Five Bathroom Swaps to go Plastic Free this July
We thought we would help you along in your quest to take up the challenge of Plastic Free July, even if you have just signed up to make one small change you are making a commitment to do better so well done to you.
We've put together our 5 best swaps for in the bathroom to ditch the single-use plastics and commit to reducing your waste. These swaps are all super simple, unbelievably affordable (you'll see in the proof!), and so easy to add into your sustainability routine.
1. Swap bottled Shampoo and Conditioner for Shampoo and Conditioner Soap bars.
This swap is probably one of the most affordable in our opinion. Soap bars last around 6x longer than a regular bottle of shampoo or conditioner and a soap bar costs just $9 from our amazing supplier Bare Naked Soaps from here in Hawea. As well as being cheaper, Bare Naked Soap bars only contain natural ingredients and Kirstin runs a zero waste policy in her business - which we of course love.
Tip: To make your sure your soap bars last as long as possible make sure you store them correctly. They love to be up out of water (otherwise they dissolve quicker). We use a little container with rocks in the bottom so the soap sit on top and the water drains down to the bottom - then every few weeks we just drain the water. So simple and you can just reuse an old container from around home, so need to buy anything new.
2. Make the swap to an eco-friendly tooth brush
Do you know the average plastic toothbrush takes over 400 years to breakdown. On comparison a bamboo toothbrush takes around 6 months if composted. Eco-friendly tooth brushes have got to be one of the simplest, easiest swaps you can make so if you haven't already, use Plastic Free July as your excuse and ditch the plastic toothbrush now.
Our tip for the little kids to get them excited about an eco-friendly toothbrush. Let them 'personalise' their own toothbrush with their own creative 'branding'. This not only gets them excited about using it but also gives you 30 minutes (ok maybe like 10mins) of peace while they scribble all over their toothbrush with pens.
3. Swap store bought toilet cleaner for a natural refilled alternative or even better make your own.
Buying your toilet cleaner in a plastic container over and over just seems ridiculous doesn't it? So why not just keep the container you originally bought and refill it over and over. Reducing your waste and saving you money too. We have the Eco-Store Toilet Cleaner available for refills and it is more affordable than buying it repeatedly in plastic. If you would like an even more eco-conscious choice then you can try and make your own toilet cleaner. We have an easy recipe which we love and swear by here if you would like to give it a go.
4. Swap your body wash for a soap bar or you can easily make your own here too.
Take a look at our hand wash recipe here which works just has well for a body wash. Feel free to mix up the smells using different essential oils dependent on your tastes.
5. Swap any make up wipes with reusable home made ones or use a face cloth.
Simply get an old flannel sheet and cut it into small squares. Leave the squares handy in your bathroom for when you remove your make-up. All you need to do is add your face wash onto them, then just simply wash them and reuse again and again.
We would love to hear what you are getting on board with this Plastic Free July and if you have any tips for us please share them below in the comments. We're always looking for more suggestions to be more sustainable and reduce our waste further, as like everyone else - we are learning as we go too.