Go Zero-Waste. Starting with your Daily Routine
Going zero-waste is becoming easier than ever before! With eco-friendly brands popping up everywhere, switching out plastic products for environmentally sustainable ones is a breeze!
Ready to head towards zero-waste yourself? Take a moment and look around your bathroom, what do you see? Likely a lot of plastic. A great place to start pivoting to zero-waste is with your daily routine. Every day, we shower, brush our teeth, wash our hands and shave. Switching to zero-waste doesn't mean throwing out everything you have and replacing all of your items. But instead, when you need new items, transition to more eco-friendly options. We've compiled a list of zero-waste alternatives to help guide you in the right direction!
SWITCH OUT YOUR PLASTIC DISPOSABLE RAZOR FOR A REUSABLE STAINLESS STEEL ONE
One of the first products you can consider transitioning out, is the razor you use. Whether it's a single-use, throw-away razor or the kind with plastic replacement blades, it's estimated that over two billion razors end up in the landfill each year! That’s about one million pounds of plastic waste.
So, what's the solution? Stainless steel razors
Stainless steel razors aren't completely biodegradable, but they’re still a major improvement over the disposable ones.
SWITCH OUT YOUR BODY WASH FOR NATURAL SOAP
Most body wash comes in single-use plastic container. In addition, there are a lot of unnecessary chemicals in body wash. Chemicals such as phthalates, parabens, formaldehyde, and sulfates, can disrupt the way your body produces hormones and the way your cells replicate, leading to even more health concerns. And body washes often alter their colors which means even more chemicals.
Our bar soaps are all-natural, meaning we don't use any chemicals! A great recommendation is our Calendula bar. Like all of our soaps, it's extra gentle with lots of skin-loving properties.
BUY A PLANT-BASED OR STONE SOAP DISH INSTEAD OF PLASTIC
If you already have an existing plastic soap dish, tossing it out to replace it with a more eco-friendly dish does contribute to landfill waste. However, we do understand if you do. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical that has been used in the production of plastics since the 1960s. A 2015 study published in Roczniki Państwowego Zakładu Higieny shows that BPA interacts with estrogen receptors and plays a role in the pathogenesis of several endocrine disorders, including female and male infertility, early puberty, breast and prostate cancer, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
As stated, the colors in our soaps are all natural. We don't use any dyes or pigments. But even with the use of natural colorants, our bar soaps can leave a bit of residue in your bathtub. For example, our Patchouli Orange bar soap which contains activated charcoal, may leave gray residue around where the bar soap has been sitting but will not cause permanent staining. We suggest using a soap dish in areas where you keep our bar soap for use. Soap dishes help to keep your bar soap it’s driest in between uses, extending the longevity of your soap and aiding to lessen any color residue left behind. Here's a plant-based, biodegradable soap dish we love!
SWITCH OUT YOUR PLASTIC LIQUID SOAP FOR REUSABLE BOTTLES and SHOP OUR REFILLERY TO BUY PRODUCTS BY THE OUNCE
When buying liquid soap, there's three things to keep in mind to pivot towards zero-waste. One is the packaging of the liquid soap you are buying. Is the bottle reusable or is it a single-use plastic? Consider how often you go through liquid soap, how many plastic bottles are you going through and is there an alternative or refillable option available to you?
Secondly, check the ingredients in the liquid soap. What is the soap made of? Is it all natural, or does it have a lot of ingredients you can't pronounce? We suggest, choosing a liquid soap that is all-natural to have the lowest impact on the environment.
Our refillery (open 6 days a week!) is a great place to bring your reusable bottles and buy all-natural products like body wash, hand wash, bubble bath, dish soap, laundry soap and SO MUCH MORE by the ounce.
SWITCH OUT LIQUID SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER FOR A BAR ALTERNATIVE
The majority of liquid shampoo and conditioners come in single-use plastic bottles and contain plastics that disrupt the endocrine system.
The next time you need to refill these products, choose eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastic shampoo and conditioners to make a significant impact! Shampoo and conditioner bars can replace the 552 million shampoo and conditioner bottles thrown out annually. Shampoo and conditioner bars are often sold with little to no packaging and are made with natural ingredients. Two key aspects that make a big impact!
SWITCH OUT YOUR PLASTIC TOOTHBRUSH FOR A BAMBOO ONE
Toothbrushes bristles wear and tear, and we need to replace them every few weeks to months. The handle on plastic toothbrushes are made from polypropylene and the bristles from nylon. These materials are both sourced from non-renewable fossil fuels. Both polypropylene and nylon are basically indestructible, meaning they won't break down in a landfill.
However bamboo is a biodegradable material, renewable and sustainable. And is also one of the fastest growing plants, with certain species of bamboo growing 3 feet per day! Which makes bamboo toothbrushes a great alternative to plastic ones. Next time you’re in the market for a new toothbrush, consider this bamboo toothbrush and make the switch.
SWITCH OUT YOUR SYNTHETIC LOOFA FOR A NATURAL ONE
There are several types of loofahs, the natural type which are made from the fibrous skeleton of the loofah fruit and unnatural loofahs made from plastic and synthetic material. Synthetic loofahs do last longer than natural ones, but when it comes to your impact long term on our planet, natural loofahs biodegrade versus clogging up the landfill or harming ocean life. If pivoting to a zero-waste lifestyle, the natural route is the one you'll want to take.
New to using loofahs with natural bar soap? Try this long lasting favorite of ours!
SWITCH OUT YOUR COTTON MAKEUP REMOVAL PADS FOR REUSABLE ONES
If you wear makeup and cleanse or use toner on your face, you may be using cotton pads in both your morning and evening routine. This is a considerable volume when you think about how many you may be throwing away each week. Some cotton rounds and cotton balls aren’t even made from cotton, but from synthetic fibers that don’t break down easily in the landfill.
An excellent alternative to synthetic cotton balls are reusable pads. They're washable, reusable, soft and gentle to the skin. They can be used to remove makeup, lipstick and mascara or for minor wound care in lieu of disposable wipes and pads, and they come with a bamboo/mesh laundry bag to wash the pads with your laundry and use again!
These are just a few simple steps you can take today to begin to transition to a more zero-waste lifestyle. Here at Nature's Embrace Soap Company, we're always looking to improve our business operations and practices. We want to do our part, and we hope you do too!