September is here. We still have a few more weeks of summer, but I’ve noticed a definite chill in the air on a few mornings recently. The goal for September in our Year of monthly waste reduction goals is to get rid of plastic bottles of hand and face soap.
If you’re looking for an easy way to get started with reducing waste, you’re in luck. This month’s goal is one of the simplest changes to make.
This post was originally published in September 2020 and updated in January 2023.
Eliminate over 50 bottles a year
Getting rid of plastic soap bottles was one of the first eco-friendly swaps I made. In fact, I haven’t bought face, hand or body soap in a plastic bottle in almost two years.
Before I started my waste reduction journey, between body wash and liquid hand soap, we probably used at least one bottle of soap a week. That’s over 50 plastic bottles a year, just from one household. Multiply that by 12 million households in Canada and this easy change could save about 600 million plastic bottles, just in one country. That’s a lot of plastic!
How you can ditch the plastic
Here are two ways you can get rid of plastic soap bottles, for good.
Bar soap
Without a doubt, the simplest way is to swap your bottles for bars. Bar soap is economical and most products are sold in minimal or no packaging. Check out 5 reasons to swap your bottles for bars for details on how this change can save you hundreds of dollars every year.
Bulk refills
If you don’t like the idea of bar soap, look for a bulk refill store in your area. My green living journey started with a Christmas gift of a bottle of hand soap from Molloy’s, a local small business that specializes in bulk soap refills and other eco-friendly products. Although, I primarily use bar soap, I do like to use liquid hand soap at the bathroom sink.
If you can’t find a bulk refill store in your area, you can still reduce plastic by buying liquid soap in the largest possible container you can find. Then, use the larger container to refill your smaller bottles.
Commit to this simple swap this month
If you’ve been wanting to live a greener life with some simple changes, give this one a try and let me know what you think.
What are your waste-reduction goals? Tell us about them below.
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It is a bit of a shock to think how much plastic waste there is just from continuing to buy soap bottles.
We have made the switch to bar soap (with eco packaging), my partner Sarah has made some crochet soap savers, pop the bar of soap inside it. The kids love it too, it is easier for them to handle. We all know how slippy bars of soap can be.
Thanks Eddie. Those soap savers are a great idea, especially for the bath and shower. I will have to look for some.
Soap making is a fun hobby, Michelle! I’ve made homemade bar soap (even shampoo bars!) and not only does it reduce plastic, but it saves a ton of money compared to purchasing soap in the store.
We do have some liquid soap dispensers in our house that I refill with bulk products. I’ve purchased liquid soap by the gallon and just refill the dispensers as needed. Did you know you can get glass liquid soap dispensers? I haven’t done that yet as I’m just re-using my old dispensers. Also, I wondered about breakage.
My daughter and I did a soap making class last fall. We’re still using up the soap we made. I’m not sure if I’d do it again. The unwrapped bar soap I buy is pretty economical.
The bulk store I shop at sells their soap in glass pump bottles. I’m a little nervous about breakage too but we’ve been using ours in our main bathroom for two years and haven’t had a problem. The last time I went to the bulk soap store, I got an empty 4L vinegar bottle filled to refill my glass pump bottle. It will probably last us a year!
Great ideas to reduce plastic, starting with our soap products! Thanks xx
Thanks Christy!