Buy in Bulk
Sometimes plastic bottles are unavoidable especially for cleaning products and some cosmetics. Buying them in bulk means that you can reduce the amount of plastic packaging per amount of product. For example, buying a larger bottle of shampoo or conditioner is better than buying several smaller bottles of the same products and will also save you money too!
Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
Why not eliminate plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles all together and switch to shampoo bars? More and more of these are becoming available online and for many different hair types. They are relatively inexpensive and you can gain more washes per bar compared to an average bottle of shampoo.
Reusable Face Wipes and cotton rounds
Face wipes and cotton rounds may seem like they don’t contain plastics however they are still a single use wasted item. Not only do they end up in our bins, they also end up in pipes and water ways causing blockages.
Why not switch to some reusable alternatives such as fabric wipes, rounds or a flannel? There are many different products on the market and they are easily washable at home.
Plastic Free Sponge
Why not ditch your sponge or synthetic loofa for some more sustainable alternatives? Place your soap bar in a mesh bag to act as exfoliating scrub when you’re washing. There are also many plastic free and long lasting sponges on the market too. Many of these are made from materials which are biodegradable – meaning they won’t linger in the environment as long as plastics do.
Toothbrush and Toothpaste
Swapping to a bamboo toothbrush is an easy first step for reducing the amount of plastic in your bathroom. If everybody in the UK swapped toothbrushes every 3 months (The recommend lifetime of a standard toothbrush), this would amount to about 267 million toothbrushes a year! Bamboo toothbrushes are made from plant-based materials and are more sustainable than plastic brushes.
Although there are some toothpaste tube recycling schemes available, toothpaste can also be bought in glass jars which can be recycled at home.
We know it is difficult to completely eliminate plastic from your bathroom, but by making small changes gradually you will help make a huge difference.
Don’t forget to recycle all the plastic bottles you do use in your bathroom! - these are often forgotten so why not place a recycling bin/bag in your bathroom too?
Read more of our recycling tips here
Do you have any hints or tips to share? We’d love to hear from you, get in touch using the links below by tagging us or using #SYrecycles