SWAPS IN THE BATHROOM
When surveyed many people did not recycle their waste from the bathroom. If you are one of these people, that is a way to initially make a change. Bottles and toilet rolls can all go into the recycling.
When you have used up the products, you could use the bottles and refill them or start to find plastic free alternatives.
Same cost or cheaper
Shower gel to a bar of soap
There are many soap options in stores such as Elf foods in Loughborough or Lush in Leicester to suit all skin types. Alternatively soaps like Dove come in a simple cardboard box. The Cleaning Cabinet and Nada also have refillable shower gel but it is a lot more expensive.
Plastic 'scrubbie' to a cotton/bamboo flannel
Every time you use a scrubbie, it will shed plastic into the water system. You can pick up a cotton flannel for next to nothing. Just buy each member of the family a different colour to help distinguish whose is whose!
Tissues to a hankie
If you buy yourself a set of hankies you will very rarely need to use tissues. If you do prefer tissues, try to find a box that doesn't have a plastic rim and take these with you rather than the individual plastic packet.
Make up wipes to reusable make up removing pads
Any wet wipes are terrible for the environment. Reusable make up removing pads, made from crocheted cotton or cotton terry cloth, can be used again and again. Simply wipe off your make up and throw them in the wash.
Make up remover to coconut oil
Coconut oil can be used for a wide range of beauty treatments. Use it together with a reusable pad to remove your make up. Glass jars of the oil can be bought in most supermarkets - yes it is the same stuff you can use to cook with!
Lip balm in a tube to balm in a tin
Lip balm tubes are not currently recycled and are therefore another plastic product that will end up in landfill. There are many different companies that make a balm in a tin made with cocoa butter or coconut oils.
Shampoo/Conditioner to either a refill or a bar
Shampoo and Conditioner bars really seem to be a Marmite experience and having to try several can get expensive. Instead, you could fill up an empty bottles at the plastic free shop Nada in Leicester or the Cleaning Cabinet in Loughborough. They buy in bulk and you decant it into your own bottle. Just work out the price before you pump - some can work out a lot more expensive.
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Bubble bath to unpackaged bath bombs
If you like a few bubbles, try and find some ‘naked’ products at shops like Lush or on market stalls.
A Greater Cost
Plastic toothbrush to a bamboo toothbrush
A lot of people have already jumped on this easy swap. Toothbrushes last forever in the environment and cannot easily be recycled by councils. Bamboo toothbrushes can be bought from Agora in Woodhouse Eaves, plastic free shops, health food stores or online. If you have a family, they can come with coloured ends to determine whose is whose.
Cotton plastic buds to Bamboo or paper buds
This one has been made easier by the government banning plastic cotton buds. Stores now sell paper stem or bamboo varieties.
Regular Toilet paper to a recycled loo roll
You order a box of rolls online from companies like Who Gives a Crap or Serious Tissues and they arrive in bulk in a cardboard box. These companies use only recycled material to make the loo roll.
Dental floss to compostable dental silk
There are various companies now making this. Georganics silk is a strong favourite with us. It comes in a little glass container and the floss can then be put in your compost caddy. When you have finished the reel, you can buy refills without the glass jar.
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Mouthwash to mouthwash tabs
Many companies that make toothpaste also make a mouthwash tab. At around 4p a tab they are expensive. The tabs come in a glass jar and look like a little mint.
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Branded deodorant to eco-friendly deodorant
Although there are a few brands of deodorant in glass, many are packaged in plastic and are not recyclable. Eco-friendly stick deodorant comes in a cardboard tube or a glass jar. Both at the moment are very expensive compared to shop brands. We have yet to find the perfect one.
Toothpaste in a tube to toothpaste in a glass jar/tabs
This is an interesting one. It is definitely a sensation that takes some getting used to. As a group we have tried many brands for example Georganics. As yet we can't all decide on a good alternative.