One of the areas we can make the biggest zero waste difference is in our bathrooms. On top of helping the environment, zero waste bathrooms can also save us money. A plastic free bathroom is getting easier and easier, thanks to the increasing global awareness over the fate of much of our plastic waste. Plastic is virtually forever. It doesn’t disappear, it just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. It is in our bodies, our food, our water, and our oceans.
Below are some tried and tested plastic free bathroom alternatives:
Tooth Brush – Swap Plastic For Bamboo
You should change your tooth brush every three to four months, leading to an average of 300 toothbrushes used over a lifetime. Most toothbrushes today are made of a mix of various plastics, possibly including BPA.
In places with established recycling programs, you could choose a preserve toothbrush made of #5 post consumer plastic and recycle it again after use.
However, #5 plastic is not widely accepted so bamboo toothbrushes are a compostable alternative. Bamboo is fast growing and can be cultivated without the use of pesticides. The bristles are usually nylon and must be removed prior to composting, however this is easy to accomplish with pliers.
The Kid’s version is perfectly sized for kids from about age 2.
Most bamboo toothbrushes are made in China, so they have a lot of transport miles to get to us. The WowE toothbrushes are no exception, however they offset this by using plastic-free packaging and donating 1% to One Tree Planted – a reforestation non-profit.
Dental Floss – Try Silk!
While on the topic of dental health, silk dental floss from Dental Lace comes in a glass container with a metal lid. The packaging (and the shipping envelope) are all 100% compostable, as is the silk floss itself. They even have a vegan version with the same great packaging, but the vegan floss is not compostable.
Review of Dental Lace Silk Floss Here!
Cloth Diapers
Modern cloth diapers are nothing like the cloth diapers of our parent’s generation. Options today include everything from deluxe organic cotton all-in-one diapers to inexpensive cotton prefolds fastened with a snappi. Yes, no more sharp safety pins!
Our soft desalinated water makes washing easy, and you get to choose exactly what covers your baby’s most sensitive areas. Solid waste is flushed down the toilet to the septic system, where it belongs.
Disposable diapers are a double whammy in the landfill. The diaper itself takes between 250-500 years to break down. The contents, human waste, is organic, and therefore creates greenhouse gasses while decomposing. It can also add pathogens to the landfill which find their way to the water through rainfall runoff.
*Budget-Friendly Tip* The average child gets changed 2,700 times in the first year alone, costing over $550 if you choose disposable diapers. You could buy enough cloth diapers to last through two children for less than that. Saving you money AND helping the environment!
Menstrual Cups
For anyone squeamish, menstrual cups are simply another way to deal with mother nature. Many women find them to be more comfortable, more hygenic, and much less expensive. They last anywhere from a few years to a decade, helping keep up to 9,600 tampons out of the landfill over an average lifetime. They are made of food grade silicone, not the surfactants, fragrances, and questionable plastics found in most women’s sanitary items.
It gets emptied as infrequently as twice a day, rinsed or washed with a gentle free & clear soap, and reused and at the end of the cycle it can be then sterilized in boiling water.
Diva cups come in two sizes, size 1 for pre-childbirth and size 2 for post childbirth or those over 30. However there are many other options on the market to suit everyone.
*Budget-Friendly Tip* A menstrual cup seems expensive, but it pays for itself within 3 to 4 months!
Rough Feet? Try Pumice
Pumice is a natural porous volcanic rock which makes a natural foot scrubber. Mine are still from the Montserrat eruptions in the 90’s – they floated all the way to St Maarten and were found on our beaches for weeks. You can also get very nice clay foot scrubbers.
Natural Soap Replaces Expensive Liquid Soaps
Liquid soaps require a huge amount of plastic packaging, most of which can’t be recycled. They also contain synthetic fragrances, dyes, and preservatives. Bar soap is usually preservative free, and we have many options available which are made from naturally moisturizing ingredients and essential oils.
Solid Shampoo and Conditioner
Like bar soap, solid shampoo and conditioner is a preservative and plastic free alternative. Many options are available to suit different hair types. Just like bar soap, you work up a shampoo lather in your hands and then apply it to your hair, or rub the bar directly on your hair. Conditioner is even easier, just rub the bar wherever your hair needs a little extra moisture and shine.
In the beginning, you may find your hair slightly oilier, or even dryer than normal as your scalp adjusts to the new routine. However, once your natural oils balance, solid shampoo can be the answer your hair has been looking for, leaving behind just the right balance of natural oils to keep your hair looking its best.
*Budget-Friendly Tip* Solid shampoo and conditioner lasts up to 6 months and are much easier to travel with. No more buying expensive travel-size containers of your favorite products!
Safety Razor
Disposable razors can’t be recycled. Besides the plastic in the razor or blade itself, the packaging is made of plastic and contains a lot of air – increasing the cost of transportation. Safety razors are made of solid metal. At the end of their life (They should last a lifetime!) the blade can be removed and the razor recycled. There is a learning curve to using one, but most people don’t go back once they get the hang of it.
Just remember to dispose of sharps correctly – they should be in a sealed container NOT loose in household trash so they don’t become a dangerous environmental contaminant.
*Budget-Friendly Tip* Imagine spending only $5 a year on shaving supplies? Good disposable cartridge blades cost up to $100 a year, and fully disposable razors can cost more than $120 a year!
Remember, it isn’t all or nothing. Start slowly, replacing your plastic items as they get used up or worn out. What plastic-free alternatives have you tried?
St Maarten / St Martin Resources
*Top Carrot in Simpson Bay has bamboo toothbrushes and Dr Bronner’s Castile soap in liquid and bar form.
*St Maarten Nectar makes natural bar soaps with essential oils right here in St Maarten. (As well as MANY other products.)
*Menstrual cups are available at Monoprix and Carrefour.
* Pre-Irma, I used to buy The Solid Bar Company solid shampoo and conditioner from The Art Box in Simpson Bay. The soaps were made in the Virgin Islands, but production is now moving to Europe.
*Nature’s Discount (Simpson Bay and Philipsburg) keeps a list of items customers are looking out for – get your name on the list and let them know you want a plastic free bathroom!
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