You might think you’re super eco-conscious when it comes to your day-to-day choices, but a new study has revealed that many of us are making a mistake that contributes to 30,000 tonnes of waste every single year.
Our error? Failing to recycle bathroom waste.
Yup, the research by premium homeware brand Brabantia found that over 26 million brits aren’t recycling their bathroom waste.
The study revealed that although 71% of people always recycle in their kitchen only 58% do in the bathroom - with the main reason being that they are unclear as to what is recyclable and what is not (38%).
What’s more, over a fifth (23%) stated it doesn’t even cross their minds to separate bathroom waste and recycle, and a quarter (24%) of people don’t have the space for a bathroom bin.
So what difference can we make to our bathroom habits?
Ditch plastic for solids
Take a look inside your bathroom cabinet, and what do you see? The chances are – a lot of plastic. From shampoos and conditioners, to body scrubs, face washes and shower gels, that’s a load of single use plastic you could ditch. For good. Solid (and package-free) shampoo, conditioner and shower gels can be picked up from retailers like Lush. And good old fashioned soap is worth considering, too.
Consciously make the effort to recycle
While nine in 10 adults in the UK say that they now recycle their kitchen waste, four in 10 admit they don’t always recycle bathroom items, meaning around 30,000 tonnes of recyclable bathroom waste needlessly ends up in landfill every year. So hang a bag on the bathroom door or get a recycling bin, like Brabantina’s new compact range of its iconic best-seller the Bo Bin, for your empties to help reduce your impact.
Speaking to HuffPost UK, Craig Stephens, campaign manager at Recycle Now, said: “Look in the bathroom. We’re great for recycling in the kitchen, [it’s] common place, but the bathroom is the key one. There’s so many recyclable items in there: shampoo bottles, fake tan bottles, cardboard packaging. It’s a whole treasure trove of recycling in there.”
As well as plastic toiletry bottles, other key recyclable items people are needlessly throwing away include foils, aerosols and plastic cleaner bottles, said Stephens.
Let’s make it super simple – here’s what you can recycle in your bathroom according to Zero Waste Scotland:
- Toilet roll tubes
- Handwash (reuse or remove the pump dispenser first)
- Shampoo and conditioner bottles
- Shower gel and bubble bath bottles
- Toothpaste boxes
- Mouthwash bottles
- Aerosol deodorants
- Shaving foam
- Bathroom cleaner (reuse or remove spray tops first)
- Bleach bottles (remove dispenser cap and wash out thoroughly)