How to make your bathroom more sustainable

Uni accommodation bathrooms generally aren’t the nicest rooms to be in, so we might not pay them much attention. Let’s think about our bathrooms for a second though – are the items we have in there environmentally friendly? There are lots of small swaps that can be made to our toiletries that can make a large difference and help your home to be kinder to the planet.

There is so much choice on the market at the moment, that it can seem overwhelming trying to find a sustainable swap. However as environmentally friendly products are becoming more popular, brands and shops are trying harder to make them visible to customers. In Boots for example, there are eco-friendly toiletries on a separate stand that is clearly marked and some even have recycling points to drop off empty containers once you’ve used them, so you can make a positive impact when you buy and dispose of your products. If you don’t know where to start with all the different sustainable options, some of the tried-and-true brands like Lush and the Body Shop can be found in most city centres (Nottingham has a Lush and two Body Shops!). They prioritise sustainable initiatives, including cruelty free testing, sustainable sourcing, refill stations, and plastic-free packaging.

One of the common misconceptions around eco-friendly toiletries is that they are super expensive. Although they are initially more costly, they last so much longer and therefore are more affordable over time. Sometimes it’s difficult to commit to more expensive brands or products, so maybe start small. For example, if you choose to shave, why not replace the disposable plastic razor for one with replaceable heads? If this works for you, why not go one step further and sign up to a service like Estrid, who send a plastic-free sustainable razor with a subscription service for new vegan blades every few months? Little steps or huge lifestyle changes – however you prefer to do it, your sustainable swaps can make a difference.

A problem that always comes up with sustainable swaps for products we already own is that many people will throw away what they currently use to make room for the sustainable choice… but this just contributes to more waste! The most sustainable item you can use is the one you already have, so before employing some of these swaps, use up what is in your bathroom at the moment.

Every product we have in our bathrooms can be replaced with a sustainable alternative: body washes in plastic bottles can be swapped for soap bars in paper packages, plastic toothbrushes could be substituted with bamboo ones, plastic loofahs could be switched with plant-based options etc. As students, we can’t afford to replace every item in our bathrooms right now (and we shouldn’t create unnecessary waste), but next time you use up a product, have a look to see what sustainable alternatives you might like. If we all do this, one product at a time, we can make a huge difference and also start to convince big brands to keep making sustainable products, by proving that we want to buy them.

- Tegan