Low Waste Bathroom Guide

Many first-time customers walk into Refillism and are immediately fascinated but overwhelmed by the expanse of eco-friendly inventory! We want to guide people through the different options available to them, so this article tackles the ins and outs of sustainable bathroom swaps you can make, specifically at Refillism. As a precursor to the list, before you purchase anything, make sure to use up what you already own and respectfully dispose of those materials! Now, let’s get started.

Dental Hygiene

A classic sustainable swap to make in your bathroom is to replace your plastic toothbrush and toothpaste tube with a bamboo toothbrush and toothpaste tablets. Our bamboo toothbrushes are completely biodegradable, excluding the bristles. If you have a compost, the toothbrush can be tossed into it, as long as you remove the bristles, after about four months of use.

At Refillism, you can bring or buy a container to hold toothpaste tablets as a substitute to tubed toothpaste. Though it seems like a strange adjustment, it is one of the more popular swaps customers make! You simple wet your toothbrush, chew the tab – then brush! We also have mouthwash tablets, which work essentially the same way.

There are many sustainable options for lip balm as well. Whether it comes in a cardboard tube, a metal tin, or you decide to bring your own tin to refill with our locally made orange lip balm, any of these options are better than the stereotypical plastic chapstick tubes.

Hair Care

There are a few options for shampoo and conditioner swaps if you are looking for something with more natural ingredients, which also produce less waste. One alternative is to try shampoo and conditioner bars. While they’re not what most are used to, and there is a learning curve, the bars merely need to be lathered between the hands or directly on the scalp. At Refillism, we just got a new shampoo bar in – our apple cider vinegar and citrus bar – it smells divine.

If you’d prefer a liquid shampoo or conditioner, there are options at bulk stores like Refillism! The environmental impacts of bulk stores are significant, as they allow you to avoid purchasing extra packaging every time you come to the store, which reduces the amount of CO2 the packaging’s production emits. At Refillism, for instance, you can fill bottles with many different shampoo and conditioner scents including sweet pea, peppermint, lavender, unscented, etc.

Sometimes it’s the everyday routines that we might not think even come with eco-friendly swaps, like doing our hair. Biodegradable hair ties and a bamboo hairbrush complete the hair care sustainability starter set. Our hair ties are compostable (made from organic cotton and rubber) and are actually dyed with “eco-dyes” as well!

Soaps

A simple bar of soap is always a sustainable way to go compared to most liquid soaps found in your everyday supermarket that contain known carcinogens. Woodburne Naturals is the local soap company that provides a variety of soap bars to Refillism.

However, as with shampoo bars, many might still prefer a liquid soap option for their bathrooms. Luckily, bulk stores come to the rescue in this case as well. Refillism carries a variety of options including a lavender hand soap and peppermint. All of our body washes can sub in for hand soaps as well.

While in the shower, a sisal washcloth or exfoliating ball are both wonderful choices to pick instead of plastic loofahs or washcloths made with polyester.

Trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle can seem overwhelming at times, but it’s important to remember that it does not need to be done perfectly. One change alone helps the planet, so if you are just starting to research environmental swaps, try choosing one item from the above list. Maybe you don’t like it … that’s okay, it’s biodegradable! But in all seriousness, the fact that you’re here and interested in stopping the mass accumulation of waste on this planet speaks to your heart in the issue, and Refillism thanks you for it.

References

Carolyn. About Us. Woodburne Naturals. https://www.woodburnenaturals.com/

R, Jarel. How Much Can Bulk Stores Help Reduce Carbon Footprint by Limiting Plastic Packaging? Sonar. https://sonar.ch/hesso/documents/315165#:~:text=The%20plastic%20packaging%20carbon%20footprint,customers%20and%20bulk%20stores'%20clients.

K, Michael. 7 Harmful Chemicals in Soap and the Best Soap Alternatives. Tree to Tub. https://treetotub.com/blogs/blog-posts/5-harmful-ingredients-in-soap-and-what-you-can-use-to-replace-them