Nine in ten (89%) people are unaware that half of bathroom products cannot be recycled, despite increased efforts to shop sustainably.
We took to Instagram to ask our followers about their sustainable bathroom buying habits and found that, while over half (56%) of people are not currently making a conscious effort to buy environmentally-friendly bathroom products, over three-quarters (76%) would like to begin buying more of these products in the future.
The majority of those who took the survey were also open to reusable alternatives, with a whopping 90% willing to ditch single-use bathroom products.
So, to help people make sustainable improvements to their bathroom product choices and to reduce waste, below are some simple bathroom “switch-ups” that we've put together with the help of Vegan campaigning charity, Viva!.
Shampoo and conditioner are amongst the most common bathroom products that come in plastic packaging that is often not recyclable and ends up in landfill.
Switch to refillable options, or newly popular shampoo and conditioner bars – you can always store this in a bath tidy or hardwearing soap holder for convenience.
Jasmine Clark, environment campaigner at Viva!
Brushing our teeth is a part of our daily routines, and since a single plastic toothbrush will take around 450 years to decompose, it’s really important to consider more sustainable options.
Swap out your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo option and keep up with using these instead.
Jasmine Clark, environment campaigner at Viva!
Wherever possible, swap out single-use items for reusable alternatives – as our poll shows, 90% of people are willing to make this swap so it’s worth doing some research around your most commonly used items and finding reusable alternatives.
Some of the most simple swaps are from cotton pads to reusable pads, plastic razors can be swapped to a long-term alternative where blades are swapped every so often, you can also switch out single-use toothpicks and pick up some biodegradable dental floss.
There are plenty of options to consider, just tailor your research to find the right option for you!
Jasmine Clark, environment campaigner at Viva!
Pick up some glass spray bottles to home your cleaning products and add some labels so you can keep track of which is what, then when it comes to storing them away, they already look much more presentable than the usual plastic containers.
We can often find ourselves looking for thick, soft toilet paper which we associate with quality, however, this is wasteful and the paper can actually be packed with toxins such as bleach.
One of the easiest things you can do is switch to a recycled, toxin-free toilet paper brand which is kinder to the environment and regulates chemicals you allow near your body.
If you’re willing to go that step further, there are reusable toilet paper options on the market which require a machine wash after use but this is down to personal preference.
Jasmine Clark, environment campaigner at Viva!
There are clearly a number of ways to make your bathroom more sustainable and eco-friendly, so how about you?
Have you found clever ways to improve sustainability in your bathroom?
If so, let us know about them in the comments below, or share your ideas with us on Instagram @Bi
John trained in journalism before joining the Big Bathroom Shop team. His exceptional journalism skills (and modesty) allow him to meticulously research bathroom topics and bring you the very latest news and views on all things bath and shower related. He’s a dab hand at Scrabble and is currently undertaking a domestic plumbing course to be sure he actually does know what he’s talking about!
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