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It has been reported that 50% of bathroom waste in the UK is not recycled, and a large proportion of this waste comes from health and beauty products. So many bathroom items are recyclable; cardboard toilet roll tubes, plastic shampoo bottles, glass perfume bottles and more, yet they are thrown away and destined for landfill. Waste management is crucial in this day and age, so that we can contribute to solving environmental problems, such as pollution, climate change, extinction and habitat loss.
Green beauty is very important to us at Y.Wait, so this week, we wanted to share some of the simplest changes we made to our bathroom routines to make them greener! Even if you make just one or two of these changes to begin with, you will feel great knowing you are doing that little bit more for the environment. Small changes that we all make together can make a big difference.
1. Recycle
Possibly our biggest tip is to recycle whatever you can from your bathroom waste! Cardboard, plastic, glass and even metal packaging can be recycled, just as you would with your kitchen waste. Some of the Y.Wait team have placed small recycling bins in their bathrooms to remind and encourage them to recycle their bathroom waste.
When you buy Y.Wait Beauty products, they are contained in glass jars and packaging that can be widely recycled at your local glass bank or recycling centre. But recycling doesn't just mean throwing things away in an eco-friendly manner. You can also repurpose things!
"I cleaned out a couple of my Y.Wait Beauty Multi-Purpose Moisturiser jars when they were finished so I could use them to store my ear buds and sanitary items. I have even used the glass Shampoo & Body Wash bottle as a little vase with a flower in to decorate my bathroom!"
2. Shop consciously
Being considerate about what you are buying as a consumer is also important. Our next tip is to try to select health and beauty products that have minimal plastic packaging. Buying things that are contained in glass bottles or cardboard boxes is generally much better for our environment because they are more easily recycled, and shopping less plastic will reduce the need to manufacture so much plastic.
To take this a step further, you can also purchase reusable products instead of disposable ones. We suggest using washable cleansing cloths instead of wipes, and washable facial pads instead of single-use cotton pads, which are often a blend of plastic and other synthetic fibres. For convenience, biodegradable wipes are also fairly easy to get your hands on these days, however washable cloths are preferable!
"I've been using the cleansing cloth that came with my Y.Wait Facial Pack. I simply chuck it in the washing machine with my laundry, let it dry and it is ready to use again. I love that the products in the pack come in glass bottles too, which is much greener than a plastic alternative."
3. Save water
Our final tip is about being mindful of how much water you're using as part of your bathroom routine. This applies when using any of your bathroom utilities; bath, shower, sink and toilet.
We try to make sure that we are only running the tap when we are using the water, and it is not running wastefully straight down the drain. Taking shorter showers and shallower baths is also a great help. If your toilet has a double flush function, only use the double flush when you need to! All of these things can contribute to lower water usage and therefore have a positive impact on the environment and our planet Earth as a whole.
We hope this has been a helpful read. We would love to know what our customers do to make their bathroom routines more environmentally friendly, so feel free to leave your comments down below and let's share some tips with one another! Have a lovely day all 💛