Today we are going to look at a few ways how you can reduce the amount of waste in the bathroom.

I am sure there are a lot of you that when opening the bathroom cupboard you find a lot of plastic containers. I feel you. I use to have a thing for purchasing interesting body washes and lotions, and I am currently still trying to finish them all and to switch to a more sustainable alternative. Over the past few months, I have made some changes and would like to share them with you.

1.Plastic toothbrush, switch to a biodegradable option like a bamboo toothbrush.

850 million toothbrushes are discarded off per year in the US alone. By changing from a plastic toothbrush to an environmental opportunity like a bamboo, toothbrush is an easy step. The Bamboo toothbrushes handles are biodegradable, environmentally sustainable and do not pollute the environment. Bamboo’s growth and self-renewing ability mean that deforestation is also not necessary.

2.Toothpaste in plastic tubs switched to toothpaste in a reusable jar

About 1 billion toothpaste tubes are sent to the landfills every single year. The packaging for the toothpaste is manufactured to last forever. However, the toothpaste in it only last about a month or two before the empty tube is thrown out. I recently bought a glass container with homemade toothpaste. The main ingredients are baking soda, coconut oil, water and bentonite clay. I am not going to lie, but this defiantly took some getting used to. I did not like the taste of the toothpaste at first, but now after a couple of days use, I am used to it and have to say I can feel a difference in my teeth. The container will also last me a few months, and I can reuse the glass jar afterwards. There are a wide variety of different kinds of toothpaste that comes in reusable containers; some people prefer to use just a little baking soda.

3.Deodorant in plastic packaging switch to a deodorant in a reusable jar.

I heard a lot about different people making their own deodorant, and I was a bit sceptic at first. I experimented with a few recipes but could not find one that I liked yet. Upon visiting a package free store in Cape Town, Nude Foods. I found a deodorant in a small glass jar and decided to try it. I was amazed at how well it works, and I only have to use a small amount at a time. It should easily last me a few months, and I would be able to reuse the jar when it is finished.

4. Shower gel and shampoo’s in plastic packaging, switch to a soap bar or purchase package free.

Shower gels, shampoo, conditioner and face washes are just some of the plastic containers that overflowed our shelves in the shower. I have previously made my own body wash that I then store in a glass dispenser for easy use. If you do have a bulk store that sells these items, you would be able to fill up the containers whenever you are running low. We currently do not have a store that I would be able to purchase them package free. Therefore I have switched the shampoo in the plastic bottle to a shampoo bar. It is very easy to use, and it lasts me a lot longer than the average bottle of shampoo. I have also found bars for my conditioner and face wash.

5. Disposable razor to be switched to an old-school safety razor as well as an old-school natural shaving cream.

2 Billion disposable razors are thrown away every year, with most of these ending in the landfill. In order for me to avoid sending my razor to landfill. The safety razor is super easy to use (I was a bit scared at first) but got the hang of it. The initial investment for an old-school safety razor is a bit more than the average razors at your local supermarket, but it should last you a lot longer.

Replacing the blades is easy, and the blades are cheaper compared to all the fancy branded razor blades you purchase from the local supermarkets. I rarely cut myself anymore and also have not had any razor burns (I used to get it all the time with the disposables razors).

It is easy to replace the shaving cream with old-school natural shaving cream and brush that you would be able to purchase online, shaving store or even some of the package free stores sell them. It takes a little bit longer to prepare than the shaving foam, but this bowl will last me a lot longer, and it is all made with natural products. I invested in a good quality shaving brush that would last me a very long time.

The last tip is for the ladies, and this is something that we have to deal with every single month. Tampons or sanitary napkins switched to a reusable menstrual cups or sanitary pads.

This was something that took me some time to do as I was just not to sure about this and the fact that I had to clean the menstrual cup out every time sounded a bit grouse at first. The average woman gets her period about 450 times in her lifetime and uses on average 11,000 disposable tampons or pads in her lifetime. In 2015 the Ocean Conservancy collected 27,938 used tampons and applicators on beaches all around the world in a single day.

Because tampons and sanitary pads have been used to capture human waste, they are not recyclable. Many of us flush them away, and they end up in our sewer system and waterways. The majority of them end up in a landfill. Organic cotton tampons are technically biodegradable and compostable. However, they take a very long time to break down. Then there is also the packaging of the items come into to consider. Some of the cardboard applicators and packaging can often be recycled, however some of the plastic applicators, wrapping and packaging usually cannot, and they end up in a landfill or ocean.

I have recently invested in a few menstrual and I was surprised at how well they work. By using these cups for the past few months, I have been able to the reduce the amount of waste I send to the landfill as well as save money by reusing the menstrual cup instead of purchasing the single-use items monthly.

There are many more tips and advice to reduce your waste in the bathroom, but I would also recommend to evaluate your bathroom and see what items you are currently using on a regular basis that would be easy to switch.

You might be using a lot of cotton makeup remover pads and would be able to switch them for washable makeup remover pad.

My final tip for today is to do what you can and feel comfortable with to start with. Living a more sustainable life is a journey and not a race.

Mariska Nell

Written by

🎨Artist turning trash to treasure 🌍Environmentalist saving the planet 1🥤 at a time 🎤Speaker 👩🏽‍🏫Workshops 🏆Most Sustainable Award🎙️Podcast Host

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