Reducing Needless Bathroom Rubbish
Reusable cloths, when centrally located as pictured here, can almost completely replace paper towel.
The use of disposables in bathrooms is widespread, and as a result many consider this an easy first step to reducing their overall environmental footprint. Despite this, reducing waste in bathrooms, especially full bathrooms equipped with a bathtub and or shower, can require some changes in habit; however, these new environmental habits do not have to be inconvenient.
Most bathrooms create rubbish surrounding countertop items surrounding sinks, such as soap, toothpaste, and other related products. Keeping this area clean is also a major source of waste; however new products and routines can be established to effectively eliminate this needless waste throughout the bathroom.
One of the most common single use items is paper towel; paper towel is often used around sinks in bathrooms, but can be replaced with a system of reusable cloths. Small cloths contained in a basket or box ( as pictured below ) can almost completely replace paper towel, especially when accompanied by a nearby hamper for collection and washing. Paper towel can then be put away or in a less accessible area of the bathroom, which makes the use of the reusable cloths more convenient than the disposable alternative.
A reusable razor, pictured here alongside a blade cleaner, avoid the waste of disposable units.
Another almost universal source of waste in the bathroom is hand soap; hand soap is often packaged in plastic pump bottles and or some other disposable apparatus. The best alternative is the use of bar soap, especially bar soap packaged in non-plastic material, such as paper and or a reusable cloth; this prevents incurring any waste in any capacity. Some may consider a bottle of packaged soap preferable in high traffic environments for sanitary purposes, however, there is no evidence of bottled soap having any additional sanitary qualities over bar soap. Most research studies indicate neither being superior.
In full bathrooms, or bathrooms equipped with a shower and or bathtub, there are several more means for reducing rubbish, specifically regarding packaging and plastic. Many commonly used toiletries once only available in disposable plastic are sold in reusable and glass containers; one example is dental floss, which can be purchased in small glass containers. Packaged soaps used in bathtubs and showers can also be replaced by certain bar soaps; however, many soaps for use in bathing come in large containers that can be reused, either by purchasing soap in bulk or by down-cycling the container within your household for another purpose.
Steel-tubed toothpaste, a bamboo toothbrush and glass dental floss in a glass container all represent alternatives to traditional plastic options.
The use disposable personal goods is also a common habit that can be eliminated with one time purchases. Many products and personal goods used in the bathroom, such as disposable razors, creams and other such toiletries contribute significantly to bathroom rubbish.
Mouthwash, shown here packaged in reusable and non-plastic packaging.
These items can be replaced with non-disposable, environmentally packaged goods, such as glass bottled toiletries and non-disposable products; an advantage in particular to reusable razors ( pictured above ) is that regular repurchase of anything but replacement blades is no longer required.
Combined, these alterations in habit and purchase in new goods should almost completely eliminate the regular high rate of rubbish seen in bathrooms and in the long run can prove more convenient.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/well/can-a-bar-of-soap-transmit-infection.html
https://www.mightynest.com
https://packagefreeshop.com