Bathrooms are our at home havens. They’re where we have a long soak after an exhausting day or wake ourselves up with a blast in the shower. They’re also one of the rooms in our houses that create the most waste. Fear not, at EcoVibe we’ve created you a bumper list of simple sustainable swaps and hacks so that you can turn your bathroom into a haven of sustainability.
We suggest ways to minimise waste, a sustainable skincare routine, how to stay hygienic and eco-friendly and the best way to switch to a plastic-free bathroom cleaning routine.
Minimising your waste
No, we don’t mean how often nature calls, but what we throw away and how. A lot of us are guilty of only having one bin in the bathroom which means waste that could go to recycling doesn’t end up in the right main bin.
Consider keeping your bathroom recycling in check by adding another bin, placing your empties in a spare drawer, hanging a cute bag over the door, or repurposing a nice basket or box. That way, you’ll instantly be reducing the amount of waste you send to landfills.
Of course, if you can, it’s a great idea to reduce the amount of waste you produce in the first place by making some simple switches. You’ll find some great ideas below.
A sustainable skincare routine
Looking after our skin is super important but all the tubes, pots, and packaging adds up. Skincare can be very plastic heavy! Let’s start with the basics.
Cleanse
Cleansing is part one of any good skincare routine and allows you to wipe away the grime of the day.
Switch up your plastic tube cleanser with a cleansing balm. Oil-based cleansers are great for soothing sensitive skin while maintaining your skin's natural hydration. Even if your skin is oily, by using an oil-based cleanser you’re not encouraging your skin to continue producing too much oil by drying it out, so it’s actually better for clearing up acne.
This one comes in glass rather than plastic so is easier to recycle, plus jars are great for refills.
While we’re on cleansing, it’s time to step away from the packets of cleansing wipes. Disposable wipes are really bad for your skin as they’re super drying and don’t actually clean your pores. Instead, it’s time to switch them out for a reusable alternative that is much better for the environment and that actually biodegrades.
Moisturise
Keeping skin hydrated is as vital as keeping our bodies hydrated. Upcircle’s multi-award-winning moisturiser can be refilled within the UK. It also uses waste products from other manufacturing processes to make a great moisturiser, win-win!
Sustainable hygiene
Sustainable bathroom switches don’t just stop at skincare, here are some other swaps you could be making.
Switch to solids
Refills are fab, but the issue is that they still require a lot of energy to be transported. Where you can, solid alternatives are a nifty way of reducing your carbon footprint.
Whether it’s hand soap, body wash, shampoo or conditioner, we got you!
Go plastic-free during your period
For those of us who experience a regular time of the month, we can produce a lot of waste. Especially plastic. Try switching to a menstrual cup or make a move to reusable period pants. If these aren’t your vibe then opt for plastic-free tampons and sanitary towels.
A lot of sanitary products that we’re used to contain chemicals that can make our sensitive parts feel itchy and uncomfortable, switching to something more natural can do wonders for a more comfortable period.
An extra added tip for period pain. If you need to use pain killers, keep your pill packets and recycle them via Teracycle, a great scheme for hard to recycle packaging!
Deodorant, it’s time to go Wild
A lot of deodorants contain a pile of nasties that are designed to keep your pits fresh but can also block your pores. Switching to something natural can actually make you sweat less, and keeps your skin healthy.
Wild deodorants are refillable too and come with an infinitely recyclable aluminium case and exotic natural scents.
Simple switches for sustainable mouth care
Some of the worst bathroom offenders are our toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes. Did you know that every plastic toothbrush that was ever made, still exists? Eek!
Bamboo toothbrushes are here to come to the rescue as a plastic-free alternative.
Want to Waken up your mouthwash and toothpaste? Waken produces luxury, 100% recyclable mouth care with sustainability at the heart of what they do. We love to see it. As a bonus, they’re incredibly delicious!
Sustainable bathroom cleaning
Sustainability shouldn’t stop at what we use to keep clean but how we go about cleaning the bathroom itself.
We get you, we all want our bathroom to be super sparkling clean but sometimes some of the products we use to achieve that look can be really harmful to the environment. Lots of plastic packaging, chemical-heavy products, and products filled with pollutants that pollute our air and our water. It’s not a good vibe.
Luckily there is another way. Our toilet cleaner removes tough limescale, stains, and bacteria while being bleach-free. Plus, our innovative new technology means the cleaner keeps getting rid of bacteria even after the initial clean - it's just that clever.
Plus our bathroom cleaners and toilet cleaners come in sachets, so it’s time to wave bye-bye to single-use plastic bottles and the carbon footprint of transporting them!
Not sure where to start? We’ve created a bathroom bliss kit with everything you need to get your bathroom sparkling while staying eco-friendly!
Feeling like an eco-friendly hero?
We love to see it! There are so many ways we can up the sustainability of our daily routines in the bathroom. From keeping our skincare plastic-free and natural to switching to solid shampoos and conditioners, to reducing the plastic pollution on our period, we’ve covered some of our top sustainability tips. We’ve even introduced you to our ground-breaking toilet cleaner which is bleach-free and mega effective.
Ready to keep you and your bathroom feeling fresh? Let us know if you make any of these eco-swaps in the comments below or by tagging us on social media.