14 Must-Have Zero Waste Bathroom Essentials

When I first started working on living more sustainable, I started with some of the main zero waste bathroom essentials because I’d already made some changes in this area and it seemed the simplest thing for me to do.

However, you might prefer to start with some zero waste kitchen essentials instead.

It can be a bit intimidating to think about going zero waste in your home, but I found it really helpful to start with a room and switch to plastic free products in that room where I could, before moving onto the next room.

Just take it step-by-step and you honestly don’t need to do everything at once, in fact I would never recommend doing everything at once!

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What Is A Zero Waste Bathroom

You might be wondering what is a zero waste bathroom anyway?

When I was first considering how I could go zero waste in my bathroom I wasn’t sure how difficult or easy it would be and how much I would need to change.

I was pleasantly surprised because a zero waste bathroom is actually really easy to achieve but not immediately of course.

A zero waste bathroom is the process of everything that you use in the bathroom as creating as little waste as possible. Preferably plastic free and with minimal packaging where possible. When you create waste in the bathroom it should be compostable or at the very least recyclable.

Along the way I have made plenty of mistakes as well so please don’t feel bad if you do the same! I recently bought a dental floss thinking that it was plastic free but it actually turned out to be plastic free packaging but the floss was made from nylon…oops!

How Do You Go Zero Waste In A Bathroom

I do think that how you go zero waste in the bathroom is a gradual process. As soon as you run out or are running low on something that you use regularly, you can switch to the more sustainable version.

Must-Have Zero Waste Bathroom Essentials

These zero waste bathroom essentials should include everything that you’ll need to create a zero waste bathroom in your home.

1. Bamboo Toothbrushes

One of the first things that people switch in the bathroom is to switch from a plastic disposable toothbrush to a bamboo toothbrush. Some aren’t as sustainable as they seem so make sure that you choose a bamboo toothbrush which also has plant based bristles so that you can fully compost it once you’re done.

If you prefer using an electric toothbrush there are recyclable heads available in some Countries now. In the UK we have a few companies that sell bamboo electric toothbrush heads and recyclable toothbrush heads that you can return to them for proper recycling as well.

These services are great because it keeps that extra plastic or waste out of the landfill sites.

2. Plastic Free Toothpaste

Choosing a plastic free toothpaste that suits you might not be an easy task but it’s worth having a good look for what you require in a toothpaste. For example one of my tasks was finding a fluoride toothpaste that didn’t irritate my gums and was also plastic free.

I ended up finding some toothpaste tablets with fluoride and I love them, I even managed to find some strawberry flavoured toothpaste tabs with fluoride for my eldest child and he loves them. There’s much less chance of them using too much toothpaste when they brush their teeth because the tab gives them the perfect amount to brush with. The link below is for adult toothpaste tablets.

3. Dental Floss

Dental floss is one thing that people don’t always think about but dental floss is normally made from plastic and then packaged in plastic as well. Luckily there are quite a few plant based floss brands available at the moment so you should be able to find an alternative.

I’m currently using a georganics corn starch dental floss which I’ve just stored in container I had from a previous purchase of bamboo dental floss. I don’t love this particular dental floss as it does shed a bit but I will continue to use it for now. I’ve linked an alternative below.

4. Mouthwash Tablets

Mouthwash tablets are such a great swap for a zero waste bathroom, ordinary mouthwashes have alcohol and all sorts of other ingredients in them. These Georganics mouthwash tablets come in a few different flavours and are just made from baking soda and essentials oils.

I genuinely love these because a pack lasts such a long time, you just put a mouthwash tablet into a small glass of water and wait a few minutes for it to dissolve completely then you can swill it around your mouth as you normally would.

I’ve linked the Peppermint flavour below because I’m currently using orange but I did prefer the minty taste so would recommend that one.

5. Plastic Free Toilet Paper

Another amazing swap for the bathroom is finding a plastic free toilet paper brand. I have written a blog post with some of the best plastic free toilet papers available in the UK if you wanted to learn more.

However, the one that I use is from Cheeky Panda, they’re really affordable and it’s made from bamboo. They send it in a recyclable box as pictured.

6. Shampoo And Conditioner Bars

Shampoo and conditioner bars are another great way of reducing waste in the bathroom. Fortunately in the UK there are so many different brands now selling shampoo and conditioner bars in minimal packaging.

I don’t want to recommend a particular shampoo bar because I know that everyones hair is different and what works well for my hair might not work so well for yours. However the conditioner bar that I currently use and love will be linked below as it makes my hair so soft and shiny.

7. Zero Waste Soap

Such a simple swap but soap is one of my favourite zero waste bathroom essentials because it’s normally really affordable to buy natural soap and it usually comes with very little packaging.

I’m currently using the pictured Shea Butter Cleansing Bar to wash off my makeup and it works really well So I’ve been recommending this soap to everyone. Because it’s a soap bar as well it will last me such a long time.

8. Zero Waste Deodorant

Finding a zero waste deodorant that actually works can be quite tricky, I will admit. My favourite that I’ve been using for several months now is Wild Deodorant.

Wild Deodorant is a refillable system so you can buy a case and a refill to see if you like it. They have sensitive fragrances which are baking soda free which was essential for me because I get a nasty rash when I use deodorants with baking soda in. My favourite fragrance is coconut and vanilla but they have a wide selection of fragrances on their website.

Quite often you can take advantage of a promotion and get a free case as well. Which means you can try out their subscription service for only £5 per refill and you can cancel or change delivery dates at any point if you want.

9. Safety Razor And Shaving Soap

One of the best ways to reduce plastic waste in the bathroom is to switch to a safety razor and shaving soap. If you want to learn more about this you can read my zero waste safety razor review post, however I will link the Jungle Culture razor below if you have already decided you want to buy one.

I put off buying a safety razor for a long time but it’s such a great way to reduce the waste you normally get from using disposable razors. For a safety razor you just need the razor blades which are normally really affordable and last so much longer than disposable razors as well.

10. Moisturiser

There are so many different types of zero waste options for face and body moisturiser available that I didn’t want to go down a rabbit hole with this so I thought I’d just recommend a lotion bar that I’ve recently discovered and really love. You can definitely still use this one on your face but I currently just use this as a body moisturiser.

I love the strawberry fragrance of this Soul & Soap lotion bar and the texture is lovely and not greasy at all. Fully recommend this one and use it regularly.

11. Makeup Remover Pads

For taking off your makeup you can definitely just use a bamboo or cotton face cloth/flannel – which is actually what I use to remove my makeup.

However, if you use a liquid cleanser or if you use toner and that sort of thing on your face, then bamboo makeup remover pads are amazing! I’m currently reusing my breast pads for this purpose but if you don’t have that as an option, you can definitely buy some and throw them in the wash. I put mine in a laundry bag so they don’t get stuck in the washing machine or anything.

12. Menstrual Cups and Cloth Pads

If you’re someone that menstruates you definitely need to consider switching to reusable menstrual products for your period cycle. I had already bought a few menstrual cups and cloth pads prior to deciding to switch out other products in the bathroom but I know some people are really intimidated by the idea of using reusable products for their period. I totally get it!

I was intimidated by period pants at first but I’ve recently bought some and have written a Wuka Period Pant Review, if you wanted to know more about period pants.

There’s definitely a learning curve with using a menstrual cup, however once you get the hang of it – it can be a great way to manage your cycle. I won’t recommend a particular cup because everyone is different but I’ll link a website called ‘Put A Cup In It’ which you can fill out a quiz and it will recommend the best cup for you.

If you’re interested in period pants specifically, you can check out this post Wuka Stretch Period Pants Review, for more information.

13. Reusable Cotton Buds

I used to always buy bamboo cotton buds which are better than standard cotton buds (q tips) because they don’t contain plastic, however I did think they were quite wasteful to throw away when there’s a reusable alternative.

I don’t use cotton buds very frequently, I tend to just use them for fixing errors with makeup or to clean my ears, but switching to a reusable cotton bud is brilliant because you just wash it with a bit of soap between uses. Such a great idea!

14. Bamboo Hairbrush

Next I thought I would just talk about a bamboo hair brush, I feel like this is something that people often forget about but it’s a great swap if you ever need to replace your hair brush. I have long and thick hair so I seem to end up having to replace a hair brush every few years.

A bamboo hair brush is usually a much more sustainable option and they’re normally really strong too. You can also buy bamboo combs if you don’t need an actual hairbrush.

Summary

There a lot of changes that you can make in the bathroom to make it more sustainable, as you can tell from my list of zero waste bathroom essentials.

However, I wanted to include some other things that are quite advanced so they’re definitely more optional:

• Get a bidet attachment for your toilet – they’re normally universal and you can either use bidet cloths to dry or you can still use toilet paper but using a bidet you’ll likely use much less toilet paper. I currently use an extension coming from my tap because my toilet is very close to the sink, however I am planning on installing a bidet attachment soon, as it would be more convenient.
• Consider installing water-saving shower heads or flow restrictors – they reduce the amount of water that you waste when you take a shower or run the bath. Or you can use a bucket in the shower to collect the water that’s normally wasted while you wait for the water to heat up. For more tips on reducing water waste you can read my post.
• Consider washing your hair and/or self much less – most people do not need a daily shower unless they have a particulary physical or dirty job. I wash my hair once a week and shower twice a week (no, I don’t smell..😁), in between I do have a wash with a flannel which uses much less water than taking a full shower.

I hope this post has been helpful for you, I want to say again that you definitely don’t need to do everything at once but these zero waste bathroom essentials should give you some ideas on what you can swap in your bathroom to reduce waste.

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