Low-waste bath essentials for travel
With the travel restrictions eased and some of us looking forward to travelling out of this sunny island, we have some ideas on how your bath essentials can be low-waste!
1. Bar soaps
Bar soaps are probably the best low-waste options there are but they are not the most convenient to carry around when they're wet. Keep your soaps neat with a small leak-proof container or in a used, clean plastic bag and let them air dry until you're on the move again. Alternatively, use the soap with a soap bag and let it hang dry after use! The soap bag not only works well as an exfoliating scrubby, it is also a convenient way to hang up your bar soaps to dry after use.
2. Shampoo bars
Similar to bar soaps, shampoo bars are low-waste alternatives to the traditional liquid shampoo. They are lightweight to travel with and can be stored in small containers or bags for transport.
3. Refill containers
Instead of purchasing smaller bottles of your favourite liquid soap especially for travelling, you can transfer the ones you have into smaller travel-sized containers you might be able to find at home.
If you're planning on using the small bottles of liquid soaps or shampoo provided by your accommodation, you can always ask what the organisation's practices are - whether they will be throwing or refilling those bottles. We did that with a small boutique hotel we stayed at in Spain during a well-deserved break and when we realised that they refill the bottles, we used the soaps provided and left the bottles behind. If you know that the hotel might be sending the bottles for recycling, it might be a great idea to take those bottles along with you so that you can get more use out of them before you eventually send them for recycling.
With all the new options for a low-waste lifestyle available now, remember that the best way to go low or zero-waste is to use up what you already have before you start purchasing more!