# PLASTIC-FREE LIVING

## Tips And Swaps For A Low Waste Bathroom

Written by **Natalie Henderson, Marketing Associate @Blueland**  
Published: January 5, 2021  
Updated: November 6, 2025

It’s time to talk about bathrooms. Many of us hold our bathroom routines dear, from nighttime skin care to shower thoughts, and we create a lot of waste in the process. The small bathroom trash can can get filled pretty quickly with single-use items that end up in landfills and oceans. It’s time to clean up your bathroom with these low waste tips!

## How Much Plastic Are You Wasting In Your Bathroom?

Surprisingly, more than you think. Here are some of the items that contribute to bathroom waste:

- **Toilet Paper:** Producing toilet paper can take [up to 9 million trees](https://www.mic.com/articles/127961/what-toilet-paper-is-doing-to-the-planet) each year. Consider how much you really need.
- **Single-Use Makeup Wipes:** Most makeup wipes aren’t recyclable due to their synthetic fibers. One study estimates that 20 million pounds of single-use makeup wipes are used annually.
- **Disposable Razors:** With 2 billion razors and razor blades thrown away each year in the U.S., consider the waste created by disposable razors.
- **Single-Use Menstrual Products:** An estimated [5,000-15,000 tampons and pads](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/09/how-tampons-pads-became-unsustainable-story-of-plastic/#:~:text=But%20rough%20estimates%20for%20the,in%20landfills%20as%20plastic%20waste.) are used over a lifetime, generating substantial waste.

## Swaps For A Low Waste Bathroom

- **Toilet Paper Swaps:** Consider using recycled toilet paper or a bidet to reduce paper waste.
- **Cotton Swab Swap:** Replace disposable cotton swabs with a reusable silicon version from LastObject.
- **Makeup Wipes Swap:** Use washable cotton or bamboo makeup pads instead of disposable wipes.
- **Reusable Razor Swap:** Invest in a reusable razor to decrease waste from disposable ones.
- **Menstrual Product Swap:** Try reusable menstrual cups or washable period underwear like those from Thinx and Rubylove.

## More Low Waste Bathroom Tips:

- **Recycle and compost:** Set up recycling and compost bins in your bathroom for easy waste management.
- **Start with simple swaps:** Use up existing products before transitioning to reusable or alternative options.
- **Learn more:** Check out other resources on [beauty routines](/content/articles/low-waste-beauty-tips/index.html) and [toothbrushes](/content/articles/eco-friendly-toothbrushes/index.html) to further your low-waste journey.

## Refill is the New Recycle

The perfect way to start cutting out single-use plastic from your home.