Are you looking for ways to reduce single-use plastic in your home? The bathroom is a great place to start. Other than the kitchen, it’s the one area of our homes where we have the greatest opportunity to reduce waste and live a greener life. Read on for 21 simple eco-friendly bathroom swaps to help you get started.

If you’re looking for some eco-friendly kitchen swaps, check out 21 simple kitchen swaps to be more eco-friendly.

This post was originally published in August 2021 and updated in October 2024.

So much plastic!

Have you ever stopped to look around your bathroom? If you do, chances are you’ll see a lot of personal care and cleaning products in plastic packaging. Much of that plastic packaging isn’t recyclable so it goes straight to the landfill.

But there’s good news! In my quest to reduce waste and live a greener life, I’ve found the bathroom to be one of the easiest places to find alternatives to single-use plastic and other disposable items.

Here are some ideas to get you started.

21 easy plastic-free swaps for your bathroom

1. When it’s time to replace your shower curtain and liner, buy fabric curtains.
2. Use unwrapped bar soap instead of liquid soap.
3. Swap your shampoo and conditioner bottles for bars.
4. Replace your moisturizer and 11 other personal care products with a single jar of coconut oil.
5. Use face and body lotion bars.
6. Unwrapped deodorant bars or deodorant in paper tubes are excellent alternatives to plastic.
7. Swap your non-recyclable toothpaste tubes for toothpaste tablets or powder.
8. Use microfibre cloths and window cloths for cleaning.
9. Make your own DIY toilet cleaner in 5 minutes with 4 simple ingredients.
10. Ditch your razors and look for low-waste hair removal options.
11. Replace your shower pouf with a loofah or scrub mitt made from natural fibre like hemp.
12. Take shorter showers.
13. Wash your hair less often. Most of us can get away with washing our hair only once or twice a week. You’ll save on hair products and use less water. And it’s better for your hair too!
14. Replace cotton swabs with a reusable swab.
15. Remove makeup with a washcloth instead of disposable cotton pads.
16. Make your own DIY body powder with 4 common kitchen ingredients.
17. Replace your plastic toothbrush with a bamboo toothbrush.
18. Use reusable cups instead of disposables.
19. Buy your liquid soap and body wash in bulk.
20. Cut down on toilet paper with a personal bidet or reusable washcloths.
21. Ditch your plastic air freshener. Make your own DIY room spray or buy room spray at a local refillery.

Not only are these swaps good for the environment, but many of them will result in less clutter and a simpler life. What’s not to love about that?

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My bathroom pet peeve

One product that continues to irritate me (no pun intended) is toilet paper! I am baffled that companies that make paper products continue to package their products in plastic. I’m hearing of paper-wrapped toilet paper readily available in supermarkets in the UK. When will our Canadian companies follow suit?

I did find a local industrial supply company that sells paper wrapped toilet rolls in cardboard boxes, but the quality isn’t the greatest. I’ll keep searching.

Have you made any of these eco-friendly bathroom swaps? Do you have other suggestions for us to try? Let us know in the comments below.