7 Easy Product Swaps for an Eco-Friendly Bathroom

As a plastic-free brand, we already provide a solution to eliminating your period waste (11,000 disposable period products in a lifetime, no less!). To help you do even more, we want to extend your knowledge by sharing other plastic-free product swaps to help you complete the challenge.

The 22nd of April is Earth Day. It’s the perfect time to join together to cut down on plastic use and focus on more planet-friendly actions. 

So where should you start? The bathroom of course!

It’s difficult to break a habit — especially when they are products you’ve used for years — but living sustainably is a journey that only gets easier with time. Try some of the following product swaps as an easy way to drastically reduce the amount of plastic in your life. We recommend just picking the achievable steps to begin with so you can into the swing of things before making the next swaps.

1.  Disposable period products Menstrual cups are a fantastic way to eliminate a large amount of your usual plastic waste. Tampons and pads may be what you’re used to, but the average menstruating person will go through a staggering 286 disposables every year.
2. Disposable razors Another culprit when it comes to single-use plastics is the humble razor. Convenient and unassuming, this is yet another product that is thoughtlessly thrown away, doomed to end up in a landfill. A fantastic alternative is the Bambaw safety razor. These blades are corrosion resistant, making them much sturdier than cartridge razor blades.
3. Shampoo Shampoo bottles are another source of bathroom plastic that can quickly add up over time. Shampoo bars are a great alternative that not only removes the need for plastic, they’re also better for you. Most shampoo bars don’t contain the perfumes, chemicals, and harsh detergents that are in major brands of bottled shampoo. This means you won’t expose your body to toxic ingredients that can strip your hair and possibly disrupt your hormones.
4. Toothbrush Every year, over 1 billion toothbrushes are thrown away, equating to 50 million lbs (over 22 million kg) of landfill waste (and that’s just in the US!) Just like your disposable razors, bamboo alternatives offer a more sustainable solution. With a wooden bamboo toothbrush, like the one from The Humble Co., you can recycle it when it's reached the end of its lifespan — rather than simply tossing it away.
5. Deodorant Rather than classic aerosol sprays, natural deodorants offer a sustainable option. Made from anodised aluminium and recycled plastic, these clever devices even feature 100% plastic-free refills. Your skin will feel the benefit too, as the all-natural ingredients keep you feeling fresh without blocking your pores or disrupting your PH levels. What’s more, there are even options that are manufactured with 100% cardboard packaging. Win-win!
6. Nappies You may not think it, but the average baby gets through a total of 4,000 disposable nappies by the time they’re potty-trained. This will cost families an eye-watering £400 a year, as well as creating the equivalent of half a tonne of carbon dioxide in the process. Reusable nappies will therefore not only help your wallet but the environment too.
7. Makeup wipes One of the worst offenders on our list, makeup wipes take years to break down in landfills and cause havoc when flushed down the toilet (don’t do this!). 100% biodegradable or reusable wipes or pads are far better for the environment; add a little makeup remover to a reusable pad and pop it in the washing machine — it’s that easy!