What’s in your bathroom’s trash bin? Do you see plastic wrappers, bottles, tubs and tubes? That’s because your personal care routine is chock-full of plastic and disposable containers. Fear not! It’s 2020 and there are solutions to this waste dilemma. Read on to learn about how you can cut waste out of your hygiene routine.
Choose bars over bottles
Thankfully, times have changed since we could only rely on plastic squeeze bottles to hold our personal care and hygiene products. You can buy solid shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand soap and hair dye bars. Have you heard of toothpaste tablets? In most cases, all you need to do is add water and lather. These “naked” toiletries take way less space than clunky plastic bottles and containers. You also never have to worry about any product getting left behind in the bottle. When your product is done, there is nothing to throw out. Zero waste!
Buy big
It might cost a little more up-front but buying big actually saves you money. If you can, consider buying family or bulk sizes of your favourite personal care products. I haven’t found a zero-waste face moisturizing solution yet. In the meantime, I buy the biggest size of my favourite face lotion and it lasts me a year.
Say no to single-use
How many items do you trash after your skincare routine? Cotton pads, cotton swabs, razors sheet masks and makeup removing wipes are common waste culprits. Personal care items that are designed for a single use are really designed for landfill. Luckily, reusable alternatives exist. A wet face cloth and some coconut oil can go a long way for makeup removing. Reusable cotton pads are a thing, too; You can buy a set (or make your own) and wash them with your laundry every week.
Menstruation products can be wasteful too. I’ve had a few friends switch to silicone menstrual cups and they haven’t looked back. If you’re not ready to try out a new product just yet, compostable tampons, reusable and washable pads, and period underwear are other options you can try out.
Remember, you are allowed to pick and choose your zero waste swaps. There’s no pressure to use products you don’t want.
Make your own
I’ll be the first to admit, I love rosewater sprays. They smell great and feel so refreshing on my skin. But, do I need to go out and buy a bottle of it every few months? It’s rosewater. That’s roses and… water. This is something I can make myself. I might not have access to fresh roses all the time, but that’s just an example. You can make tons of personal care items with everyday products you might already have at home. A lot of the active ingredients in your favourite hair and skincare products are already sitting in your pantry and fridge. Here are some ideas:
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Aloe vera for sensitive skin
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Sugar scrubs for soft lips and skin
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Sugar waxing
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Oatmeal face masks
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Olive oil for hair masks
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Rice water for hair growth
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Coconut oil for moisturizing skin and hair, for oil pulling and for makeup removing
Refill and reuse your containers
Now you know how to zero waste your personal care habits. What about the products you can’t find “naked”? What do you do about all the containers still sitting in your shower? Look out for businesses that run take-back programs. MAC Cosmetics, Lush Cosmetics and The Body Shop offer these kinds of programs. These businesses encourage you to bring back your empties. They clean, recycle, refill and reuse them. There is usually an incentive encouraging customers to bring back a certain number of empty containers for a gift. That sounds like a win-win if you ask me.
A zero-waste personal care regimen producing minimal waste is as clean as it gets. Some of my favourite products are the ones I make myself. Plus, I find myself saving money when I skip the packaged stuff. Trust me, you don’t want an overflowing bathroom bin.
Being aware of your environmental impact and finding ways to shrink it is important. Zero waste doesn’t happen overnight. Keep checking Her Campus Carleton to find new and exciting ways to live life with little waste.