Making Recycling in the Bathroom Easier

You've just finished a roll of toilet paper. You replace it and now you need to toss out --no, recycle-- the cardboard roll. Most people choose to put their tp rolls, shampoo bottles, and soap boxes in the waste bin, most likely out of convenience.  This leads to what experts call recycling bias; perfectly recyclable materials are sent to the landfill straight from your bathroom. This often happens in households that participate in a recycling program. Of course most who recycle in their kitchens know that their body wash bottles are also recyclable, but they may skip recycling it out of convenience, or delay it until the trash goes out.

Many choose not to recycle because of a lack of a recycling system within the bathroom.  Also, who wants to dig in the bathroom trash for a contaminated tp roll you can't clean off? Not most. The standard bathroom set up does not include a recycling bin and most people don't consider one for their bathrooms. 

Solutions: 

Reduce

You can reduce waste in your home by choosing zero-waste products in your bathroom. There are natural, DIY recipes for toothpaste, soap, shampoo, bathbombs, cleaning products and more. You can look up these recipes online to make them yourself or purchase them in-store and online. Homemade recipes are the cheaper option when the materials are available to you versus purchasing from a personal care boutique. Research what your options are for purchasing in bulk so you can stock up on any personal care ingredients. You can also purchase tubeless toilet paper or use personal reusable cloths as a replacement for toilet tissue. Reusable cloths can also be purchased online or you can turn it into a DIY project! Don't forget about brushing and flossing! Plastic toothbrushes contribute to the large amount of plastic in the environment. Take a look at this infographic about toothbrushes.. Switch over to a sustainable toothbrush or use a natural toothbrush like a miswak. There are also zero-waste options for floss.

Reuse & Recycle

You can reuse your plastic handsoap dispensers or purchase reusable dispensers made of ceramic, glass or metal. Placing multiple bins in your bathroom for trash and recyclables is a great option to avoid cross contamination and reducing your household’s trash. If space is limited, you can purchase smaller, slimmer bins or you can simply take that long walk to the kitchen you've been avoiding!  Make a habit of removing recyclables immediately and it won't seem like such a chore.