3 Simple Swaps for a Zero Waste Bathroom
When I began reducing waste in our home years ago, I remember feeling completely overwhelmed by the idea of a zero waste bathroom. Plastic shampoo bottles, toothpaste tubes, lotion bottles, deodorant and more filled our cabinets.
I desperately wanted to get rid of all the plastic containers in our bathroom. However, on top of all of the plastic packaging, I found myself facing another obstacle. All of the zero waste bathroom swaps I wanted to implement wouldn’t come easily to me. I experimented with DIY recipes, and I tried several different shampoo bars and natural deodorants. Thankfully, my strong will persisted, and I continued my zero waste challenge. Regardless, what if I had given up after feeling defeated?
Oftentimes, I think people give up on reducing waste in their homes because the magnitude of the task intimidates them.
While reminiscing on the difficulties I had when beginning my zero waste journey, I recognized how much more easily I could have transitioned my bathroom if someone had introduced small and easy changed to me first. Oftentimes, small wins in the beginning help to motivate me in taking on more daunting challenges later.
So today I’m sharing 3 super simple swaps for a zero waste bathroom with you. If you or a friend have recently begun working towards a more zero waste lifestyle and have struggled to know where to begin, this post is for you!
Bamboo Toothbrush
I’ll introduce our simple swaps for a zero waste bathroom with my first sustainable swap – the bamboo toothbrush. I bought my first bamboo toothbrush almost 4 years ago. Apparently, I’m not the only one who appreciates this one! I asked my Instagram friends about their easiest zero waste bathroom swap, and around 70% of them answered with bamboo toothbrush as well. This small investment should get used every single day. For most people, this simple fix reduces plastic use with zero effort. It’s a great first step in the journey to zero waste.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Recycled Toilet Paper in Plastic Free Packaging by Elemental Recycled Products
UPDATE: Since writing this blog post, unfortunately my favorite plastic free toilet paper company has gone out of business. It makes me so sad, because I’d really love for any company that’s working to do good things for the environment to thrive and grow. Since I just recently ran out of toilet paper, I went on the hunt for another trusted brand of plastic free toilet paper. It was not an easy endeavor!
I found quite a few brands that were almost what I was looking for but not quite. For example, several friends recommended the brand Who Gives a Crap. However, this is an Aussie based company, and I was really hoping I could find a USA based brand like Elemental Recycled Products. I found two other brands, BimBamBoo and Reel, that are both USA based, however, their toilet paper is manufactured in China. These three brands are all really wonderful but I really wanted something on par with my previous toilet paper provider. Anddddd I think I finally found it….
After lots of googling and scouring the interwebs, I think I’ve finally found the perfect zero waste toilet paper. It’s recycled paper toilet paper, made in the USA, comes wrapped in paper not plastic, is affordable, and get this… you can buy it on Amazon WITH Amazon Prime, so free shipping. I know, it honestly sounds too good to be true but I think it’s real!
I would say the only downfall to this toilet paper is that it comes in a giant box of 80 rolls. That is A LOT of toilet paper. I did come up with a solution for this problem though. You could go in with a friend and split the cost of the box of toilet paper and share the rolls. I’m thinking about doing this with a couple of friends actually. It’ll be cheaper for all three of us and we won’t have a huge amount of toilet paper to store. Winning for everyone!
If you want to take a peak at this toilet paper yourself, head over to Amazon and let me know your thoughts:
I’m so thrilled to share this hidden gem with you! Up until last fall, we bought toilet paper from the grocery store in plastic packaging. I hadn’t found any better option. Of course, I heard some households used “family cloth” or “cloth reusable toilet paper.” However, honestly my family and I didn’t really want to try that method. Nonetheless, all of the grocery store toilet paper, including recycled toilet paper, came wrapped in plastic.
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Get 10% off your first zero waste order and all the latest Tiny Yellow Bungalow news!Fortunately, I learned about Elemental Recycled Products last year though, and we’ve been using their toilet paper ever since! This sustainable toilet paper subscription service delivers plastic free and recycled paper toilet tissue straight to your door. Genius, right?!
The Nashville, Tennessee, based company has an incredible business model that promotes and upholds significant sustainable values. They have their chlorine free toilet paper made in the US from 100% recycled fibers with 80% post consumer recycled fiber. Recycled paper uses 64% less energy, create 74% less pollution, and uses 50% less water.
Typically, we order the 48 rolls box of toilet paper. It competitively comes to just under $1 per roll of toilet paper which is actually cheaper than Charmin toilet paper. Each roll contains 400 2-Ply sheets which is 4 times bigger than a standard roll of toilet tissue.
The toilet paper from Elemental Recycled Products is affordable, plastic free, and conveniently delivered to our home. Such a smart and easy zero waste bathroom swap!!
Bar Soap
Finally, using bar soap instead of body wash fell right behind using bamboo toothbrushes among my Instagram friends. You can make this simple swap for a zero waste bathroom conveniently because you can often find bar soap locally. I have spotted local soap makers at our town’s farmers’ market, and I’ve also seen bar soaps available at the grocery store. If you can’t find natural handmade soaps in your town, you can always snag some from the Tiny Yellow Bungalow shop. The ones in the shop are palm oil free, chemical and preservative free, and vegan. They also come wrapped in flower seed paper you can plant to grow wildflowers.
Like the bamboo toothbrush, the soap bar switch affordably reduces plastic, and you will use it every day! It’s a simple change but one with a significant sustainable effect.
Baby Steps Towards Zero Waste
Bamboo toothbrushes, Elemental recycled toilet paper, and bar soaps are 3 really simple swaps for a zero waste bathroom to help you get started! I hope you will see zero waste as a journey rather than a destination. So, enjoy the little wins and keep at it!
What do you think is the easiest zero waste bathroom swap? What’s the swap you’ve struggled with the most? What’s the next step in your zero waste journey?
You might also enjoy these blog posts from Tiny Yellow Bungalow!
beginner’s guide to zero waste
5 simples switches for an eco friendly kitchen
The photo on their site looks like it comes wrapped in plastic. Can you clarify what the wrapping is made from? Also, it seems they only ship 48 rolls. I live in a really small space (200 sq ft) and cannot figure out where I would store that much tp. Especially since it’s only me and would take forever to use. Thanks!
When you are checking out, you have the option for plastic free packaging and they also have the option for a 24 pack that might be a better option for you! 🙂
I’ve been ordering my toilet paper online as well from a UK company called Who Gives a Crap. They also sell 100% recycled paper toilet paper which is wrapped in paper and shipped in cardboard–no plastic (except tape, maybe). They also have bamboo paper products. I try not to buy anything from Amazon, and at this point, Who Gives a Crap hasn’t been subsumed into the Amazon empire.
Check out here: https://us.whogivesacrap.org/products/100-recycled-toilet-paper-jumbo-rolls?utm_source=google_adverts&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=usa_branded_keyterms&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhYPamKG45QIVsyCtBh1q1gzcEAAYAiAAEgLzp_D_BwE
Hey Sarah! I know a lot of people really love Who Gives a Crap. I’m glad you found a brand you like! One of my boxes to check when ordering TP was that it was Made in USA so that’s why I chose the one I shared in this post. Also, you don’t have to purchase the paper I listed from Amazon I don’t think! The brand is Scott. I’m sure you could purchase directly from their website. I just discovered them through Amazon 🙂 Thanks so much for commenting on my post and sharing your fave TP brand!!
I also do not buy anything from Amazon. Who Gives a Crap offers bamboo products which feels like a better ecological choice than paper.
Hi Patricia! Yes, I have heard great things about that brand. I really wanted to purchase TP that was made in USA from recycled paper rather than fresh paper from bamboo in China. That’s why I chose the brand I did over Who Gives A Crap! And I think you don’t have to purchase it directly through Amazon. The brand is Scott, and you could probably purchase directly through their website 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on my blog post, means a lot!!
maybe shipping is also worth a thought. it‘s nice to have eco friendly toilet paper but shipping it via amazon around the world (or within the country) is really not ecofriendly and zero waste either. it might be even worse for the environment (if you consider that – at least in europe – you have a good working waste separation system and you can recycle plastic). i know this post doesn‘t help much because i don‘t have an idea what would be the best solution in this case but i it‘s worth a thought in a holistic way.
Oh totally! The impact of shipping is definitely something worth considering. The reason I try to avoid plastic packaging if possible is because every piece of plastic ever created still exists today. Most plastics tend to be down cycled rather than continuously recycled. I think you’re right. There’s probably not one right answer and it depends on where you live as well and also what is accessible to you. Thank you for commenting on my blog post!