In case you haven’t heard, July is Plastic-Free Month, as part of a global campaign from the people over at the Plastic-Free Foundation. The challenge is this: ditch single-use plastics (think drink cups, water bottles, soap dispensers, food containers, *ahem* cleaning products that aren’t DAZZ) for the entire month of July, then maybe even develop a lasting habit or two.
If you like DAZZ, then you’re already one step closer to reducing your plastic waste - so why not take that next leap?
Here, we’ll help you get started.
Sometimes, the best plan of action is to focus on one area of your life (or your home) at a time. When it comes to eliminating single-use plastics, the bathroom is probably the best place to start.
The bathroom is the room in a house that churns out the most single-use plastics - yeah, we were surprised too. But, if you think about it, it does make sense. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, body wash, shaving cream, toothpaste, even our razors and toothbrushes, they all contain plastic. And, for most of those items, we usually throw the plastic away after we’re done with it.
But it doesn’t have to be this way! All of those use-and-discard items we just mentioned have some awesome reusable and plastic-free alternatives.
First, Let’s See What Can Be Reused/Refilled/Replaced.
Just like with cleaning products, there are a lot of personal care products out there that can be refilled, reused, or replaced. For instance, you could invest in an electric toothbrush that offers recyclable replacement heads (or heads that only need to be replaced once or twice a year).
Same goes for your shaving routine. There are many razors out there that have replaceable blades (some of them are even completely plastic-free), so you don’t have to throw out the entire razor each time the blades get dull.
When it comes to a lot of your other bathroom products, there’s a number of bulk stores online and brick-and-mortar that can refill your shampoos, body washes, soaps, etc. Check out this list of options, and see what’s available in your area too.
Now For The Plastic-Free Alternatives
You’d be surprised at how many traditionally plastic-made products can be replaced by eco-friendly alternatives.
Toothbrushes, for instance. If you want to skip out on the plastic altogether and find a manual toothbrush that won’t sit in the landfill, give bamboo a try! Bamboo toothbrushes (like these and these) are biodegradable and - if we’re being honest - are more aesthetically pleasing than those boring plastic things. Even some chain retail stores are beginning to offer bamboo options, and for a reasonable price too.
We also suggest checking out by Humankind, an online shop specializing in plastic-free personal care products. We’ve mentioned them on this blog before, but honestly we can’t rave about them enough. Need mouthwash? They have mouthwash tablets. Need shampoo and conditioner? They have shampoo and conditioner bars. Need deodorant? They have all-natural deodorants in refillable, non-plastic containers. Oh, and did we mention that they offer free, carbon-neutral shipping? Yeah...it’s a win-win-win.
And What Else?
All of the options we just mentioned are only the beginning of what you can do. If you take a look at the Plastic Free July website, it’s full of ideas for how you can continue to challenge yourself this month (and beyond). From inspiring personal stories to product recommendations, the folks over at the Plastic Free Foundation have all the resources to help you succeed in your plastic-free challenge.