If you want to start practicing a more sustainable lifestyle, but lack the motivation or simply do not know how to do it, look no further. The bathroom, often a site of monumental product and water waste, is a great place to start. Here are three small actions to take in the bathroom today to begin gradually decreasing your environmental footprint.
Be mindful of what products you’re buying
You don’t have to go searching for those super fancy, eco-friendly, all-organic, sustainably-produced bathroom products that cost half your meal plan. Just take a few seconds before your shopping trip to do a little research on the ingredients of the products which you usually buy. Avoid buying them again if the ingredient list stretches across the whole bottle and you can’t pronounce the majority of it — chances are, it’s not natural or sustainably produced. Amber Orr, the President of the NSU Green Sharks, a student-run sustainability club, suggests either looking into zero-waste stores or exploring your options on the local level.
“You could find eco-friendly products at Target and Walmart. You don’t really have to buy the fancy eco-products until you finish what you have… And if you’re buying online, you could bulk order with your friends and choose slower shipping options,” said Orr.
Be mindful of how you use those products
This is perhaps the most important action you can take — and probably, the easiest too. Definitely don’t throw away all your exfoliators with plastic microbeads or toss your plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles; just use them to their full potential before the next shopping trip. Use small amounts at a time so they last longer. Use one squirt of soap instead of two, cut smaller lengths of toilet paper and don’t fold the slices over to make them 10-ply. It may be hard to remember to take these actions at first, but it’s surprisingly easy to make them habits once you start.
“My biggest piece of advice is to use what you have before you buy new stuff,” said Orr.
Be mindful of how use water
We all enjoy those steaming, 40 minute showers, but you may not realize exactly how much water is being wasted in that time. According to Home Water Works, the average American shower uses approximately 15.8 gallons and lasts for 7.8 minutes. That’s about 2.1 gallons of water down the drain per minute. Instead of using the shower as your happy, stress-relieving sanctuary, just use it to get clean. It may sound hard at first, but it’s a small thing every student can do to make a huge difference. Actually, pay attention to how long you’re in the shower. A good way to do that is to play music and limit yourself to one or two songs (if it sounds daunting, maybe use two or three to start and work your way down). Also, try turning the water off while you’re lathering hair or body products or waiting for them to absorb. If you find yourself often waiting for a while for the water to get hot, collect that cold water and use it for plant-watering. Start small if you want; turn the water off while you’re brushing your teeth. It all adds up.
Kicking off your eco-friendly lifestyle only involves being mindful. Take a second to assess your situation and see what small steps you can take.
“Say ‘I’m gonna rinse out these bottles and recycle them,’ or ‘I’m just gonna throw this bottle in my backpack rather than ask for a plastic bag,’” Orr suggested.
It doesn’t take much to get started, but Mother Earth will thank you for it
