It’s 2021 (as if anyone needed reminding) and recycling is well and truly cemented in almost every household’s routine. If anything, it’s a little old-fashioned what with refill stores popping up in many major cities and refillable deodorant being as cool as it is. But still, pretty much everyone does it and some of us may even enjoy boasting about our uber-effective sorting system. But - you knew there was a but coming - while we’re getting top marks for recycling in the kitchen, our habits in the bathroom aren’t so clean.
The Dirty Side of the Bathroom
We’re not here to rain on your parade entirely. There’s no question that recycling habits overall have improved considerably with 9 in 10 adults saying that they recycle in their kitchen. However, many of us get a little lax when we’re in the bathroom. And with so many of our bathroom products sold in single-use plastic, that’s a whole load of plastic that’s ending up in landfills. Around 30,000 tonnes in fact.
As a refillable natural deodorant brand, Fussy is on a mission to banish single-use plastic from the bathroom. But in the meantime, we can all start recycling our bathroom plastic instead of chucking it in the bin. Many bathroom items that we use on a daily basis are recyclable and while part of the problem is down to laziness, it’s also down to lack of knowledge.
Two-thirds of households put items in their recycling bin which they shouldn’t and many of us often throw away items such as aerosols and plastic cleaner bottles that can actually be recycled, as well as personal items like deodorant.
Luckily, making changes in the bathroom isn't as hard as it might seem. It's just a question of forming new habits. Check out our tips below to improve your green credentials.
Tips to Make Your Bathroom a Little Greener
According to Recycle Now, if everyone in the UK recycled one bathroom cleaner bottle, enough energy could be saved to vacuum around 82,460 homes. Imagine recycling everything you use in your bathroom and switching to a refillable natural deodorant? There are so many things that many of us still throw in the bin that are easily recycled. Including, toilet roll tubes, shampoo and conditioner bottles, shower gel bottles, bathroom cleaner bottles, toothpaste tubes. Yes, even them!
But we know changing habits isn’t easy. Especially when it comes to our morning routines. So here are a few useful tips that might help you be a little greener in the bathroom:
♻️Leave a bag on the handle of your bathroom door to collect your plastic empties and just pop them in recycling when it gets full.
♻️Use another bin for recyclable items.
♻️Have a dedicated draw for your bathroom empties.
♻️If you want them sorted straight away, put them outside your bathroom door or in the wash basket to take when you next head to your recycling bin.
♻️So you're ready to start recycling! The next step is knowing what you can and can't recycle.
Can Recycle, Can't Recycle
With so many different kinds of plastics nowadays, know what to recycle - and what not to - can be a tricky. Here is a quick cheat-sheet for common bathroom products.
✔️Shampoo/conditioner bottles
✔️Shower gel bottles
✔️Toilet roll tubes
✔️Bathroom cleaner and bleach bottles (even the spray dispenser can be recycled)
✔️Deodorants
❌Pump dispenser from soap bottles
❌Ear buds
❌Toothpaste tubes
❌Cotton wool pads
❌Dental floss
If you think you’re ready to banish plastic from your bathroom, you’ll want to know about these ecofriendly brands!
Our Favourite Sustainable Bathroom Swaps
KanKan - you might have seen these guys in our Best Eco-Friendly Gifts blog post (clearly we’re fans). KanKan gives you soaps that do good.
Dame - An essential for any menstruating individuals who want to reduce their impact on the planet. Dame makes reusable period products that look great too.
Estrid - Are these the coolest razors on the planet? Maybe. Estrid offers a subscription service for razors, which means you can be as smooth as you want when you want.
Tooth - Bamboo toothbrushes that are made to last. The sleek design means you or your teeth never have to compromise.
The Cheeky Panda - we all know how wet wipes are often the main villains in the bathroom waste narrative. Cheeky Panda are here to change that with their biodegradable wet wipes. Plus loads of other ecofriendly bathroom products.
Fussy - Of course we have to toot our own horn. Fussy brings you a refillable natural deodorant that works. Zero single-use plastic, compostable refills, what’s not to love?
What are you waiting for? Join the battle against plastic in the bathroom today!
