This is a series of articles on how to make your home more eco-friendly room by room, read the other articles here:
How can I make my home eco-friendly? KITCHEN
Eco-friendly home: Energy, Lights, and Reusables.
Get rid of stuff in an eco-friendly way
Eco-friendly home: Bedroom, Home office, Miscellaneous
If you are on a budget, I also have a list of 20 actions that you can take that will save the plant and save you money at the same time.
Eco-friendly bathroom
To be honest, this is the room in our house that needs the most improvements on our part. There is much more to be done that we haven’t done yet. The reason is mostly that where we live there are not enough eco-friendly alternatives to toiletries. I make our soap, but I don’t make our toothpaste or shampoo, so we are reliant on what is available, and most available options are not great.
To make the bathroom more eco-friendly you need to focus on the bathroom infrastructure like the shower, the toilet, the sink; your actions and habits; the bathroom toiletries, plus make-up if you use it; cleaning products, and waste management of the bathroom.
Contents
- Infrastructure
- Actions to take
- Toiletries
- Other items (toilet paper, toothbrush, razor, etc.)
- Cleaning products
- Greywater system
Infrastructure
Fix any water leak
Difficulty to implement: Easy
Impact: High
It is very important to fix any water leak you might have at home. The same is true for your kitchen. Fix a leaking toilet, sink faucet or showerhead. A leaking toilet can waste as much as 180 gallons of water per week. This is obviously a waste of water, and of your resources.
The toilet
Difficulty to implement: Medium
Impact: High
According to EPA, almost 30% of the water we use in the household is the water we flush down the toilet. Old toilets used as much as 6 gallons of water per flush. Now, fortunately, most toilets come with a built water-saving system that lets you pick how much water you use. The dual flush gives you the option of using 1.6 gallons for a flush or about half of that. There are even low-flow toilets now, that only use 1.28 gallons per flush.
When you replace your toilet, to ensure the toilet is eco-friendly, look at toilets with EPA’s certification called WaterSense Label. This way you can save up to 13.000 gallons of water per year, or 140$ per year on your water bill.
Alternative water saving tips
You can find many people on the internet recommending putting a brick or water bottle (filled with water) in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used in one flush.
I also recommend not flushing each time after you go to pee and flush later when there is more collected. The motto here is: If it’s yellow, let it mellow. It might seem a bit extreme to some, but it works fine for us. We are only two at our house and we don’t do this when we have guests at home.
The shower
Difficulty to implement: Easy
Impact: High
You must have heard this many times. Take a shower instead of a bath and take short showers! I like the method of picking a good song, lasting a maximum of 5 minutes, and showering for only the time the song is playing.
Install water-saving shower heads and faucet
Difficulty to implement: Easy
Impact: High
The short efficient shower will use only a third of the water used in a bath. There are shower heads that can save a lot of water in the shower. Standard showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water per minute. Water-saving showerheads use around 2.0 gallons per minute, saving around 20% of the water. Moreover, this will also reduce demands on water heaters, so you will also save energy. The low-flow showerheads aerate the water so you get the same feeling as with traditional showerhead, but with less water used.
Other actions to take
Switch to LED lights
Difficulty to implement: Easy
Impact: High
As everywhere in your house/apartment, switch to LED light bulb as they are enormously energy-efficient and they last far, far longer than incandescent or halogen bulbs.
Use the water
Difficulty to implement: Easy
Impact: Low
One little thing that we do, is to collect the cold water while waiting until the water heats for taking a shower. We use the collected water to water our plants. We have a special big bottle for this in the bathroom, and we save a lot of water this way.
Turn off the water
Difficulty to implement: Easy
Impact: Medium
There’s no need to keep the tap running when you’re washing your hands or brushing your teeth. To become more eco-friendly in the bathroom, simply turn the tap off until you need that water to rinse.
Line-dry bathroom textiles
Difficulty to implement: Easy
Impact: Low
After washing all the towels, robes, bath mats, etc. don’t use the drier, line-dry them instead on your balcony or yard.
Recycle all the packaging that you cannot avoid
Difficulty to implement: Medium
Impact: Medium
As mentioned before, you might not be able to switch everything to no packaging, but hopefully, you switch to packaging that is possible to recycle, and then you go ahead and recycle each container properly.
Toiletries
Difficulty to implement: Medium
Impact: Medium
For us, this is the most difficult part, as there are no good options to switch to. I will keep searching until we find the options we are comfortable with.
Shampoo and conditioner
There are a few options here. First, you can find a good shampoo and conditioner in a bar format, which does not require any packaging. Second, you can find a provider in bulk, so that you will refill your own containers. As a last resort, look for shampoos in recyclable packaging. Unfortunately, many shampoos are packaged in mixed plastic packaging that is not possible to recycle.
In my case, I haven’t found a good bar or in bulk shampoo that would work with my hair. I tried the “no-poo” method, which worked fine, but is a big hassle when you have as long hair as I do. Now we buy shampoo in recyclable packaging until I find a better solution.
Soap
This one is easy, I make my own soap, no packaging. But it is very easy to find artisan soap with no packaging that is made locally. Better for your skin, better for the environment.
Shaving cream
Use a good artisan soap that makes thick lather. There are specialized shaving soap or see if your usual artisan soap is good for this.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste comes in paper box, sometimes lined with plastic and then the toothpaste tube that you cant recycle. Moreover, commercial toothpaste usually contains not-so-great ingredients. To improve, you can search for a better provider of toothpaste with better organic ingredients and greener packaging (glass jars), like Lucky Teeth.
You can also start and make your own toothpaste, there are many recipes on the internet using simple ingredients like coconut oil, baking soda, essential oils, etc. I have tried homemade toothpaste and loved it. I haven’t made it yet, because I want to make mine with clay, and I was unable to find clay suitable for internal use yet. Once I get it, I am switching to homemade.
Cosmetics, make-up, etc.
The traditional cosmetics and makeup use chemicals and toxic ingredients and unsustainable resources in their production processes. Moreover, they usually use excessive plastic packaging that is rarely recycled after use. Usually, because these products are made from mixed plastics.
In order to choose a greener option, look out for these 3 characteristics. Natural organic ingredients as natural oils, and herbs and/or biodegradable formula that ensures the products are capable of decomposing naturally after they are washed away. Search for less and better packaging options and companies that have vegan, cruelty-free, fair trade certifications.
This category is easy for me, as I don’t use any makeup and I only use organic rosehip oil on my skin. I buy the oil in a glass container which I recycle.
Other items
The toilet paper
Difficulty to implement: Easy
Impact: Low – Medium
We have found a toilet paper provider that offers toilet paper in bulk, made of recycled paper with no plastic wrapping. We buy a full box, we recycle the box or use it in our worm bin, and the cardboard rolls can be recycled or put in the worm bin too. See if you can find a provider with the same characteristics and switch to that. The less plastic the better.
Not many people would be willing to give up toilet paper. Still, there are people who use reusable cloth wipes instead of toilet paper and wash them for the next use. Others will have a bidet installed and clean with water after the toilet use. We will definitely install a bidet in the house we are going to build in the countryside.
Razors
Difficulty to implement: Easy
Impact: Low – Medium
All disposable razors will eventually go to landfills and they will pollute our planet. We are sending billions of disposable razors to landfills every year. Something that you can do to reduce this pollution is to start using the old-school stainless steel safety razors.
This item can last for decades, even a lifetime. You just need to change the blades, and those can be recycled, as they are made from metal. Anyways, this is what my grandfather used his whole life. I remember how he used to take his shaving kit every morning, take the brush, make some foam, put it on his face, and shave. Every morning for decades, the same razor.
Toothbrush
Difficulty to implement: Easy
Impact: Low – Medium
Same as with razors, billions of plastic toothbrushes end up in landfills every year. They will take many many years to decompose. I read somewhere that all the plastic toothbrushes ever made are still here, on our planet, somewhere in a landfill or in the ocean.
Unfortunately, there is no clear answer as to what is the best and the most eco-friendly option. An important fact is to not only worry about the material used but also where was the toothbrush made.
Some options use eco-friendly materials, are compostable, but are mostly made in China and have to be transported. Others are national but made of recycled plastic. The choice is yours. Do research relevant to your particular situation, find the best provider, and stick with it.
Bamboo or wooden toothbrush
It is an excellent compostable option. After you are done using it, you need to dispose of it so it has a chance to decompose. Do not put them in the trash! Cut the brush it in smaller pieces, put it in the worm bin or compost. Depending on the material of the bristles, you might need to take them out. Usually, the bristles are made of nylon. The caveat here is that bamboo brushes are usually made in China.
Toothbrush from recycled plastic
Another option is to find a toothbrush that is made of recycled materials, for example, Preserve toothbrush handles are made of 100% recycled polypropylene plastic (#5 plastic). According to their page, polypropylene is one of the safest plastics, but also one of the least recycled plastics. Some of their products come also in paper packaging. Their products are made in the USA. They will also take your used brushes back and recycle them again!
Replaceable head toothbrush
The last option is to use a toothbrush with a replaceable head, so you use the same handle for years, and only exchange the head. This is still using and throwing away plastic, but it is a better solution than replacing the whole toothbrush.
Q-tips
Difficulty to implement: Easy
Impact: Low – Medium
Most doctors and experts agree that the use of Q-tips may be harmful to your health. Stop using them. We stopped more than a year ago, at first we were nervous about it. Now, we don’t miss them. We just clean our ears while in the shower, and dry them with a towel.
Feminine products
Difficulty to implement: Easy
Impact: Medium
Switch to a menstrual cup, it will cost you 20-50 USD and you won’t need to purchase anything else for years. The first few months might be more difficult as you will have to get used to it, but once you get the hang of it, you won’t regret it.
If you prefer pads, search for reusable, washable pads made of cotton. You wash them after each use and use them over and over again.
GladRags has all the products you might need: pads, panty liners, cups, even menstrual sponges. Look at their site and get inspired to make the switch!
Towels, mats, etc.
Difficulty to implement: Easy
Impact: Low
When you are in need of a new towel, robe, bath mat, or other textiles for the bathroom, choose them made out of sustainable materials like organic cotton, organically grown bamboo, hemp, linen. To read more about eco-friendly fabrics, read my article, where I explain everything about them here.
Cleaning products
Difficulty to implement: Easy
Impact: Medium
Store-bought
Same as with all the cosmetics, it would be great if you switched to greener cleaning products with no harsh chemicals, that are not good for your health, or the planet. Fortunately, there are plenty of eco-friendly brands that use organic ingredients and have a biodegradable formula. The known brands are Ecover, Seventh generation, or MethodHome.
We buy one brand of detergent for dishes that I will use as an all-purpose cleaner and the same brand of laundry detergent, both with biodegradable formula. I buy them in bulk in my own container, I do not buy anything else.
Homemade
You can also easily make your own cleaning products. I, for example, brew a citrus vinegar that I use to clean kitchen and bathroom surfaces and the floors. I also use it to clean the shower and the toilet.
There are many recipes on the internet using ingredients like baking soda, lemon juice, vinegar, cornstarch, alcohol or other common ingredients to make better cleaning products for your home.
Greywater system
Difficulty to implement: Difficult
Impact: High
If you live in a house, you could look into installing a greywater system to reuse the water from the shower, the bathroom and kitchen sink, the washing machine, and the dishwasher. These systems filter the water and you can re-use all this water to water your garden or yard.
For more impact in your house read other articles from the series:
How can I make my home eco-friendly? KITCHEN
Eco-friendly home: Energy, Lights, and Reusables.
Get rid of stuff in an eco-friendly way
Eco-friendly home: Bedroom, Home office, Miscellaneous
I am not using any affiliate links, everything I recommend is because I like it and think it is useful. Feel free to search for different options in the same products category.
