8 Bathroom Changes to Save the Planet

8 Bathroom Changes to Save the Planet

If it feels like your bathroom is overflowing with plastics, toiletries or cleaning products, you’re not alone. Luckily, making a few simple changes can quickly transform your bathroom into an eco-friendly space.

Reduce Waste

Whereas biodegradable and plastic free products used to be hard to come by on the high street, now you can find eco-friendly alternatives in most supermarkets.

1. Shampoo bars and solid soaps

Moving away from liquid shampoo, conditioner or handwash is a great first step. Swapping to solid bars means you can buy a product that’s either packaging-free, or sold in a cardboard box that’s easy to recycle.

Bars are smaller and lighter to transport than liquids, giving them a lower carbon footprint. They also tend to last much longer than one bottle of liquid soap or shampoo, so they could save you money, too.

We love Rowdy Kind who make hair and body soaps suitable for the whole family.

Rowdy Kind

2. Flannels

Cotton pads, wet wipes and make-up remover wipes might be convenient, but wipes alone are responsible for 93% of sewer blockages. A flannel soaked in tap water can do a great job of removing make-up, and they’re also perfect for quickly cleaning sticky paws and mucky faces after dinner.

3. Biodegradable toothbrush

It can take up to 500 years for a plastic toothbrush to degrade, and 4 out of 5 of them end up in the sea. Switching to biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes will make you feel better about the 300 brushes that you’ll use in your lifetime.

If you use an electric toothbrush, check out recyclable toothbrush heads to keep plastic waste to a minimum.

4. Refillable toiletries

Switching to refills is a great way to reduce plastic consumption. Visiting a zero waste shop means you can still use liquid toiletries or cleaning products without buying more plastic, while online companies like Smol produce tablets that can be dissolved in your existing bottles to end single-use plastic.

Zero waste bathroom

Reduce Energy Use

It’s not just product swaps that could help you achieve an eco-bathroom. Reducing energy use is great for the planet and your bank balance.

5. Use LED lights

If you’ve switched over to LED light bulbs elsewhere at home, check you’ve not forgotten your bathroom and replace the bulb with something more energy efficient if necessary.

6. Save water

You can cut back on the amount of water you use by having quicker showers, showering older children instead of bathing them, and installing low-flow taps or showerheads.

7. Reduce water temperature

To reduce energy use and cut your monthly bill, check your boiler to see if you can reduce the temperature of the water supply to your hot taps.

If your shower doesn’t really need to be as hot as it is, turn it down by a degree or two as well.

Consider Textiles

Cotton uses 3% of global water, and the textiles industry is responsible for 10% of the planet’s carbon footprint. Being mindful of the textiles we buy (or rent!) can positively impact the planet.

8. Buy organic

The most eco-friendly option is not to buy new towels or linens, but if you do need to splash out, try to buy organic cotton or bamboo.

If you buy new towels, you can re-purpose any old ones by using them to:

  • Protect floors when decorating
  • Create dens in the garden
  • Dry the dog off after a walk
  • Protect the boot of your car

Once you really can’t use them any longer, most local recycling centres will accept them.

There are lots of simple ways to begin making your bathroom more eco-friendly. You don’t need to do everything all at once, but making one or two changes now could make a big difference to the planet while saving you money, too.

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With Borro, you get high-quality kidswear without the commitment, just what you need, when you need it. Helping you save time, save money, and save the planet.

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We only include one pre-paid returns label per order, so if you choose to send just some of an order back and the rest later, you will need to pay for the postage of the second return. 

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