable Sanitary Towels
A massively unspoken about area. That is the worst part as we cannot be expected to change without at least knowing what we are changing to. So I have obviously written an article on the subject of Reuseable Sanitary Pads – The Truth including all of the guts and gore. You will be totally sold after getting over your initial trepidation. But get yourselves a starter pack like this one 
Natural DIY Drain Unblocker
Let’s face it once you start using soap you get more residue in your drain. On the one hand you are reducing your carbon footprint and reliance on single use plastic, but on the other hand you do not want to increase your chemical output. So we make our own with Bicarbonate of Soda and Vinegar.
Save water in the bathroom!
So we have an entire article on saving water around the house. But let’s leave on a positive note and talk about the money saving impact that this could have. More than enough to pay for all of the above and more each year. Most of the alternatives I have suggested will have a higher initial cost, but will then form part of your annual savings. We believe strongly in zero waste being zero or low cost to you. So take a look at how our no spend challenge has impacted in our zero waste adventure.
So start taking a shower or sharing a bath, reuse that bath water on the Veggie Patch especially as you will look to go chemical free as well.
Homemade bath scrubber
I have made several of these for a scourer pad, as in to do the dishes with. But they turn out to be very good for a luxury scrub in the shower.I 
Make a commitment today, once you start it gets so much easier!
Handmade Hankies!
so easy with the right sewing machine!
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