BATHROOM ESSENTIALS
IT’S NOT ALL BOTTLES, LOTIONS AND POTIONS.
There are some back-office workers that most of us rely on, many of which could be re-thought to be more sustainable choices.
COTTON WOOL
Aside from the issue with with plastic packaging, growing cotton uses enormous amounts of water, and a crazy amount of chemical pesticides. It’s far from ideal.
When I started this adventure, reusable cotton wool pads were a Really New Thing. Now there are loads! Check out the line-up on Etsy!
To be super-sustainable, try to get some that are made of bamboo fleece, or hemp. But really, it’s the buy-once, use-re-use-re-use-re-use that’s where the good stuff happens.
If you use them for eye-make up massage them with soapy water afterwards. It’s much easier to keep them stain-free if you give them a quick wash as you go.
COTTON BUDS
The stats around the number of cotton buds that turn up on beach cleans are horrendous! Foolish folk flush them down the loo (along with their wet-wipes I expect) and they end up in our waterways.
It’s likely the UK will ban these plastic pests at some point (Scotland already has) and some brands have already made the switch to paper sticks.
But a better option altogether (outside doing without, obvs) is bamboo, which is stronger AND more sustainable. Props to these two, as the packaging is compostable too: Hydro Phil & Non Plastic Beach.
wipes
We’ve all read about the horror of ‘fatbergs’, right? It’s horrendous. And recent research has shown that many wipes (beauty / baby / cleaning) that claim to be biodegradable and flushable, are just not. Even if they are, they are just SO wasteful!
My solution: Bamboo reusable kitchen roll. I soak the wipes in a mix of 50/50 boiled water and rose flower water, a squirt of castille soap and a big splash of almond oil. For travel, small Stasher Bags are the perfect size, and are dishwasher safe. At home, instead of Stashers, I keep them in two glass jars. It’s SO easy.
TOILET ROLL
Well, I didn’t imagine I’d ever photograph and write about our toilet paper. We’re clearly living in strange times people.
But, this toilet paper deserves some love. It’s more than just plastic free, it’s plastic free with benefits (and I don’t just mean the jazzy paper wrappers).
Who Gives a Crap donate 50% of their profits to help build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing countries. Order direct, in boxes of 40 rolls, or find it roll-by-roll in the usual eco-bulk store places.
I switch between WGAC and Ecoleaf. Made by Suma, who, by every measure, are a really good company. It’s recycled, produced in the UK, comes in compostable wrapping (four-roll packs only) and is really good value. Easy to find in high-street eco-health-type places.
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