Zero Waste Bathroom: Eco-Friendly Tips for the Tiniest Room in Your House

The average person uses 57 sheets of toilet paper per day. Americans alone consume 12 billion rolls of toilet paper per year (that's 50% more than Europeans). The production of toilet paper worldwide requires 27,000 trees daily. Not to mention, tons of those rolls are packaged in plastic packaging. Here's how you can choose Earth-friendlier options:

• When it's yellow, let it mellow. We all know how the second part of that rule of thumb goes. The sheer fact that we have the privilege to pee and poo in clean water (unlike a lot of the rest of the world) is ridiculous. I think it's a pretty easy step to skip a few flushes here and there to save a bit of water. Plus, your water bill (and your wallet) will thank you!
• Choose individual rolls that come in paper. That way you're avoiding excess plastic wrap. Yes, this means you can't buy large quantities of toilet paper at once, but do you really need to?
• Install a bidet on your toilet. If you want to go a step further and reduce the overall amount of toilet paper you use, try installing a bidet. There are techy full-seat bidet replacements with numerous controls and customizable settings. Or there are slightly less serious bidet attachments that fit between your existing toilet seat and toilet.
• Choose cloth over disposable diapers. No, I'm not recommending you start wearing cloth diapers (unless you're not yet potty-trained :P). More and more parents are using cloth diapers again and, while I can't comment from experience, it is an alternative to disposable diapers. Disposable diapers are the third largest consumer item found in landfills today.

Toilet Brush

Just one recommendation for your toilet brush: The next time you need to replace it, check out this plastic-free wooden option. It even comes with its own stand - which can even be mounted on the wall if desired. We've had one of these for a couple of years now and haven't had to replace it yet. Gross? Economic? You tell me.

You might think liquid soaps are more convenient, less messy and more hygienic. Based on liquid body wash sales from 2015, an estimated 270,000,000 plastic bottles with pump parts ended up in the waste cycle. Liquid soap has a 25% higher carbon footprint than bar soap. With each trip to the sink, we use nearly 7x more liquid soap compared to bar soap. There is nothing wrong with using bar soap for washing hands, bodies, faces, etc. This could be the easiest swap you make. Here are some tips:

• Choose a solid soap bar over liquid soap. Liquid soap almost always comes in single-use plastic packaging that is designed to be tossed. Plus, if you're buying liquid, you are essentially paying for water. I do not believe in paying for water (unless it's coming from my tap).
• Choose minimally packaged bars of soap. You can sometimes even find these "naked" (not wrapped in any packaging) depending on where you shop - Whole Foods makes a brand of soap called Good that's like that. If you need to buy packaged bars, opt for those that come in paper or wax paper over the individually plastic shrink-wrapped variety.

Most shampoo and conditioner products contain undesirable ingredients with chemicals that are bad for you and for the water they are washed away in. Not to mention the plastic bottle they come in. They are recyclable, but they also often include water as the main ingredient. And, as I've mentioned above, I don't like paying for bottled water and you shouldn't either.

• Buy bulk shampoo/conditioner. Some stores sell bulk shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and the like. These are pumped from giant plastic/glass containers into a container (like a glass jar) you've brought from home and are usually charged by weight.
• Choose a shampoo bar. These are solid versions of shampoo that you can use on your hair with a lather that's very similar to conventional shampoo.
• DIY your shampoo/conditioner. Use diluted castile soap (1-2 tsp soap to 1 cup water) to wash your hair and make your own conditioner . (I haven't delved too deeply into this, but I will say that this method really dried out my hair so I didn't end up sticking with it. But some people have great luck.)
• Go no-poo or low-poo. Stop washing your hair with shampoo in favor of baking soda or other gentler ingredients. Rinse with a diluted apple cider vinegar solution. Here's a great overview of various no-poo methods .
• Water-only washing method. This allows you to, yes, you read that right, wash your hair only with water. Read more about switching to this routine here .
• NEW! Powdered shampoo and conditioner. I'm currently trying out this solution with good results so far! Salonsolids makes powdered shampoo and conditioner, which allows you to just buy the solid parts and add boiling water at home. You can bring your own container to the store to shop in bulk, sans packaging, or you can purchase a refillable mason jar from the store. This is a great solution for travel, too, because the powder is lightweight and you can mix the shampoo and conditioner once you get to your destination. No more wondering if you're over the 3oz limit on your liquids!
• Safety razor. For hair removal, ditch the disposable razor for something more substantial. It’ll last forever and you just need to replace the individual metal razors when they dull - instead of the entire thing.

There is so much opportunity to reduce your waste here! You'll feel better about the environment and your lady parts with these choices:

• Replace tampons with a reusable menstrual cup. They're a bit more expensive upfront compared to tampons, but they can be used for about 10 years before needing to be replaced, so you'll quickly rack up the savings and reduce your waste. Plus, tampons contain nasty chemicals and there's the danger of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) - you don't have this issue with a cup. Menstrual cups are typically made from 100% medical grade silicone so they are completely safe. Here are some options .
• Switch out pads with reusable sanitary napkins. Not quite into the menstrual cup idea? Try reusable sanitary napkins. I have this brand and I love them. They come in fun patterns and colors and they are really easy to wash. And the newest phase? Menstrual underpants. Yep, that's a thing. I haven't tried these myself yet, but I've heard good things.

It's estimated that the U.S. discards over 850 million plastic toothbrushes every year. It's also known that it can take anywhere from 20-1,000 years for a plastic toothbrush to break down into smaller plastic pieces. It's possible to recycle toothbrushes, but they are some of the most difficult products to reprocess. It is also possible to recycle plastic tubes of toothpaste, but whether they can be processed locally tends to depend on the brand that creates the packaging. If you're into the lazier and more eco-friendly route when it comes to tooth care, here are some ideas to consider:

• Choose bamboo. A bamboo toothbrush, that is. These are great because the handle can be composted and the bristles create very little waste. Some facilities will even accept the used bristles for recycling. Also, if you've got a smaller mouth, consider buying the children's size that is smaller and uses even less bamboo. That's what I use and it works great for an everyday toothbrush and is tiny, lightweight and great for travelling.
• Make your own toothpaste. My husband and I have been using the same toothpaste recipe for 3-4 years now. I go to the dentist every 6 months and they tell me my teeth are in great shape. Part of that is genetics, but I like to think it's also because of my toothpaste 😉 Recipe: Equal parts coconut oil and baking soda. Peppermint & tea tree essential oil, to taste.
• Toothpaste tablets. For those who are not into the idea of making their own toothpaste, you can buy toothpaste tablets instead. These are also incredibly handy for travel and portioning. Just pop a tablet in, chew a bit and you're ready to start brushing.
• Make your own mouthwash. I have been meaning to try this recipe from The Zero-Waste Chef. Seems simple enough, with easy-to-procure ingredients to boot.
• Choose silk dental floss. Silk is an organic material and as such, can be composted once you've used it. Unfortunately, it's not vegan. To be honest, I don't really floss that often -_- so I tend to just go without. There are also plenty of other options out there if you're willing to do a bit of research.