As my first plastic-free post, I thought I’d start with the same room that inspired me to try and cut down on the single use plastic throughout my home, and it’s also one of the easiest rooms to start with. There are so many bathroom products out there that don’t use single use plastics, are far better for the environment and some are even much better for you too! In my search for different products I have also found that you can buy a lot of plastic free products from small, local business, so if that is something that’s important to you too, make sure you shop around!
Hand Wash/Soap
Probably one of the easiest swaps to make and the first one I made, there are so many different bar soaps available today. You can go local, support the small business that hand make each bar or grab them with your weekly shop. Just look for the ones that aren’t wrapped in plastic and if you’re having them shipped to you, try and buy them from somewhere that offers plastic free shipping too! I’m currently still using bar soap from previous subscription boxes but I have purchased a few from small business. Literary Lip Balm’s Pride and Peppermint is one of my favourite hand-made soaps. It’s vegan, plastic free and contains no artificial fragrances, and you can use it on your body too! If you’re on a budget and looking for something you can pick up on the high street, I suggest Faith in Nature’s bar soaps, they’re also vegan, plastic free and contain one hundred percent natural fragrances.
Razor (and blades)
This change will not only massively reduce the amount of single use plastic you contribute to landfill, but will also save you some serious money! Let me introduce you to the wonderful Safety Razor. I use this exact one but in black. It’ll set you back about £18 but don’t let that put you off. It’s stainless steel so if you look after it properly it can last a very long time. The blades you buy separately however, they are so cheap! I bought 100 blades for £7.50 and probably get about 3-5 shaves from each blade. This particular razor fits all standard double edged razor blades. So not only is this great for the environment but also, your pocket! At the moment I save the used razor blades and put them into a money tin that you have to use a tin opener to open, I believe this can then be recycled but please check with your local recycling first!
Shampoo
Everyone’s hair is different. What works for one will not necessarily work for another. However this swap should be pretty easy to make due to the sheer amount of bar shampoos now available online and in some high street shops. Lush is a perfect example, they have so many different kinds to try and for all different hair types, their shampoo bars are shipped in plastic free packaging too! However Lush is pretty expensive, so if you’re looking for a plastic free alternative to your usual high street shampoo then let me suggest Faith in Nature.. (again). I use their Coconut and Shea Butter shampoo bar which is parabens and Sulphate-free, vegan and contains one hundred percent natural ingredients. However they have many different ones for you to try and find which works best for you. Don’t want to support a big company? There are so many small, local business that hand make shampoo bars! Check out Etsy if you’re struggling to find some and then do a quick search to check if they have their own website.
Toothbrush
This is a biggy. Even if you use an electric one and just change the heads, think how many you throw away a year, then think of the hundreds of thousands of people doing exactly the same thing! So, what can you use instead you ask? Bamboo! Bamboo is natural, it’s plant based, fast growing and one hundred percent biodegradable. As long as the bamboo is ethically sourced, you can’t really go wrong! Shop around for which one works best for you, as everyone is different. However if you need a place to start check out The Environmental Toothbrush, which is what I use! If you use an electric toothbrush you can now find recyclable heads for them in some Eco online stores, so they’re not completely plastic free but recyclable is better than nothing.
And last but certainly not least…
Sanitary Pads/Tampons
For me, this was the big change. The one product I was horrified with after finding out just how much single use plastic waste I was producing. If you want to check for yourself to get a real idea then head over to DAME’s Period Calculator! Now, there are SO MANY different products on the market to try and figure out which works best for you. The most planet friendly are probably the menstrual cup and reusable pads/period underwear, if looked after properly they can last a long time. For me, however, I wasn’t quite ready to try the cup and I don’t use pads, so DAME’s Reusable Tampon Applicator and Organic Tampons is what I chose to use. My verdict? I love it. Easy to use and clean, reasonably priced and a subscription service delivered straight to my door in plastic free packaging! Again with this particular change, it really depends on the person and what you are comfortable with, but if you want to make the change then go for it. Shop around and see what fits you best!
I hope I didn’t come across preachy on this post haha! Let me know what you think? Have you cut out any single use plastic items from your shopping list recently? Are there any you recommend? And I’d absolutely love to know if this post was helpful if you’re looking to reduce your single use plastic usage!
herpaperadventure.com 