The typical bathroom conceals a significant plastic issue. Consider just one product: around 20 billion toothpaste tubes are discarded globally each year, with almost none being recycled. This scenario repeats with razors, bottles, floss, and swabs, resulting in a steady stream of waste that our recycling systems were never designed to handle.
Personal care items are purchased and discarded in an endless cycle, mostly composed of mixed materials that curbside recycling cannot process. However, there is promising news: durable, refillable, and plastic-free alternatives are available for nearly all of these products. In many cases, independent research supports their environmental benefits. Below are alternatives for a more sustainable bathroom, along with insights from scientific research.
This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase an item through one of these links, we receive a small commission that helps fund our work.
Toothpaste Tablets
Toothpaste tubes pose a significant recycling challenge. Typically made of plastic laminate wrapped around a thin aluminum layer, these tubes are a fusion of materials that conventional recycling cannot separate. Consequently, about 20 billion tubes are discarded globally each year.
The industry has taken action. Colgate devoted over five years to creating a tube entirely from #2 HDPE, the same recyclable plastic used for milk jugs, and shared the design with competitors. The tube was introduced under its Tom’s of Maine brand between 2019 and 2020, with a commitment to convert the entire portfolio by 2025. This target is reportedly close to being achieved, with major brands covering about 90% of the U.S. market adopting the same transition.
It is important to note, however, that “technically recyclable” does not equate to “curbside accepted.” Few recycling facilities currently sort toothpaste tubes, and in 2024, a federal judge permitted a consumer lawsuit against Colgate to proceed, claiming its recyclability labeling is misleading to consumers whose local programs do not accept the tubes. Ensure your local program accepts them before placing one in the bin.
Alternatively, toothpaste tablets eliminate the need for tubes. You chew a tablet until it forms a paste, then brush as usual. Unpaste Zero Waste tablets are packaged in plastic-free, home-compostable pouches and are free of preservatives, dyes, or synthetic fragrances. Initially, zero-waste toothpastes lacked fluoride, deterring those seeking cavity protection recommended by dentists; Unpaste now offers both fluoride and fluoride-free versions.
Biodegradable Dental Floss and the PFAS Question
Floss is a small item with a significant chemical issue. Conventional floss is often made of nylon or a Teflon-type fiber coated for easy sliding between teeth, with some coatings containing PFAS, the “forever chemicals” that do not degrade in the body or environment.
A 2019 study in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology by researchers from the Silent Spring Institute and the Public Health Institute found higher levels of a specific PFAS in the blood of 178 women who flossed with Oral-B Glide compared to those who did not use it. This was the first study linking a specific flossing product to a higher body burden of these chemicals. Although this finding is an association rather than proof of causation and was disputed by the manufacturer, Oral-B has since reformulated Glide to exclude PTFE. The key takeaway: floss does not require PFAS to be effective, and most tested flosses did not contain it.
Lucky Teeth floss addresses both health and waste concerns. Its original floss is made from 100% organic silk coated with candelilla plant wax, tea tree, and peppermint oils. It is fully biodegradable and comes in a refillable glass jar with paper refill boxes, eliminating the need for disposable plastic dispensers. Silk is not vegan, so the company also offers plant-based PLA and bamboo-charcoal flosses in the same reusable glass packaging.
Bamboo Toilet Paper
Toilet paper presents a forestry dilemma. A significant portion of the pulp used by major U.S. brands comes from the Canadian boreal forest, the largest intact forest on Earth and one of the most carbon-rich. The industry clear-cuts over a million acres of it annually, partly to produce single-use products, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council’s ongoing “Issue with Tissue” reporting. Tissue made from recycled content or responsibly sourced bamboo has about one-third the carbon footprint of virgin-fiber tissue, and both are listed by NRDC as sustainable alternatives.
Bamboo, a fast-growing grass that regenerates without needing replanting, has become a popular tree-free option. We highly recommend Who Gives A Crap’s bamboo toilet paper, and along with Rizzi Home No. 2 bamboo toilet paper, it is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and Responsible Forestry. It is wrapped in recycled paper instead of plastic, featuring designs printed with soy ink. Rizzi also claims to reduce “butt crumble,” which you might want to explore on your own.
Bamboo Cotton Swabs
Plastic-stemmed cotton swabs are among the most frequently found items on beaches and waterways, small enough to pass through filters and end up in the ocean. This issue was significant enough for the European Union to ban single-use plastic cotton bud sticks in 2021.
The Humble Co. offers a fully biodegradable swab with a handle made from sustainably grown bamboo and a cotton tip with natural coloring, packaged in recycled paper. Founded by a dentist, the brand ensures its swabs are free of PFAS and BPA, and it supports dental care for underserved communities through its SmileOnU program.
Zero-Waste Shaving
Disposable razors are inexpensive, widely available, and nearly impossible to recycle due to the fused plastic handle, rubber grip, and metal blade. The most-cited statistic, that Americans dispose of about 2 billion disposable razors annually, is based on a 1990 EPA estimate that the agency stopped tracking in 2019. The current number is unknown and likely higher. What is clear is that a metal safety razor can last for years, replacing a continual stream of disposables.
Â
Albatross reusable metal razors come with 10 replacement blades in a hemp bag. The stainless blades are shipped in a paper envelope, and the company runs a blade take-back program that accepts used blades from any brand. This is an effective solution since most curbside programs do not accept loose razor blades, and the steel is upcycled into new products. Albatross also offers a shaving soap made from plant-based oils in a recyclable metal tin, serving as an alternative to aerosol shaving cream.
Bar Soap
Switching from a pump bottle to a bar is one of the more studied bathroom changes. A 2009 life-cycle analysis in Environmental Science & Technology by Swiss researchers Annette Koehler and Caroline Wildbolz revealed that, per wash, liquid soap has a carbon footprint roughly 25% greater than bar soap. Liquid formulas require about five times more energy to produce raw materials and nearly 20 times more energy for packaging, and users tend to use roughly seven times more liquid soap by weight per wash compared to bar soap.
The study does indicate that bar soap has a larger land-use impact due to its reliance on farmed vegetable oils, and more hot water is typically used when lathering a bar. However, in terms of carbon footprint, packaging, and several toxicity measures, the bar is more favorable. Look for bars sold without wrapping or in paper; Meow Meow Tweet offers a range of paper-packed soap bars.
Natural Shampoo Bar
Shampoo need not be a liquid in a plastic bottle. Solid bars remove the water content that makes up most of liquid shampoo, resulting in less packaging and reduced shipping weight, and they often last longer than a bottle.
Meow Meow Tweet produces shampoo bars and powders from organic plant oils and butters, using steam-distilled and cold-pressed essential oils and organic botanicals. The bars are package-free and ship in a recycled cardboard box with compostable paper wrapping, labels, and tape, while the powders are packaged in a recyclable aluminum bottle.
Refillable Body Lotion
Some products work best as liquids, such as lotion, but you can still reduce plastic by using a refillable container. Plaine Products’ body lotion comes in an aluminum bottle with a reusable pump. When you need more, rinse the empty bottle, return it in a refill box, and the company will refill and reuse it. The formula is plant-based and vegan, with all packaging being recyclable or compostable.
Bamboo Toothbrush
Every plastic toothbrush ever produced still exists somewhere. Americans dispose of about a billion of them annually, creating approximately 50 million pounds of waste. The nylon bristles are fused into a polypropylene handle, preventing curbside recycling, and they persist for centuries.
A bamboo-handled toothbrush replaces the plastic handle with a compostable one. It is not a perfect solution, as the nylon bristles must be removed before composting, but life-cycle research is promising. A 2020 assessment in the British Dental Journal was the first to conduct a full life-cycle analysis on toothbrushes, finding that manual bamboo brushes and plastic brushes with replaceable heads had the least environmental impact of the options studied, while electric toothbrushes had the greatest. The Humble Co., mentioned earlier for swabs, is a dentist-founded brand that manufactures bamboo toothbrushes.
Menstrual Cups
For menstruating individuals, disposable products accumulate quickly. An individual can use around 10,000 pads and tampons in a lifetime, with modern pads comprising over 90% plastic that takes centuries to degrade. A reusable silicone menstrual cup can replace nearly all of this waste and last for years.
The environmental benefits are well-documented. A 2021 UN Environment Programme review and a 2022 life-cycle assessment both found that reusable menstrual cups have the lowest environmental impact of any menstrual product across their full life cycle, outperforming tampons, pads, and even reusable cloth pads and period underwear, which require more water for laundering. Cups are the lowest-waste option; reusable cloth pads and period underwear also surpass disposables, though the degree depends on washing practices.
Where to Take What’s Left After Use
Switching to sustainable products prevents waste from going into the trash, but the items you currently own still need proper disposal. For blades, tubes, and packaging you are retiring, verify what your local program accepts using the Earth911 Recycling Search. Additionally, check our guides for recycling toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes, as well as recycling tin and steel cans.
Editor’s Note: Originally published by Jennifer Sokolowsky on July 23, 2019, and updated in July 2026 with current products, links, and supporting research.
