Simple Swaps for a Zero Waste Bathroom

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How to Create an Eco-Friendly Bathroom

Even though the bathroom is usually one of the smallest rooms in the house, it produces a ton of waste. Fortunately, by following just a few of these simple swaps, you can easily create a zero waste bathroom and significantly reduce the amount of waste your house produces.

Plus, the bathroom isn’t the only room in your house you can make greener. When you’re done with these excellent tips, don’t forget to check out some of our other posts:

1. Use an Eco-Friendly Toothbrush

In the United States alone, over a billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown in the trash every year. You can help make a big dent in this waste by switching a bamboo toothbrush.

The handle of a bamboo toothbrush is made from bamboo instead of plastic, so it will naturally decompose when you’re done using it.

There are several different types of bamboo toothbrushes on the market. If you’re not sure which one is right for you, check out our guide on the best bamboo toothbrush.

Prefer an electric toothbrush instead of a manual one? That’s not a problem! You can either pick up one of these top eco-friendly electric toothbrushes or make your current electric toothbrush more sustainable by getting bamboo replacement heads for an electric toothbrush!

2. Switch to Eco-Friendly Floss

Traditional dental floss is made from nylon, which can’t be recycled and takes hundreds of years to start decomposing. To make a zero waste bathroom, switch to an eco-friendly floss that’s completely biodegradable.

Most zero waste floss is made from silk, but our guide to the best eco-friendly floss also has some vegan options.

3. Select Zero Waste Toothpaste

The next step in creating a zero waste bathroom is switching out your plastic tube of toothpaste that can’t be recycled for one of the best zero waste toothpastes. You have two options when choosing waste-free toothpaste.

Your first option is to get toothpaste tablets. To use a toothpaste tablet, you simply put one in your mouth, start chewing until it foams, and then brush like you normally do. Toothpaste tablets are also incredibly convenient if you’re putting together a zero waste travel kit.

Your other option is toothpaste in a glass jar. Just scoop some out of the jar and onto your toothbrush. When you’ve emptied the jar, you can recycle it.

Related: The Best Natural Mouthwash

4. Choose a Safety Razor

The EPA estimates that Americans throw away 2 billion razors every year. If you want to make a dent in this insane amount of waste, make the switch to a safety razor.

Safety razors are stainless steel, so they’ll last pretty much forever. Plus, not only will using a safety razor help you cut down on plastic waste ending up in the landfills, but they can also help you save money.

Replacement cartridges for plastic razors are ridiculously expensive. However, when the blade in your safety razor gets dull, you simply swap it out for a replacement blade, which often costs just a few cents a piece.

If you’ve never used a safety razor, check out this post on the best safety razor for beginners so you can get one that will give you a smooth shave without nicks and cuts. When you’re ready to start shaving, this helpful posts walks you through how to use a safety razor.

5. Make Your Own Shave Gel

Aerosol shaving cream or shaving gel cans come with A LOT of health and environmental concerns. First, not every recycling center will accept aerosol cans, so they simply end up in the landfill.

Even though the majority of aerosol cans no longer have ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in them, they do emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Plus, aerosol shaving cream cans contain chemicals known to irritate skin and cause respiratory issues.

With all these issues in mind, it’s easy to see why making your own shave gel is important for your health and for creating a zero waste bathroom.

6. Swap Out Single-Use Products

A lot of people don’t realize just how many single-use products they use in the bathroom until they actually take a look at their trash. Unfortunately, not only do single-use products create a ton of trash, but they also waste your money since you have to keep buying them.

The cotton on those single-use cotton swabs might biodegrade, but the plastic sticks will hang around for decades. That’s why a sanitary and reusable swab is a better choice.

Plus, don’t forget that cotton is one of the most resource-intensive crops grown. That’s why we should always strive to use more sustainable options.

If you often use cotton rounds to apply or remove makeup, make the switch to reusable cotton rounds. Just one reusable round can replace up to 1,000 single-use cotton rounds.

7. Make Your Own Cleaning Products

You don’t need to turn to harsh chemicals to get your bathroom clean. By making your own homemade cleaning products you can save money, reduce waste, and get your bathroom naturally clean.

To learn how to make homemade cleaners for your zero waste bathroom, check out some of our popular options:

Don’t have time to DIY? That’s OK! Just check out these best eco-friendly bathroom cleaners made with natural ingredients for a safe yet effective clean.

8. Choose Cleaning Brushes With Wooden Handles

Plastic scrub brushes aren’t designed to last forever. The next time your plastic brush breaks, replace it with a scrub brush that has a wooden handle.

You can get a coconut fiber toilet brush with a wooden handle to clean your toilet. You can also pick up this three-piece set of scrub brushes made with sustainable bamboo handles.

Not only is making the switch to wooden-handle cleaning brushes perfect for a zero waste bathroom, but it’s also ideal for making your entire cleaning routine more eco-friendly.

9. Use Tree-Free Toilet Paper

Who Gives a Crap toilet paper rolls stacked on top of toilet tank

Yes, we need toilet paper to clean up after our business. But you know what we also need? Trees! So help save our trees by purchasing tree-free toilet paper.

Related: The Best Tree-Free Tissues

Who Gives a Crap is my preferred brand of tree-free toilet paper because the rolls are individually packaged in completely recyclable or compostable wrapping and shipped in a recyclable or compostable cardboard box.

The toilet paper is also perfect for sensitive skin because it’s free of chlorine-bleach, BPA, and formaldehyde.

You can also check out this post to discover several other options for the best eco-friendly toilet paper.

10. Select Packaging-Free Products

Around 552 million shampoo bottles end up in landfills across the United States every year. And that’s just shampoo bottles. That doesn’t even count conditioner bottles and lotion bottles.

When you look at it that way, it’s easy to see why you should make the switch to packaging-free products. By using a shampoo bar instead of a product packaged in a bottle, you can help eliminate up to three plastic bottles from being tossed into the trash can.

Not sure what type of bar you want to use? This guide goes over the best shampoo bars for every type of hair. You can also use this helpful guide to find the best conditioner bar for your hair.

For days you want to skip washing your hair, this list of the best eco-friendly and non-toxic dry shampoo brands has several zero waste options.

Plus, you can pamper the skin on your face with these outstanding natural and eco-friendly face wash options.

Another excellent option is to make your own soap and shampoo bars. This DIY lavender loofah soap provides a gentle and natural exfoliation while leaving behind a soothing scent. Best of all, you can compost the loofah when you’re done using the soap. If you’re interested in making the switch to a shampoo bar, check out how to make this homemade massaging shampoo bar.

11. Get a Low-Flow Showerhead

Behind the washing machine and toilet, the shower is the third-largest user of water in the average home. While you can’t go completely zero waste and not use any water in your shower, making the switch to a low-flow showerhead can help you save money with your water bill and conserve water.

A lot of people have the misconception that a low-flow showerhead means they’ll only get a trickle of water, but some of today’s low-flow showerheads are just as luxurious as their high-flow counterparts.

This low-flow showerhead pumps air into the water flow to give you more pressure without using as much water. It also comes with six settings so you can get the exact flow you like. It even comes with a pause setting that lets you shut off the water while you’re shampooing or soaping to save even more water.

Making a Zero Waste Bathroom

Creating a zero waste bathroom doesn’t have to be difficult. By making just a few of these simple swaps, you can cut down on the amount of waste produced in your bathroom and make a more eco-friendly bathroom.

More Helpful Zero Waste Tips

Now that you see how easy it is to make a zero waste bathroom, are you interested in even more tips about zero waste living? Then be sure to check out some of our other popular posts:

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Anna

Saturday 10th of August 2019

I definitely have to make the swap with the razor!! Thank you so much for your great inspirations ♥

Kristen

Friday 16th of August 2019

Let me know how you like the safety razor. Admittedly, that was one of the last swaps I made in my bathroom because I was afraid I would cut myself a lot with one, but I actually really like it now!

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