Bamboo Tooth Brushes
Annually, one billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown away in the U.S alone, creating 50 million pounds of plastic waste every year. Various tooth brush brands are available that are biodegradable made from bamboo, charcoal and other renewable resources. The ones we have chosen are called The Green Root and we purchased them online at Amazon for only $11 for a pack of five. The packaging is 100% COMPOSTABLE as well. They are said to last up to three months. So far we are loving them! |
Tooth Paste Powder
Tooth Paste tubes take approximately 500 years to decompose! We have switched to a tooth paste powder purchased at our local market and you can too! Natural and homemade tooth pastes, apart from significantly reducing your plastic consumption, are also healthier and decrease the amount of toxins entering your body. We bought Wander Alpine Mint Mineral Tooth Paste at the White Rock Farmer’s Market or you can buy tooth paste powder online as well. Another alternative is making your own tooth paste. A recipe we found is provided in the following post from the book “A Zero Waste Life in Thirty Days” by Anita Vandyke. |
Dental Lace
Shampoo and Conditioner Bar
Shampoo and conditioner bars are another easy and simple switch you can do today. They are package free, contrary to regular bottles made of thick, durable plastic. Over 550 million shampoo bottles are thrown away annually in the States. Bars are more concentrated which means you can use less and use the same product for longer, each bar lasting around three months! They are light and small for travel and as well as for the initial shipping. A stat I read on unwrappedlife.com states,” Roughly ten to fifteen transport trucks of liquid shampoo would be needed for one transport truck of solid shampoo bars to get the same number of washes!” We bought our new shampoo bar from our local White Rock Farmers Market, a company called Wander, but we have also looked into the company called Unwrapped Life which is reasonably priced and extremely natural. They have various locations to buy their products all over Canada and the U.S as well as shipping options available. For our conditioner bar we bough it from the zero waste store and are also absolutely loving it. Our hair is skinnier, less greasy, easy to comb and waste free! Shampoo and conditioner bars are also excellent zero waste birthday presents.
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Soap Lifts
Purchase soap lifts with your shampoo and conditioner bars so they last longer and don't get washed away in the shower. The are very cheap and can be bought at many places including the zero waste website.
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Jarred Deodorant
Regular roll or spray on deodorant is not only bad for the environment in the amount of plastic waste, but it is also bad for us. The aluminum, mineral oil and other chemicals in these products seep right into our skin, the largest organ of our body, causing very negative effects to our health. When these products are thrown away, these toxic chemicals also can make their way into the ocean or air. Many natural deodorants don’t work, and so we decided that summer was a good time to experiment. We have bought some sample deodorants as well as a large jar from our nearby Choices; the brand name is Routine. They have a variety of scents and the deodorant actually works! Deodorants like this one, packaged in glass, are not only plastic free but are also natural for both us and the environment due to their short and simple ingredient list.
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