Start with one change to create your plastic-free bathroom: shampoo bars are a great place to begin your plastic-free adventure.
Plastic has been one of the main topics when combating environmental damage. Our oceans and filling up with plastic bottles. One of the major culprits is in our bathrooms something we use every day, shampoo bottles. Every day we go into our shower and pick up the shampoo bottle to wash our hair, without thinking there is anything wrong. We choose the bottle that says all natural ingredients or the bottle that is green with botanicals all over the bottle. The beauty industry has started to move into reusable and developing their own shampoo bars. Before it was popular to go plastic free shampoo bars were very expensive. In the UK we throw away 520 million shampoo bottles a year. These bottles take 450 years to decompose but during the decomposing, the plastic does not disappear completely. Once it begins to break down smaller and smaller pieces of plastic that slowly make it into our water system.
Shampoo bars lower your plastic waste and also your net carbon waste. A shampoo bar can last up to 25 washes as long as you keep the bar dry and place it in a dish with drainage. They are also a lot smaller than the average shampoo bottle making them very easy to take with you traveling. If you are a frequent flyer the shampoo bar is brilliant as you can put it in your hand luggage with no worries about spillages or mess.
There are mixed reviews about the shampoo bars, I have to say it takes time to find the bar that works for your hair type. Try to look for shampoo bars that have the same properties as your traditional shampoos such as moisturising, anti-dandruff, or colored hair. There is a transitional period when you swap between traditional shampoo and the bar. Your hair can get greasy or feel unclean. This does not last it is the same if you change shampoo brands.
The price can vary depending on the company or the shampoo ingredients. Shampoo bars can be found in most shops that sell toiletries, companies like Head and Sholders are now making their own shampoo bars but also bring reusably shampoo bottles. They are made from metal and can be recycled or refilled.
I personally love my shampoo bars they have changed my life especially when I went traveling and also how easy it is to grab when I am in the shower. I don’t overuse the about of shampoo and less spillage in the bottom of the shower. Many people have reviewed shampoo bars the podcast The Self Care Club has tried shampoo bars give it a listen. I don’t think I will give my bar up but if I do I will use a refill bottle instead of the plastic alternative.
Companies in the UK like Body Shop, Molton Brown, and Highland soap company have started to have refill stations in their shops. Check them out if shampoo bars are not your thing. Next time you finish your shampoo have a look at non-plastic alternatives.
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