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The Ultimate List of Plastic-Free Swaps For Your Bathroom

Sophie

Want to know where you can buy all your plastic-free bathroom swaps without supporting unethical businesses like Amazon?

This post contains affiliate links, all advertising is ethically screened

Are you dreaming of a plastic-free bathroom?

A sustainable home, perhaps?

While perfection is unrealistic, it is totally possible (for most people) to swap your single-use and disposable products for eco-friendly reusables.

And in my experience, the bathroom is the easiest room to start in.

If you’re new to sustainable living or would like to learn more about which plastic-free products work (and where you can buy everything at once to save on postage) then this blog post is for you.

Stick around to find out which sustainable businesses sell a wide range of zero-waste bathroom products and for my ultimate list of plastic-free swaps.


Coming up

  1. Seven reasons you should avoid shopping at Amazon (and start supporting small businesses)

  2. Ethical places to shop for plastic-free products

  3. The ultimate list of eco swaps for your bathroom

    • One-off reusable purchases

    • Low-waste consumables



Disclaimer - I have updated this page to include affiliate links which means I get a small commission from the brand when you make a purchase through my links. This comes at no extra cost to you and allows me to keep my sustainable living guides free for my readers. I value my website’s integrity and will always be honest with recommendations.

Some of the brands I’ve partnered with have also provided discount codes for my readers which you can view here.


1. Seven reasons you should avoid shopping at Amazon

I need you to hear me on this one… Amazon is not an ethical place to shop for your zero-waste bathroom products.

You might be able to get two-day delivery as a Prime customer, but that is because they use jets to transport packages across the country.

Their environmental impact is catastrophic.


Here are 7 environmental reasons you should avoid shopping with Amazon:

  • Amazon threatened to fire the climate activists that work for them.

  • Their carbon emissions rose by 15% in 2019 (which is the carbon equivalent of running 13 coal-fired power plants all year).

  • Amazon also reported an 18% rise in emissions from fossil fuels

  • And they facilitate oil and gas exploration with their cloud computing.

  • They also financially support climate-denying politicians.

  • In June 2020, Amazon announced it had leased 12 more jets to its airline, bringing them to a total of 82.

  • Amazon has been repeatedly criticised for its wasteful packaging. Even when it is plastic-free, they often send small items in giant boxes.

For more information on the boycott against Amazon, and issues related to human rights (including lawsuits), check out this blog post.

2. Ethical places to shop for your bathroom products

Most people prefer to buy their essential products in the same place to reduce shipping and costs.

This will be harder at first while you’re still using up products packaged in plastic. Eventually, you can time it so that you end up doing one or two big zero waste shops.

where to buy plastic-free bathroom essentials:

In the UK:

  • Bower Collective: an online refill store that allows you to choose which products you need and how often you need them, before delivering them straight to your door.

  • Ethical Superstore: a large sustainable online store that sells a huge range of eco products for every area of your home. I am able to get all my bathroom products here.

  • The Nappy Gurus: a retailer of reusable products for babies and children who also sell eco-living products too.

  • And Keep - retailers of plastic-free and reusable alternatives to the products in your home at affordable prices

  • Jungle Culture

  • The Friendly Turtle

In the EU:

  • Big Green Smile: sells a huge range of natural products. Quite a lot of them are packaged in plastic so be sure to check the brand before you buy.

  • Life Without Plastic - have a European branch

In the US/CA:

In Australia:

3. The ultimate list of plastic-free swaps for your bathroom

The bathroom can be a hotspot for single-use plastic but many people find it the simplest room to make low waste.

To make it easier, I’ve divided this list into three parts:

  • Part 1: reusable products that you should only need to buy once.

  • Part 2: consumables (like natural soap and shampoo - things that run out).

  • Part 2: Ethical skin and hair care brands for any extra cosmetics you need.

Try to remember that you don’t need all these products, and you don’t have to buy them until the product you are using now is close to running out. This makes the process of reducing your waste financially easier.

Part 1: reusable products

Reusable bathroom products are one of the simplest ways to fight pollution and the damage that we are doing to this world.

Each time we throw a single-use item in the bin, we waste all the resources (trees, fossil fuels, water, energy) used to make it.

Sometimes reusable products cost more upfront, but as you don’t have to buy them again, it’s cost-effective in the long run.

This section contains reusable plastic-free swaps that should last you a long time.

Facial wipes and makeup wipes

Growing up I washed my face with wet wipes and disposable cotton pads because that was the norm. I had no idea they weren’t plastic-free.

Most disposable wet wipes are made from single-use plastic which can never fully biodegrade. They clog toilets and end up on beaches.

Round pads aren’t much better because cotton needs a huge amount of water to grow (usually in desert areas or countries using forced labour and genocide) and is grown with more harmful pesticides than any other crop.

So what are the options to wash your face with? Washable wipes and pads! You can make your own quite easily or support one of many small businesses making them by hand.

Face wipes

In the UK:

Facial wipes

In The USA/CA:

*Discount: SUSTAINABLYLAZY for 10% off



cloth Sanitary pads (CSP)

Cloth sanitary pads are a bigger investment but they have many advantages over plastic disposables.

My main reason for switching to reusable menstrual products was to avoid the potentially harmful chemicals in them. Many people have commented they had lighter, less painful periods once they made the switch.

I was never really a ‘pad person’ (and I really don’t like the synthetic mass-produced reusable options either), but good-quality, handmade reusable pads are actually alright.

It’s helpful to have a wet bag to put the used ones in at home and when you’re out and about.

Fabric topping

The fabric topping on cloth menstrual pads is the part that sits against your skin. There are synthetic or plant-derived options available.

  • Jersey cotton - natural material, ideal for sensitive skin. Slow absorbing.

  • Bamboo or cotton velour - fast-absorbing, ideal for heavy or fast flows

  • Minky - synthetic material, fast-absorbing

  • Fleece/Microfibre - synthetic material, stay-dry fabric

Cloth menstrual pads

In the UK:

*Discount: SUSTAINABLYLAZY for 10% off

Period pads

In the US:

  • Featured: Gladrags pads - day, night, and pantyliners, made from organic cotton

  • Period - organic cotton pads with polyester lining



Reusable period products are a privilege so please don’t feel guilty if you can’t afford the investment or don’t have access to a washing machine. It’s common for people to build their collection up gradually or to try a cheaper menstrual cup.



Period and incontinence underwear

Period pants are a brilliant invention for people who menstruate because they are SO comfy.

Since I started using them, I no longer touch my cloth pads.

The main difference is the materials brands use and whether they use ethical manufacturing and green certifications.

The brand I prefer is WUKA. I have a mixture of each style but my favourite is the Ultimate Midi as they are more comfortable than the basic model.

They have never leaked and they don’t smell so you can wear them day or night (obviously be conscious of of which type you wear at night though).

They also come in different flows, including super heavy.

If you want to know more about the different styles of WUKA, check out my comparison blog post where I try out four different models.


Period undies

In the UK:



Period underwear

In the US:

  • Featured: Saalt period undies- recycled polyester + polyester lace (PFAS free + Oeko-tex)

  • Modibodi - All kinds of styles of period undies in various colours and 5 eco-friendly materials. Includes kids and teens.




Menstrual cup

A menstrual cup is an eco-friendly period product that is more hygienic and also suitable for people on a low income.

It is very different to a tampon - you shouldn’t be able to feel it once it is in.

It’s a little bit fiddly while you learn to put it in and it helped me to watch this YouTube video to show you where it goes! Seriously, it helps.

I would recommend doing some research before choosing a menstrual cup as different brands are better for different bodies, for example, some cups are firm and some are soft.

You can use the ’put a cup in it’ quiz, but be mindful that it’s American and not all brands are available if you live elsewhere.

Menstrual Cup

In the UK:

In the USA:

  • EarthHero sells a range of menstrual cups - use SUSTAINABLYLAZY for 10% off






Plastic-free razor

A safety razor is definitely up there on my list of favourite plastic-free swaps. After shaving at 35 weeks pregnant without any injuries, I now consider myself a pro!

Seriously though, I’ve been using this for 4 years and have only cut myself twice and it wasn’t even painful, whereas I used to always get cuts and bumps using disposables.

I think that because it’s sharper and a cleaner shave, it is less irritating afterwards.

The trick is to glide it along smoothly without putting pressure down and you shouldn’t end up with cuts.

Once the blade becomes blunt, you unscrew the top and carefully take the blade out.

I put mine in a safety razor blade tin after that to dispose of it securely. These take around 100 blades so it’ll just be sitting in your bathroom for ages.


Safety razors

In the UK:

Discount - ANDKEEP5

Safety Razors

In the US:







Sustainable towels

Towels may not be on your list for a plastic-free bathroom as most towels are made from cotton or microfibre. I’m quickly going to tell you why you should be conscious of both materials.

Microfibre is synthetic and sheds microfibres into the water system whenever it is washed. While cotton has a devastating environmental impact and links to slavery in the supply chain.

Obviously, if you have towels already then you should keep using what you have. When it’s time to replace your towels, or if you’re moving house and don’t have any yet, the most sustainable choice is organic cotton.

GOTS-certified organic cotton doesn’t uses rain water and doesn’t require toxic pesticides to grow so it’s got a significantly better environmental impact. GOTS certification also protects against modern slavery and child labour in the supply chain.

In the UK:


In the US:







Part 2: plastic-Free bathroom consumables

In this section, I will cover all the consumable items in your bathroom (the products you use up) and help you find plastic-free and sustainable alternatives.

Mainstream products come in lots of plastic packaging but the impact of every persons waste combined is catastophic.

Most people don't know that 520 million shampoo bottles are thrown away each year so it doesn't register that the 8 million tonnes of plastic going into the ocean each year is coming from our own waste.

But once you know, you can begin to make positive changes. Then, if you share this information with your family and friends, you can really begin to make a difference.



Solid soap

A bar of soap is one of the easiest ways to reduce plastic in your bathroom.

“Natural” soap is slightly more expensive than commercial bar soap which is often made with petroleum derivatives from fossil fuels.

You will find palm oil in some eco-friendly brands as well as mainstream corporate brands. This is because palm oil is cheap. You will have to look at individual brands to see if it is certified RSPO (but any I include will be).

Personally, I prefer to avoid palm oil altogether because nobody is doing a good enough job at protecting our forests.

The “reason” companies use is that it is more sustainable to use palm oil than the alternatives but they are also using the alternatives in their products so that doesn’t make any sense.


STORING BAR SOAP

Because natural soap doesn’t have synthetic hardeners, it will last longer if it is kept on a soap dish that allows the water to drain away. This also stops it from going mushy.

I like the Friendly soap racks the best. You can buy them from Ethical Superstore or Friendly Turtle which both sell a large selection of handmade soap.

If you’re in the USA, EarthHero and Zero Waste Store also sells bamboo soap racks.

You can also get soap-saver bags to make the soap last longer and hold the small leftover bits at the end.


All plastic-free soap on this list is free from controversial ingredients, like parabens, SLS, palm oil, synthetic fragrances, and animal derivatives.


Plastic free natural soap

In the UK:

Plastic-free natural soap

In the USA:

  • Featured: No Tox Life* - fragrance-free

  • Meliora* - Certified Made Safe, fragrance-free or natural lavender scent(glycerine is palm oil-free)

  • Upcircle soap - cleaning for face and body (glycerine is palm oil-free)

*Discount code - SUSTAINABLYLAZY





Liquid hand wash

A bar of soap is the cheapest, most sustainable option, but there are people who prefer to use liquid hand wash. Eco-friendly brands have gotten creative with ways to reduce plastic packaging and prevent bottles from going to waste.

Here is a list of refillable liquid hand washes. You can buy bulk containers to refill the original bottle or reusable refill pouches.

Refillable hand wash

In the UK:

  • Featured: Miniml* sells a refillable sulphate-free handwash. You can choose between a PET plastic or glass pump container. Once you’re running low you can buy a 5L or 20L container to refill it

  • Bower Collective** is an online refill store so you can get 1-litre hand wash sachets delivered on subscription. The liquid contains sanitising SLES and you can choose between a glass, plastic or aluminium pump container.

  • Reefyll handwash tablets - dissolve into a reusable bottle, made in China


    *Discount: 15% off cleaning with MINIML15
    **Discount (new customers) 20% off with AFF20

Refillable handwash

In the USA:

*Discount - SUSTAINABLYLAZY

Shampoo and conditioner bars

Shampoo bars are a great way to reduce plastic in your bathroom, but not every bar will work for your hair.

If you’ve not tried one before, or you’ve been unsuccessful in the past, be sure to read my post about transitioning to shampoo bars (especially if you have hard water).

There are different types of shampoo bars, some require a transition phase and some do not.

Palm oil is also a common ingredient in shampoo, and solid bars are no different. Unfortunately, you have to pay a bit more for the sustainable options because there isn’t a cheap alternative to palm oil.

If you’d like to swap to a shampoo bar, I have a section of my blog dedicated to shampoo bars so make sure you check it out.

If you don’t want a solid shampoo bar, take a look at this plastic-free shampoo powder.

A note on sodium coco sulfate (SCS):

Sodium coco sulfate is an ingredient that causes shampoo to lather and clean your hair. It is a sulfate that’s derived from coconuts. It is milder than SLS and does not cause skin irritation, yet it still cleans hair thoroughly. If you have straight or wavy hair or struggle with product build-up, this may be the most suitable shampoo for you, but it isn’t suitable for those following the curly girl method.

More info about shampoo bars:
How Do You Use A Solid Shampoo Bar?
13 Shampoo Bars (That Work) In The UK
10 Best American Shampoo Bars

Plastic-free shampoo bars with no “transition phase:”

Shampoo + conditioner bars

In the UK:

  • Featured: KIND2* - works well, palm oil free, 2 bars are sulfate-free, rebalancing bar contains SCS for a better cleanse. I have written a KIND2 review

  • Hairy Jayne* - palm oil-free and sulphate-free. Works well.

  • Ethique - made in New Zealand but is carbon-neutral, free from palm oil. Works well. A mixture of sulfate-free bars and some with a smaller amount of SCS. Works well.

  • Faith in Nature: contains palm oil so is a more budget-friendly option. I’m not a fan of their conditioner though. Sulfate-free.

    Grumm - mainly contains SCS (a mild sulfate) so has the deepest cleanse. palm oil-free

    *Discount: SOPHIE15 for 15%

My favourite conditioner bars are KIND2 and Ethique which last 5 times as long as the shampoo bars. Grumm bar worked okay with the Grumm shampoo, and the Faith in Nature conditioner left waxy residue in my (thick, wavy) hair.

Shampoo + conditioner bars

In the US:

  • Featured: Ethique shampoo bars, conditioner bars, and concentrate refills. Some bars contain SCS and some are sulfate-free.

  • EcoRoots - contain SCS for a deeper cleanse

  • HiBar shampoo + conditioner bars- sulphate-free






Toothbrushes

The only completely plastic-free toothbrushes have bristles made from pig hair (eww). Other bamboo toothbrushes have bristles made from nylon. When your toothbrush reaches the end of its life, you can cut the bristles off and put the stick in your compost bin.

If you have an electric toothbrush, you can send the removable heads to a recycling scheme to be recycled. This is usually free and requires putting them in a tiny prepaid postage bag.

Toothbrushes

In the UK:

Hint: keep bamboo toothbrushes stored upright when you’re not using them otherwise they may begin to get mould on them.


Toothbrushes

In the USA:





Plastic-free Toothpaste

Back when I first wrote this list, toothpaste was the hardest eco-bathroom swap to make. At the time, 90% of brands didn’t contain fluoride.

In the last few years, many more dental products have been created and existing brands added fluoride to their formulas as that is what dentists recommend.

There are still products without fluoride though if that’s what you prefer.

If you’re new to the world of plastic-free toothpaste, you’ll have to decide which kind of product you’d like to try.

There are:

  • Pastes in glass jars

  • Chewable dental tablets

  • Toothpaste powders

  • Tooth soap

Children

For my toddler, who prefers to eat toothpaste rather than brush or spit, I use the most non-toxic one I can find. I settled on Green People, which comes in plastic, but it has both fluoride and fluoride-free options.

Now that he’s older, he’s hooked on the taste so unfortunately I can’t swap to a plastic-free one.

You can get children’s toothpaste from Truthpaste.

Toothpaste

In the UK:

  • Featured: Georganics (fluoride or fluoride-free) toothpaste, tooth tabs, tooth soap

Toothpaste

In the USA:

**Use SUSTAINABLYLAZY for 10% off at EarthHero





Deodorant

If you’ve been using an aluminium-based antiperspirant for a long time, you may find the transition to a natural, plastic-free deodorant a little tricky. I’d highly recommend reading my free guide to transitioning to natural deodorant first.

Please be aware that some people react to the bicarbonate of soda (or baking powder if you’re in the USA) used in natural deodorants, so if you get any redness it is likely to be that. Many brands now have a “sensitive” product which is bicarb-free.

Natural deodorant

In the UK:

*Use SUSTAINABLYLAZY15 for 15% off

Natural deodorant

The following are aluminium-free and non-toxic

In the USA:

*Use SUSTAINABLYLAZY for 10% off at EarthHero



Toilet roll

People have different feelings about plastic-free toilet roll options but I think we can all agree that we shouldn’t be cutting down trees to wipe our bums!

Recycled paper toilet roll is the most affordable option, but there’s a high risk it’s contaminated with BPA.

Bamboo is softer and is a sustainable resource as it doesn’t encourage deforestation, grows fast, and doesn’t need space, however, it has to come from China.

The majority of brands are manufactured in China, as that is where the raw bamboo is, and then transported by ship to distribution centres (sea freight produces the least carbon emissions).

Ecoleaf (no bamboo) is made in the UK and available in small packs.

Toilet Paper

In the UK:

Toilet Paper

In the USA:

Eco bathroom cleaning

I have created a beginner’s guide to eco-friendly, natural cleaning if you’d like to learn more about going plastic-free in the bathroom. It’s completely free, you’ll find it under the ‘free guides’ section in the main menu (top right-hand corner).

There are quite a few plastic-free or refillable cleaning products on the market now.

One that makes life easier if you don’t have access to a refill store is Bower Collective.

Bower Collective is a refill subscription service based in the UK. Its cleaning products come in plastic pouches (that contain much less plastic than bottles) that you send back to them to be reused again and again.

You can save money on individual products by purchasing their bathroom starter kit.*

*If you’ve never shopped with Bower before, use my code AFF20 for 20% off full-priced items. Existing customers can use AFF5.

Bathroom cleaning sprays

UK and US:

Toilet Cleaner

UK + US

*Use CLEAN10 for 10% off at Miniml
**Use AFF10 for 100% off at Bower

Cream cleaners/scrubs

UK + USA:

For tackling soap scum and grime

*10% off with SUSTAINABLYLAZY

DIY Cleaning ingredients (UK)

DIY Cleaning ingredients (US)

  • Baking soda - mix with washing up liquid to make a cream cleaner

  • Citric acid - limescale removing powder alternative to vinegar (works best with hot water). put this down the toilet at night with hot water to remove stubborn limescale.

  • Washing soda - use this alongside hot water to remove soap scum blockages from plug holes - I would contact the seller first to enquire about packaging

  • Glass spray bottle

  • Latex gloves


Cleaning sponges

When I finish with a eco sponge/scrubber in the kitchen, it gets demoted to the bathroom instead (they can be washed, sterilised or shoved in the dishwasher over and over again).

If you haven’t switched washing up sponges yet then I have a separate blog post full of different types of eco sponges and scourers that you can check out. There is something for everyone.


Bathroom accessories

There are lots of other plastic-free products that can be used in a bathroom. They are not essentials to everyone but may be essential to you.

The following list contains sustainable alternatives to common bathroom products:

UK:

US:

Baby bath products

A baby’s skin is so delicate and can usually be cared for with warm water. However, there are some instances you might need a bit more than water, like after a particularly unpleasant bum change!

Here are a few non-toxic and plastic-free (or recycled plastic) baby bathroom products:

UK:

  • Liquid or solid castile soap for soaking reusable wipes or washing in the bath

  • A flannel - reusable wipes also work in the bath

  • An organic hooded towel (see towel section above)

  • A natural rubber bath mat (free from toxic PVC, but needs drying out in between uses to prevent mould)

  • Lavender shampoo bar (you probably won’t need shampoo unless your child is like my daughter who loved rubbing food in her hair!)

  • Miniml bubblebath - this is the one we use at home, more for my toddler who asks for bubbles. It’s sulphate-free without harsh preservatives (so the lather is not as strong as conventional products), but if you shake your hand in the bath while the water is running you can create a decent amount of foam). Can also be used as liquid soap.

USA:

See this form in the original post

I think I’ve covered just about everything. Let me know if there’s a product you’d like to find plastic-free and I’ll see what I can come up with.

How much plastic in your bathroom have you reduced so far? Let me know in the comments below.

Sophie xx

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See this gallery in the original post