Bathroom

Now that the kitchen was taken care of I could tackle the next most used garbage cans: the bathroom. Keep in mind here that the goal of my project was to reduce solid municipal waste and not water resources.

My Plan:

With a quick look around the bathrooms I could easily see ways to decrease waste. First after reading the next chapter I saw no reason not to put recycling bins in the bathrooms. Just think of how many toilet paper rolls and plastic bottles can be saved from the garbage. The toilet paper rolls could also be eliminated entirely by using tubeless toilet paper. I also wanted to find new products that either used more eco friendly materials or had no packaging.

what actually happened:

While there was no way I was going to be able to stop my sister's makeup deliveries I was successful in other areas.

Recycling:

• I first grabbed three small bags we had gotten from shopping and explained that all toilet paper rolls and shampoo bottles (and bottles alike) were to all go into the bags. This worked out really well.

Products:

• After cleaning out the cabinets under the sink I could tell my mom with confidence that we won't be needing hairspray anytime soon. By putting together product that we had multiple of I could see that we had way more than needed. Also my sister went through all of her hair and skin products to eliminate clutter. When my shampoo and conditioner was running low I looked for packageless alternatives. I ended up buying bars from Lush that were sold in recyclable bags.
• The winter season is also a time for dentist appointments. Regular toothbrushes can't be recycled however bamboo ones can be! A great alternative to toothpaste is tooth tablets. By using tablets you can eliminate the tube and recycle the bottle.
• Razors waste can also be reduced simply by using a razor with a replaceable head. This way you aren't throwing out a handle each time it needs to be replaced

Prescription Bottles:

• I had trouble finding a way to recycle these, but since the other non-prescription bottles were being recycled I was happy.

Cats:

• Cat litter wasn't too much of a concern. We typically fill one grocery bag a week when we clean out the boxes, but the materials are for the most part ecofriendly which means they won't have a huge impact on landfills. The containers can also be recycled

Data analysis:

Data wise there isn't too much variation. Some of the items recorded aren't used on a regular basis and things like cotton balls are almost insignificant because they are so small and aren't as harmful as other items like toothbrushes. We were still at two garbage bags by the end of this week.