Interested in greening your life a little more? Incorporating sustainable and ethical products into your life is fun and fulfilling! And it’s also an incredibly impactful way to create positive change in the world. But with so many new products coming to market, it can also be a bit overwhelming. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! 

One helpful tip is to incorporate sustainability into your lives one room at a time. Limiting changes to a single room ensures the projects are achievable, often in an afternoon! Visit our other recommendations for greening your bedroom and your kitchen, but this article is all about greening your bathroom. 

This quick and concise guide will educate you on converting the traditional bathroom into a a more sustainable version to live healthier and reduce waste. Even these few easy steps can make a major difference! 

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Adopt to a Green Lifestyle with 7 Simple Bathroom Changes

We’ve selected these eight easy steps for creating a greener bathroom for their affordability and accessibility. Don’t forget, adopting a sustainable lifestyle is also about saving you money by reducing household expenses. Let’s get started! 

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Stop using disposables

Disposable products create mountains of waste in our landfills. They also tend to cost us lots of money over time. More than any other room in our homes, the bathroom is absolutely full of disposable products, from toothpaste containers to make-up remover pads and toilet paper. 

In many cases, disposables just make more sense. When possible, opt-in for reusable versions. Curious how to get started?  

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• Step 1:  Over the next several trash cycles, identify the items in your bathroom that end up in the wastebasket the most often. (And while you’re sorting through your refuse can, remove those recyclable items. Toilet paper rolls should never end up in landfill! Perhaps consider a recycling bin in your bathroom.) 
• Step 2:  Research reusable options for the most common items. 

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Here are are a few of our favorite companies that are reducing the waste from your bathroom: 

Bite has created toothpaste bits to keep those toothpaste tubes out of the wastebin. Compostable cotton swaps and options galore at Resourcefill. Found in Sage Refill Market, organic cotton facial rounds are great for makeup removal. 

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Eco-Friendly Soaps 

Most of us bathe regularly. If this doesn’t apply to you, please shower more. Everytime we lather up and rinse off, soap is washed down the drain and funneled out to the ocean. If you wouldn’t want to continue standing, living or eating in your own bathwater, imagine how the fish feel? 

One of the easiest ways to green your bathroom is to opt in for Earth-friendly soaps, shampoos and conditioners. Sustainable soaps break down easily into elements and compounds that aren’t harmful for animal and plant-life. They’re also healthier for you by limiting your exposure to harmful chemicals. Here are are a few of our favorites: 

Dr. Bronner’s All-In-One soaps use natural ingredients without harmful chemicals. Some stores will even offer refill stations to keep your plastic consumption down to a minimum. Soapply offers sustainable soaps for delivery around the country, while Plaine Products and Ethique have Earth-friendly vegan options that have been getting rave reviews. Flamingo Estate is just straight up awesome. 

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Use less water 

Okay, here is an obvious one, but it’s important to be aware of. If you live in the American West, you are no stranger to drought conditions. To green your bathroom, treat everyday as a drought day. Here are a few ways to reduce water consumption in your bathroom. 

Step 1:  Take shorter showers 

Step 2:  Don’t let your shower run too long while you wait for the water to warm;

Step 3:  Turn the tap off while you’re brushing, shaving or washing your hands and face; 

Step 4:  Get low-flow toilets, showerheads and faucets  

Using less water will keep your water bills down to a minimum too! 

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Green cleaners for those bathroom surfaces

Most commercial cleaners are filled with loads of chemicals that don’t just smell bad, but are downright dangerous for you and your loved ones as well. It’s not hard to create effective cleaners from your pantry; Vinegar and baking soda create a very effective cleaner that is much more environmentally friendly! 

If DIY isn’t for you, there are lots of companies emerging with environmentally friendly cleaners. Here are are a few of our favorites: 

With more certifications than you can count on one hand, Meliora Cleaning Products offers a variety of products for your bathroom surfaces and all cleansing needs. Branch Basics offers toxin-free cleaner concentrates that are healthy for home and body. 

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Be mindful when you flush

Did I say toilet paper already? Only use toilet paper made from recycled materials. After you wipe, you’re flushing that paper away and you’ll never see it again. There are plenty of options out there, so there aren’t any excuses for not using recycled toilet paper. 

Seventh Generation is the OG when it comes to recyclable toilet paper and bath tissues. For home delivery, Who Gives a Crap adds a fun twist to our rear-wiping necessities. 

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Self care = Earth care

For those that wear make-up, you’re in luck, because there are numerous sustainable cosmetics brands that have come to market in recent years. These products are designed to look great, of course. But you’ll also feel great knowing the products are free of harmful chemicals that you certainly don’t want on your skin and are Earth-sensitive. Here are just a few of the ethical cosmetics companies now available. 

Lush Cosmetics offers more than just make-ups, but we stuffed them into this box for fun. Thrive Causemetics adds an extra values-driven boost by supporting women’s causes and Honey Girl Organics gets our staff-pick of the article award. 

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Invest in linens and towels made with organic and and sustainable materials

Conventional cotton products, such as towels and linens, are laden with pesticides during their agricultural phase of life. Those pesticides seep into the ground and enter our water sources, creating harm for each of us and for wildlife. 

One of the best ways to green your bathroom is to invest in higher quality towels. Organic cotton products are sourced in an Earth-friendly way that doesn’t leave a trail of bleach behind you. If you’re looking for alternatives to cotton, bamboo is a wonderful substitute. Bamboo is known to have antibacterial properties and is one of the fastest growing fibers to create a far more sustainable product! Here are are a few of our favorites: 

The folks that brought you green mattresses have expanded into linens to align more of your bath and body needs. It’s definitely worth checking out Avocado.

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Final Words

Taking a green approach to living can be beneficial to yourself and everyone around you. You’ll also be helping reduce waste, lower the use of pesticides and chemicals, reduce your own exposure to those pesticides and chemicals, and directly make our planet a better place.

You’ll receive 2% cash-back by shopping directly with all of these products when you use your debit card from Atmos Financial. Atmos is the world’s most climate-positive banking solution, where 100% of your deposits are used to support renewable energy around the country. Greening your deposits is one of the easiest and most impactful ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle.