We use more chemicals and waste more water in our bathrooms than in any other place in our homes! It’s time to wake up and do something to make your bathrooms more eco friendly, in the interests of our planet. Here are 30 tips that you can implement at your home to ensure your bathroom is more eco friendly.
Dispose Medications And Cosmetics
1.Throwing old medicines into your garbage is not a good idea as animals and young kids may eat them by mistake. Don’t flush medicines either, as these will find their way into ecosystems and eventually into drinking water. Always hand over used medications at pharmacy recyclers and ask them to dispose of it properly.
2.Your old nail polish remover, nail paints, aerosols such as hairspray and leftover hair colorings are potentially toxic materials, which are hazardous and flammable. Don’t dispose those using conventional means. Package them and give them to your local municipality’s hazardous objects disposal unit. You can recycle empty aerosol cans but get rid of the lids.
3.All bathroom cabinets have a few of these. You cannot dump them in your regular garbage or recycling cans. Place used needles and syringes in a labeled sealed container and drop them off at the hazardous waste depot.
Reuse Old Bathroom Products
4.Use old toothbrushes to clean your jewelry, the spaces between your bathroom tiles and hard to reach cupboard corners. Buy liquid soap refills and fill up your old soap dispensers instead of buying soap in plastic dispensers.
5.Use leftover shampoo to clean bathroom tiles and your tub.
6.Use your heavy-duty hair brush as a scrub brush; you can use it to clean recycling and garbage bins and muddy shoes.
Buy Reusable Items
7.Single use plastic razors and blades add a great deal of non-biodegradable waste to the environment. Buy reusable razors to prevent this. Over 2 billion disposable razors make their way to landfills every year, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
8.Don’t use disposable cleaning cloths that are usually made of paper. Unless disposed of properly, these can clog drains and sewers. Use cotton washcloths instead and reuse them as much as you can.
Recycle Bathroom Products
9.Recycle empty shampoo, conditioner and body wash bottles, as well as empty toothpaste tubes.
10.If you have small plastic bottles, pour leftover shampoo or hand wash liquid soap in them. Keep them in your purse or bag to use on the go.
11.Use old shower curtains as a paint and waterproof cover for your table when your kids do their arts and crafts.
12.Old shower curtains can be used to create garden tents for your children to play.
13.Use old shower curtains to keep the sun and the wind off your delicate shade plants.
14.Use facial tissue boxes and toilet paper rolls to make arts and crafts. Donate these items to local schools for their craft projects.
15.If you have extra spray or pump bottles, clean and fill them up with a fourth of vinegar and a teaspoon of baking soda. You have a ready to use, homemade glass and window cleaner.
Do Eco Friendly Bathroom Shopping
Once you’ve cleaned up your bathroom and recycled everything you can, it’s time to think about what you can do to ensure you don’t buy similar stuff again. Here are a few smart shopping tips for an eco friendly bathroom.
16.Buy aerosols such as hair sprays and deodorants that come packaged in recyclable containers. You can find these at health and organic stores, as well as in brand name pharmacies.
17.Buy razors and toothbrushes that are made out of 100% recycled material. Some environment-conscious companies even send you a postage paid envelope for returning the product when you’re ready to recycle it.
18.Order all natural, environmentally friendly bathroom products from Grassroots, a company that packages its products in recycled plastic containers.
19.Order environmental friendly, organic cleaning liquids, toothpastes, sprays and other items from planet-aware companies such as Amway and Nature clean.
20.An alternative is to make your own household cleaners, or buy homemade cleaners from homemakers.com and similar outlets.
21.Buy tissues and toilet paper made out of 100% post-consumer recycled material.
Save Water
Restricting the use of water in your bathroom is perhaps the most eco-friendly thing you can do.
22.Install a gray-water recycling system to ensure that water from your shower, tub and sink water are recycled for use in your garden, lawn and garage.
23.If you don’t have a recycling system, it’s best to conserve water using any method possible. Take baths instead of showers and use the bathwater to water your plants and shrubs, and to clean your car.
24.Use a single mug of water to brush your teeth instead of keeping the faucet running.
25.Wipe your face down with wet cloths instead of splashing lots of water on it.
26.Reduce the number of times you flush your toilet.
27.Fill your tub to the recommended level so there’s no excess seepage after you’ve stepped in.
28.You can get two kids to bathe together in a single tub, to save one person’s bathwater.
29.Scrub your bathroom tiles with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda instead of water and soap.
30.Install a waterless toilet in your bathroom.