Zero-Waste Bathroom: 6 Simple Steps to Get Started

The bathroom is one of the rooms in the house that generates the most packaging: bottles, cotton rounds, toothbrushes, disposable razors… The good news is that you can cut that waste without turning your routine upside down. The secret is to go one step at a time, and only replace each product once it's used up.

Step 1: take stock

Before you buy anything, open your cupboards. Make a note of what you throw away most often: cotton rounds, cotton buds, shower gel bottles, razors? That list becomes your roadmap. It also helps you avoid a common trap: binning everything at once to buy it all again in a sustainable version. The most effective zero-waste approach starts with finishing what you already have.

Step 2: switch to reusable makeup remover pads

This is often the easiest change of all. Reusable makeup remover pads work exactly like disposable cotton rounds, with your usual cleanser. The only new part comes afterwards: you rinse them, pop them in a wash bag and machine wash them with the rest of your laundry.

To make sure you never run out, keep enough to last between two washes. With a pack of 16, someone who takes their makeup off every evening is covered for a good week.

Step 3: change your toothbrush

A bamboo toothbrush has the same shape and feel as a regular one: only the handle changes. A few tips for making the switch:

• Choose soft bristles, just as you would with a regular brush.
• Let it dry head up in a well-ventilated cup rather than in a closed case.
• Replace it roughly every three months.
• When it's worn out, pull out the bristles with pliers and compost the handle.

A pack of four bamboo toothbrushes with colour markers will last you a whole year or kit out the entire family.

Step 4: try bamboo cotton buds

Small item, big volume: we get through a lot of them without even thinking about it. Bamboo and pure cotton versions work in exactly the same way and can go in your home compost. Keep them away from the shower so they stay dry, in a glass jar for example.

Step 5: go solid

Soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant: most liquid products now come in solid form, sold without a bottle. For a bar to last, it needs to dry out between uses. Rest it on a slatted soap dish, away from the spray, and avoid dishes without drainage, where it sits in a puddle.

Step 6: replace your disposable razor

The last step is often the most daunting: the safety razor. It takes a few shaves to get used to, but it replaces disposable razors and cartridges for good. Only the steel blade needs changing. Take the time to pick a model that suits you, especially its weight and handle length, and start with the easiest areas.

Habits that help you stick with it

• One change at a time: wait until a new habit feels natural before moving on to the next.
• Make space: a basket for clean reusable pads, a jar for cotton buds, a hook for your konjac sponge.
• Get the whole household involved: colour markers on toothbrushes or a basket per person make life easier when you share a bathroom.
• Accept imperfection: every disposable you cut out counts, even if not everything is perfect.

Where to start?

If you only make one change this week, pick the one that replaces the product you throw away most often. For many people that's cotton rounds; for others, it's the toothbrush. What matters is getting started, then moving forward at your own pace, without pressure or guilt.