When I chose to live in a small space, part of my decision was inspired by my desire to reduce my impact on the environment. There are so many ways to reduce waste in your home, but my most recent area of focus has been the bathroom. From my skincare routine to storage, these 5 tips have minimized the amount of waste I generate, while also making decisions that are better for the environment.
How To Reduce Waste, Bathroom Edition
Invest in washable cotton pads
Within my skincare routine, I noticed that I use 2-3 cotton pads per day. In the the past, I’d throw them away after each use. That is, until I discovered these washable cotton pads from S.W. Basics. Not only are they organic cotton, but you can wash them with your normal laundry. I also love that they are larger than standard cotton rounds, meaning that each pad does more for me!
Upcycled jars
Admittedly, I have a fancy candle habit. I always felt so wasteful throwing away the glass vessels when the candles were used up, so I’ve made a habit of finding ways to give them new purpose. They hold q-tips and makeup brushes in our bathroom, but also serve as garden pots. You can do the same with condiment jars, too.
Upgrade to biodegradable floss
I know it seems like a small step, but using standard floss felt wasteful to me as well! The idea of using a plastic every day and then throwing it away… I couldn’t do it. So I found this biodegradable silk floss and haven’t looked back since. I haven’t noticed a change in the quality at all since I made the swap. If you do make this change, keep in mind that you can place the used floss in your compost instead of trash!
Ditch the loofah
Don’t even get me started on those fluffy standard issue loofahs. Not only do they do a poor job of exfoliating, but they are also bastions of filth. I’ve never been able to successfully wash my loofah and then re-use it. It was always fall apart in the wash and drive me nuts. I went through a cycle where I would get new ones and then throw away the old one. So wasteful. A few months ago, I made the swap to these extra long exfoliating bath cloths and am obsessed! I love that they are machine washable and do an amazing job of exfoliating. Plus, they are towel-shaped so you can wrap it around your back and get a realllllly good scrub.
No more tissues
Tissues have always felt a bit wasteful to me, so I picked up a few basic bandanas to replace them. When they get gross, I throw them in the wash with everything else and they just get softer and softer the more I use them. It helps that bandanas are trending now, too!
Have you made any changes in your home to reduce waste? I’d love to hear what’s worked for you!
