The following 15 eco-friendly bathroom products can help you make a difference on this planet! The zero-waste movement has picked up steam in the past few years. Many people now say no to straws and carry a reusable bag when shopping. It can be a lot harder to waste less when it comes to bathroom products. I found the infographics below on Circular.com. Between 30-40% of waste in landfills is bathroom products. These 15 eco-friendly bathroom products can replace them!
1. Toothbrush – Eco-Friendly Bathroom Products
Regular plastic toothbrushes create a bigger problem than most people realize. According to dentists, people should get new toothbrushes every three to four months! Unfortunately, not everyone on Earth has access to basic hygiene, let alone clean water to brush their teeth with. However, if the current 7.8 billion people living on this planet threw away a plastic toothbrush every three months, that would send 31.2 billion toothbrushes to the landfill this year alone.
“One billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown away every year in the United States, creating 50 million pounds of waste annually.”
Foreo
There are several greener ways to have whiter (and cleaner) teeth! The cheapest include bamboo, recycled-plastic, and plant-based plastic toothbrushes. My favorite ones have charcoal bristles because my teeth feel even cleaner when I use these. In the USA you can even buy these at the Dollar Store, sometimes even two or four for just $1. Although Amazon has pretty great prices too, and you can even subscribe to get them delivered regularly as needed.
Using an electric toothbrush is also better because even though you need to replace the head, it is much smaller and uses less plastic. If you have an Oral-B electric toothbrush, you can actually buy recycled heads to be even more eco-friendly.
2. Toothpaste
Toothpaste is another product that seems harmless but comes in a tube that cannot be recycled. Tom’s has created a recyclable tube but there are still issues with it. A lot of plastic products that end up in the recycling bin won’t actually be recycled. But creating recyclable products is still a step in the right direction!
“Over 1 billion toothpaste tubes are thrown away into landfills each year in the U.S”
Tom‘s of Maine
The most eco-friendly form of toothpaste comes in tabs, which one company, Etee, refers to as ‘chewpaste.’ There are many companies that sell these tabs or powders in eco-friendly or refillable containers. Even Lush offers them, along with many other eco-friendly bathroom products, although they are not the cheapest. Here is an example from Amazon that offers 160 tabs for $23, which is one of the best prices I have seen for toothpaste tabs.
Another popular solution is to make your own toothpaste. I have always incorporated baking soda and activated charcoal into my tooth-brushing routine. Both are known for their cleansing and whitening super-powers. While I combine them WITH regular toothpaste, other people use them as ingredients to create their own. Here is an example of a great yet simple recipe.
3. Floss
I have switched out many things in my bathroom in exchange for eco-friendly bathroom products. However, floss has always been the more difficult item to replace. Today, there are many alternatives including Dental Lace, floss made from natural silk in a refillable glass jar. Here is a list of other companies and products just like Dental Lace. My personal go-to is, once again, charcoal-infused. It is available on Amazon for $9.49 for 60 meters.
My friend who has kids has trouble with regular floss and needs floss picks instead. Luckily, Grin offers biodegradable dental floss picks! These are made out of corn starch. They have floss picks for both adults and children, plus Grin offers many other eco-friendly bathroom products!
4. Menstrual Cups
In the past few years, most women I know have switched to menstrual cups! Not only are they greener, safer, and save money in the long run, but women rave about how they have changed their lives. The birth control I use makes me not get periods, so I have not personally tried these. But there is no doubt that they are the greenest menstrual care product. Period.
“Ninety-eight percent of American women use a combination of both products, though pads appear to be used most often. Still, 70 percent of menstruating Americans use tampons at least sometimes, and the average woman here will use between 11,000 and 16,000 tampons in her lifetime, according to CNN.”
New Republic
There are many different menstrual cups out there, but personally I would try the FLEX cup. It has an easy to grip stem that makes it possible to drain the cup without removing it. However, please check out this list of different options. One cup does not fit all! I found this great cartoon on Facebook – Moderna Comics. I questioned including these on here, but its 2020 and are way overdue for normalizing a perfectly natural bodily function.
5. Razors
Plastic razors are cheap, bad quality, and they pollute the world. Remember how classy your grandfather looked shaving with his stainless steel razor and bamboo brush? That was a greener solution, looked classy as hell and it is gaining popularity again!
Disclaimer: I am not pushing straight-razors on inexperienced humans. Plus, I have watched Sweeney Todd too many times. While these are great and eco-friendly, I recommend starting with a stainless steel razor as it is less dangerous. Here is a fancy set for just $60! This makes a great gift! Cheaper options include just a stainless steel razor for $18 that will last you a lifetime – replacement razors cost next to nothing.
6. Shampoo
Although shampoo bottles are recyclable, they do not always get recycled. To properly recycle a shampoo bottle one must clean it, dry it, and remove any stickers. Even then, not everything you throw in the recycling bin will actually get recycled. Plus, recycling should be a last resort after reducing and reusing. You can reduce your use of shampoo bottles with shampoo bars! The great news is that there are plenty of options! My go-to is this one on Amazon – yes, I am charcoal obsessed.
7. Conditioner
Same story as shampoo bars! You can condition your hair with bars too! Personally, though, I prefer to use a liquid conditioner. A great solution is to use Plaine Products. These are not only vegan and refillable, but they come in 100% recyclable aluminum bottles. They are not the cheapest, but if you’re like me, a bottle of conditioner will last you months!
8. Hand Soap
Once again, you can just buy a package-free bar of soap. But there are other solutions too. I love foaming hand soap, but I don’t love the plastic packaging that it comes with. BLUELAND is a great solution because they sell drops that you mix in with water to create natural, non-toxic foaming hand soap! You can buy a nice glass bottle or re-use one that you already have. This concept is similar to Dropps, pointing out that most products contain mainly water which makes it more expensive to ship and takes up more space.
9. Bath Bombs
While bath bombs are not necessary to enjoy a bath, I love them. However, I cannot afford to always get them from Lush – although Lush bath bombs are absolutely amazing! Recently, I discovered these on Amazon! They have amazing reviews, they are affordable at $27 for a set of 12 and they come in plastic-free packaging! Plus, they are absolutely beautiful.
10. Q-Tips – Eco-Friendly Bathroom Products
Sticking Q-tips in my ear, the way you are not supposed to, is one of my guilty pleasures. A plastic-free solution is to use bamboo or paper Q-tips. However, there is an even better zero-waste solution that is slightly unconventional. The LastSwab is a re-usable Q-tip that you can clean after using and it is built to last. They only cost $12 and come in many color options to make sure everyone in your family has their own.
11. Makeup Remover
Removing makeup is essential for having a healthy skin But what are all those disposable wipes doing to the environment? Not only do people use disposable wipes but commonly used make-up removing solutions come in plastic bottles.
“Traditionally when removing makeup, you might use single-use cotton balls or pads and a makeup remover formula that comes in single-use plastic packaging. Then, you might wipe your face with a towel. In a zero-waste skincare routine for makeup removal, that face cloth is the only thing that stays the same. But never fear: Going zero waste for your face is not only better for the environment, it’s also better for your bank account.”
Green Matters
Green Matters, where I borrowed the quote and the image, recommends using coconut oil or witch hazel to remove makeup. Instead of wipes, you can use pads that you buy online or make yourself. these wipes from Amazon can be washed, re-used and they come in a 14-pack with a laundry bag to protect them from getting damaged in the wash.
12. Face Wash
“There are probably just about as many ways to wash your face as there are faces: water only, bar soap, pump soap, oil cleansing, masks, and on in infinite combinations of ingredients and products and options. There isn’t just one zero waste way to wash your face; any of the above can be slowly transitioned to a slightly less wasteful routine by taking note of packaging and disposables. However you wash, notes on choosing wisely, below.”
Litterless
Just like the quote above explains, there are so many ways to make your unique face-washing routine greener. Check out Litterless for tips based on your preference. I realize that I’ll be mocked, but I use charcoal soap. It is simple, cheap and effective! You can buy some on Amazon for $15 for a 3-pack. Stores such as Trader Joe’s, Whole Food and other local cosmetic stores will likely have something similar!
13. Toilet Paper
No, I do not use charcoal toilet paper! But only because charcoal-infused toilet paper does not exist. Most toilet paper is sold in plastic wrapping. Sometimes it isn’t just the set of rolls that’s wrapped but other times each roll is individually-wrapped too. That is why I buy my TP from Who Gives a Crap. It is not only made from bamboo, the toilet paper roll is made from recycled paper and all packaging is plastic-free!
14. Tushy
Toilet paper is not environmentally friendly even when it’s of the greener, plastic-free variety. The best thing for the environment (and your butt-hole) is to use water. I am not suggesting waddling from your toilet to the shower. Many countries around the world have bidets next to their toilets. Japan has them installed in their toilet seats. That is what inspired Tushy – a company that sells a bidet attachment that you can instal to your toilet!
15. Bathroom Cleaning Products
Bathrooms are places where we clean ourselves, but we also need to clean the actual bathroom. Most hardcore zero-wasters clean their bathrooms with simple ingredients. Here is a guide on how to clean everything in your home with simple ingredients that you can get with minimal plastic packaging and mix into a DIY concoction.
If you’re not feeling crafty or don’t have the time, let me mention BLUELAND again. They offer tabs and sell glass bottles to dilute them in. You can also re-use bottles that you already have, even if they are plastic! It seems pricy but that’s only if you are buying the reusable glass bottles – which you can reuse FOREVER.
Summary – Eco-Friendly Bathroom Products
There are so many ways that you can make your bathroom greener! I didn’t get to mentioning bamboo hairbrushes or zero-waste deodorant in this article! Check out this if you want effective zero-waste deodorant, it’s weird because it’s a crystal but it works and is safe for all body parts. I have tested it myself and you can check the reviews if you think I’m crazy. Anyway, there are always ways to make your daily routines more environmentally friendly.
My big thing is reminding people that every little change matters. It’s not all or nothing. If you hate chewable toothpaste, use regular toothpaste with eco-friendly toothbrushes. Every single choice makes a difference. Let’s go back to our population of almost 8 billion – if everyone makes one positive choice a day, the impact is incredible! Don’t beat yourself up – make small changes over time and just do your best to help protect our planet! No one is perfect, but we can all be better.
Follow The Travel Bug Bite for more eco-friendly tips, travel stories, weird-food facts, book reviews and so much more eclectically sourced content. For more tips on reducing your carbon footprint, check out this on how to recycle and reuse your trash for a cleaner environment!
This is very much needed for us to really understand how nice it is to use eco friendly bathroom products.
Super timely products, we needed all these for a better world and a calmer mother earth.
Didn’t know about these toothbrush and toothpaste alternatives. Yes plastic is dangerous. Being a dentist will definitely consider these recommendations.
Great! I’ve been using eco friendly toiletries for a while now and they are really good. Also, it’s a good feeling knowing that I’m doing a small part for the environment.
These are awesome eco-friendly bathroom products it helps to save our environment for plastic waste! Bathroom Cleaning Products is my favorite 🙂
I had no clue there there were so many eco-friendly bathroom products! Thank you for informing others!
We love bamboo toothbrushes in our house. Great post.
I love that comic, it’s funny and relevant to how our bodies change!
Great post. This is something that one should know about and replace. Shampoo bars are a modern necessity because bottles create a lot of waste in dump sites.
Great post. Just shows there are sooso many options available if you choose to go green