You can adopt simple, sustainable, eco-friendly habits without needing to alter your usual routine completely. A sustainable, eco-friendly bathroom involves using renewable and energy-saving materials that would last for an extended period and positively impact the environment.
Here are 9 valuable tips to make your bathroom more sustainable:
Change Your Shower Head and Use less water
Use a bidet instead of toilet papers
Remove VOCs materials
Get Energy-saving lighting options
Save Water With Toilet Flush
Purchase Refillable Containers
Use Bar Shampoos and Conditioners
Use Compostable Trash Bags
Natural Care Products
Through low waste techniques and energy-saving features, you can help to save the planet and save money as well.
If you are planning a sustainable bathroom design, there are a few things that you need to consider before you begin the process. Those considerations may include; durability, water use efficiency, and non-waste renewable materials.
Keep reading to find out how below.
1. Consider a water saving showerhead
One of your main goals for your sustainable bathroom is to reduce water usage. Reduce shower time and use a low-flow showerhead.
Most people tend to have long showers, and while this can be an enjoyable showering habit, it can encourage water wastage. With a regular showerhead, you can use over 60 gallons for a 10-minute shower, which means that your weekly water usage on showers alone is around 460 gallons.
Even if you don't spend too long in the shower, a regular showerhead encourages water waste. So you end up using more water than you would in a bath.
While reducing your shower can go a long way towards saving water, why not try an eco showerhead that does the saving for you. Install a low-flow showerhead so you can use less water when showering.
To take eco-showering a step further, invest in an intelligent showerhead like Oasense. It provides that full rinsing shower experience that everyone loves, but actually saves more than 50% water by automatically reducing the water flow each time you step away from the shower.
2. Try a bidet instead of toilet paper
To make your bathroom sustainable, you can install an add-on bidet to clean up instead of using toilet paper. With a bidet, you will get better cleaning and use less water. Bidets are effortless to use and come in several kinds.
Toilet paper is most commonly used in American households due to its convenience and habitual use. However, in terms of sustainability, toilet paper is not practical.
Did you know that most toilet paper manufacturing is not eco-friendly? It increases carbon emissions while consuming a lot of water.
People often assume that they’re saving money with toilet paper; however, this is a myth. You can invest in a bidet with your annual expense on toilet paper.
Even though they're a little pricey, bidets are highly durable and can last for years. They are also very hygienic and widely used in many countries around the world.
Therefore, you can get total value for your money with a more sustainable option than toilet paper.
3. Remove VOC’s materials
VOCs stands for Volatile Organic Compounds. They are toxic fumes that get released into the air due to certain substances and chemical processes, including; paints and cleaning products.
If you want to create a sustainable VOC-free bathroom, you will need to ensure that you use water based paints instead of solvent paints. You can also avoid using vinyl-based building materials for wall coverings, flooring as well as furniture.
Uncontrolled amounts of VOCs form the Ozone layer at ground level, can affect a plants’ inability to grow well and fight pests and diseases. Too much exposure to VOCs can also cause serious health risks and medical conditions such as cancer.
If you're remodeling your bathroom, try to ensure that you only use items low in VOCs. You can also check the labels of supplies and materials you'll need to ensure that they do not contain toxic substances.
Why not try to also use more natural and eco-friendly products like bamboo, glass, and metals for your bathroom fixtures.
4. Consider energy-saving lighting options
You can make your bathroom more sustainable by using renewable light sources. Natural solar power is one of the most renewable energy sources. It does not release carbon emissions, and it's the cleanest, purest form of light.
You can use natural sunlight in your bathroom instead of electrical bulbs. You can just remove the window curtain to allow sunlight in during the day. You can also install skylights in your toilet if you'd be more comfortable with that option.
In addition, you could use LED lights in place of fluorescent lights. They consume less energy and have fewer carbon footprints than fluorescent bulbs. They are also durable and have a longer life span. Hence, they are a more sustainable alternative.
5. Save more with a dual-flush toilet
Another effective way to make your bathroom more sustainable is with your toilet flush. Whilst you can't do without using water in the toilet, you can be more efficient in your water usage. You can ensure that you only use the specific amount of water you need to reduce waste.
There are now low-waste toilets you can purchase for your bathrooms. So all you'll need to do is select the water pressure you need for your flushing needs.
These toilets are better than free-flowing toilets that encourage water waste. Low-waste toilets come in different designs and sizes to suit your home needs. Even some allow you to set a water limit if you want to be more cautious.
6. Purchase refillable containers
An essential sustainable item you should have in your bathroom is refillable containers.
Most cosmetic products come in non-biodegradable plastic containers, which contribute to toxic waste and cause plastic pollution.
By using refillable containers, you can reduce your plastic waste drastically. You can just send the container to your cosmetic store and fill the container with the products. Reach out to your most used brands to see if they have a recycling scheme for their product containers.
Luckily, there are now cosmetic brands that sell their products in refillable containers to encourage sustainability.
Many liquid shampoos and body wash have refillable containers, although it's not very common. You can also purchase empty refillable containers from stores around you.
7. Try bar shampoos and conditioners
Generally, liquid shampoos and conditioners are packaged in cylindrical plastic containers. And when you have finished the product, it's easy to throw the bottle away and buy another one.
If you’re trying to create a more sustainable home environment , you should also attempt to practice low-waste habits. Constantly throwing away plastic bottles is not eco-friendly, and it contributes to plastic pollution. However, you can use bar shampoo or conditioners instead of liquid ones. They are very affordable, and they'll also give you the same results without waste.
The liquid shampoo also encourages a lot of water usage since it's harder to rinse off. So with the bar alternative, you can save water and also reduce your plastic waste.
Therefore, you can easily swap your liquid shampoo for a soap bar shampoo. You can also use bar hand soaps instead of liquid ones.
8. Consider using compostable trash bags
Another sustainable material you should purchase is a compostable trash bag. Compostable trash bags are made from natural and organic products that don't need human assistance to decompose.
Unlike other trash bags, compostable bags are usually made from plants and do not contain any polyethylene, i.e., plastic. Although you can use biodegradable trash bags, they are not as great as compostable trash bags. They still contain some amounts of plastic, which makes them harder to break down. They are also not as effective as compostable trash bags in ensuring zero waste.
With compostable trash bags, you can choose to compost your trash either by yourself or commercially. You can also use a compost bin for your compost to make things easier and remove odor.
Also, compostable trash bags promote renewable energy resources and help to enrich the soil. You can easily purchase one online or from retail stores around you.
9. How about natural homemade care products?
DIY is a great way to save money and live a more sustainable lifestyle. You can make your own bath soaps, shampoo, conditioner with regular household materials.
As a more sustainable option, try using more homemade products that will help you to reduce waste since you can make as much as you need. You can find all the materials you need in your kitchen and check online for simple recipes.
For example, you can make an effective hair conditioner with only vinegar and water. You can also make a skin moisturizer with aloe vera and rose water.
Ultimately, you can reduce the amount of non-eco-friendly materials in your bathroom and get a new hobby. It will also help you develop a naturalist lifestyle and reduce your waste levels. If you’ve never tried DIY before, you can consult experts online for proper guidance.
Conclusion
It’s great that you’re considering a more sustainable perspective in your lifestyle. It will also help you save money and improve your quality of living in the long run.
You can make your bathroom more sustainable without changing your routine by doing the following: switch to a low-flow showerhead and use less water, install bidets instead of using toilet paper, remove VOC materials, and use energy-saving lighting options.
You can also save more water with a low-waste toilet flush, purchase refillable containers, use bar shampoos and conditioners, use compostable trash bags, and natural homemade care products.
At Oasense, we have created an eco-supporting showerhead that allows you to take an enjoyable showerwhile conserving water at the same time. The showerhead automatically reduces the water flow whenever you step away from the shower and gives full flowing water when standing underneath it.
Oasense can help you to make your bathroom even more sustainable without needing to compromise on your shower experience. Get your Oasense showerhead now to enjoy an effortless sustainable approach!
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