Thousands of Scots are trying to make their bathroom habits as sustainable as their diets or transport choices.
But there is more potential plastic waste and pollutants in there than you might think.
Campaigners Clean Seas reckon more than 8 million tons of plastic waste end up in the ocean every year and much of it washes up there after disappearing down the plughole.
Single-use plastic containers abound in bathrooms, even in some of the more sustainable ones, with everything from bubble bath to toothpaste clogging up our shelves.
Then there is the energy and water use from long hot showers and other bathroom R&R. Clean, but certainly not green.
But taking stock can all seem a bit much.
These tips should make it that little bit easier to make your bathroom more sustainable than ever.
Ditch plastic bottles
Those old enough will remember when a combined shampoo and conditioner was a novelty and taking just one bottle into the shower felt rebellious.
Well now you don’t need any bottles at all.
Solid shampoo bars are growing in popularity. And you don’t have to hunt down a plastic free store or health food shop to find them.
Of course, it’s always better to buy local. But if life is too hectic to shop around, some supermarkets are starting to stock solid shampoo bars as major brands follow the trend.
To complete the look, you can always invest in a bamboo soap dish. Or, you could get creative and recycle items around the house. For those with kids, don’t throw out your toddlers’ stacking cups – they make great soap holders!
The alternative is to use refills. If you are lucky enough to live hear a plastic free shop, you can refill your shampoo and conditioner bottles countless times.
As for shower gel – do we really need soap in plastic tubes and bottles when you can get it in a solid lump?
Buy local, buy natural, buy vegan and buy organic
Impossible? Not according to the team at Kirriemuir’s Black Cat Soap House. Husband and wife team, Haluk and Nicola Gokalp established the business around three years ago.
They provide “high quality cosmetics products which your skin and hair will love and to do so in a way which is both sustainable and ethical.”
Check out the latest article from @CircularTayside on the inspiring Black Cat Soap House in Kirriemuir-great products with a clear commitment to circularity and sustainability! #ESIF @ZeroWasteScot https://t.co/AM60ixmfxF pic.twitter.com/QbJXi3z224
— Dundee&Angus Chamber (@DundeeAndAngus) January 21, 2021
There are plenty of local producers out there who really want your business.
Another champion of natural and Earth friendly products is Bodylushious in Burntisland.
From a wee studio in the High Street, Bronwyn Tutty and her small team sell vegan friendly skincare products with a zero waste ethos.
Social media is how most of these small retailers get the message out there, so have a scout about on Facebook to find out who’s selling what near you.
Plastic tub in the bathroom? Another more sustainable world awaits
But do you need the plastic containers at all?
The range of plastic free alternatives on the market now is astounding. Cast your eye across your bathroom shelves and there is most likely a plastic free alternative to most of the products there.
That could be a bamboo-handled tooth or hairbrush. Or perhaps an aluminium deodorant holder, waiting for a top up?
Metal mouthwash? It’s out there and waiting for you to give it a try. And no it doesn’t mean you end up with a singing voice like James Hetfield from Metallica.
Fed up with squeezing the last out of a stubborn plastic toothpaste tube? Then how about toothpaste tablets.
These changes are certainly not for everyone. And can take some getting used to. But there’s not much to lose in giving them a try.
Introduce shower power to your sustainable bathroom
You knew this one was coming, right? No-one wants to hear it but do really need to spend all that time pretending you’re in a 90s Timotea advert
Ok, you do. Fair enough. It’s tough out there. But maybe think about going full shower power a bit less often than you currently do. Maybe take the five-minute shower challenge.
Or three minutes. According to the Energy Saving Trust, replacing a daily bath with a three-minute shower could save a family of four around 849kg of CO2 every year.
Think before you flush
Cast a thought over what goes down your plughole and toilet for hidden plastic baddies.
Microplastics are the headline grabbers here. This can come from bigger bits of plastic that have degraded down over time. But it also includes microbeads. These are a very tiny kind of polyethylene plastic that’s added as an exfoliants to some beauty products.
Check your packets to be sure.
Contact lenses are another prime offender. Who hasn’t chucked a disposable pair down the toilet at the end of a long day? Not me anyway. But this too is a fast-track way to increase plastic pollution in our seas and waterways.
