Disclosure: Please note that this post has been sponsored in paid partnership with the companies participating in this gift guide. Photography has been provided by each company, unless otherwise noted.
In the Bathroom
Beyond the kitchen, our bathrooms tend to be inundated with plastic and waste-creating products. It’s easy to have overflowing cupboards and drawers, likely with creams, lotions and potions we used once and then never looked at again (amirite?). The zero waste lifestyle promotes living with intention, choosing quality over quantity, and making conscious purchases. This is no different in the bathroom. When you’re ready to make zero waste swaps in the bathroom, The Zero Waste Collective's 2018 Holiday Gift Guide for Zero Waste in the Bathroom and Beauty provides a thorough list below of alternatives to the big sources of trash and plastic in our bathrooms. These swaps are great for you and as gifts to help others make sustainable lifestyle changes.
Beauty
Zero waste or low waste skincare and cosmetics are relatively new on the scene. There’s also been a huge push in recent years (thankfully!) towards cruelty-free and nontoxic products. Given that our skin absorbs everything we put on it, we want to know that the products we use are good for our skin, but also good for the planet. The Zero Waste Collective has rounded up a few of the finest products for skincare and cosmetics.
If you’ve got some gifts to buy this holiday season, you’re all set with these innovative, sustainable and passionate companies that care about our planet.
Albatross Designs
Albatross Designs is on a mission to “SHAVE” the world from plastic by eliminating plastic from shaving! Over recent years, shaving has become more and more disposable, and increasingly more expensive. One of the best swaps you can make to reduce waste in the bathroom is to invest in a safety razor.
With the razors available from Albatross Designs, all you’ll need to replace is the stainless steel blade. This metal blade can be recycled, just be sure to check with your municipality to learn how to recycle it properly. The easiest way to dispose of your blades is to keep used ones in a container and once it’s full, recycle all of them in one go. If your municipality does not recycle them Albatross Designs has a safety razor blade take back program.
Though Albatross Designs encourages sending blades to your local recycler if accepted, they are working on how to use the blades to create higher-quality products than your recycler might be able to achieve. As such, they welcome all the blades they can get for Design purposes. You can also check out their Trillion Pieces of Plastic Campaign to see their passion for eliminating plastic, and get on board.
Albatross Designs offers a variety of safety razor styles, and sells safety razor blades and plastic-free shaving soap. You’ll never throw away a razor again! Invest in one for yourself (they are not gender specific), or for others, and skip the plastic. International shipping is available.
Photography provided by The Zero Waste Collective.
Unwrapped Life
Unwrapped Life was created with a mission: to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics from everyday products. Everyday luxury staples like shampoo and conditioner weren’t available plastic-free, so the co-founders, Hayley McKenzie and Arden Teasdale set out to formulate solid shampoo and conditioner bars for all hair types.
These are not your average, generic shampoo and conditioner bars. Unwrapped Life bars are not a one-size-fits-all product; they have something for all hair types! They’ll leave your hair feeling fresh, luxurious, and stylish. Good hair days are possible with these shampoo and conditioner bars. They are also ideal for traveling. Keep an eye on Unwrapped Life, they have a vision to raise awareness about single-use plastic, and offer a wide range of eco-friendly products for zero waste living (including reusable facial rounds!).
Give these bars a try for yourself, and buy them as gifts for friends and loved ones! Great for your hair, and eco-friendly, you’ll wonder why you didn’t make the switch sooner. International shipping is available.
Little Bit Daily
With the transition to a zero waste and plastic free bathroom, many people often switch to bar soap, bar shampoo and conditioner, bar shaving soap, etc. But then we have to contend with the mess that comes with having bar soaps. Where should we put them? Little Bit Daily has handcrafted wood soap keepers made in New Zealand to easily dry out soap when not in use. A beautiful and practical solution!
Little Bit Daily aims to make useful and lovely products with zero harm to our planet. The soap savers are handmade from either salvaged materials or sustainably sourced New Zealand pine and sealed with natural oils. Each soap keeper is unique and will vary in terms of the grain, knots and other natural characteristics. That's what makes them so special! They are also shipped in materials that are recycled and plastic-free including news print, cardboard, paper tape, twine.
Little Bit Daily soap keepers come different sizes and colours. They make the perfect gift for yourself, or friends and family! Keep your soap simple and mess free. International shipping is available.
OrganiCup
Many women wish they had made the swap to a menstrual cup sooner. Have you made the switch? If not, here’s the perfect opportunity to invest in an OrganiCup! OrganiCup can easily replace all of the menstrual products you have in your cupboard. You’ll also save money, as OrganiCup will last up to 10 years. Say goodbye to single-use pads, tampons, and panty-liners!
This menstrual cup is easy to wear all during the day, and once emptied, can last all night, providing up to 12 hours of leak-free period protection. OrganiCup holds up to 3 times more liquid than pads and tampons. Menstrual cups also make traveling with your period simple and easy, as you don’t need to pack a ton of products!
Made of soft silicone, OrganiCup is certified hypoallergenic, certified vegan (no animal testing) and complies to all relevant legislation. Unlike most pads and tampons, OrganiCup is nontoxic. OrganiCup is free of bleach, glue, perfume, lotion, or anything else that you don’t want inside your lady parts. Curious how to use them? OrganiCup has directions here.
OrganiCup is an award-winning menstrual cup that can replace your collection of pads and tampons, saving you both money and trash. You’ll thank yourself for investing in one, and your friends will too if you buy these as gifts!
Discount Code: ZWC20 for 20% off your purchase from OrganiCup! International shipping is available.
Photography provided by The Zero Waste Collective.
Brush Naked
If every piece of plastic ever made still exists somewhere, then all of our discarded toothbrushes that we’ve ever used still exist too. Instead, we could be brushing our teeth with bamboo! Brush Naked has a beautiful line of toothbrushes, made with a 100% bamboo handle and BPA-free nylon bristles. The toothbrush is compostable, and the nylon bristles need to be removed before placing your toothbrush handle in the compost.
Brush Naked is passionate about making sure we use less plastic. Their toothbrushes are wrapped in a biodegradable and compostable cello made from wood and cotton pulp, and inserted into a box that is also biodegradable and compostable. You can even choose to have your toothbrush shipped without the box! The toothbrushes are naturally anti-bacterial and anti-microbial.
With Brush Naked bamboo toothbrushes, you’ll have a plastic-free bathroom and toiletries kit in no time. These make easy gifts for friends and loved ones, and helps to spread the message to reduce our waste and plastic.
Discount code: ZWC10 for 10% off your order! International shipping is available.
Cocoon Apothecary
Artfully-crafted and clean skincare company, Cocoon Apothecary, offers a skincare line made from plant-based, vegan, biodegradable and ethically-sourced ingredients. Their variety of products spans all skin types, and are naturally pro-aging to nourish your skin. Made in Canada since 2003, Cocoon Apothecary is meticulous about the ingredients, and the environment.
Cocoon Apothecary uses certified organic ingredients in their products and they are 100% GMO-free. They believe in preserving nature with sustainable farming practices. They make it a priority to package their products in glass, and they offer a bottle return and reuse program. In terms of shipments, they use packing peanuts produced from vegetable starch, which are biodegradable and can be placed in your compost. You’ll love their creamiest creams, sudsiest soaps, and bliss-inducing aromas. Cocoon Apothecary is passionate about what they do!
Their products are cooling, soothing, rejuvenating and will nourish your skin to perfection. You or your friends and loved ones will feel lavish with Cocoon Apothecary products (with lines for women and men). Shipping is available in Canada and USA only.
Elate Cosmetics
Zero waste cosmetics can be a challenge to find, especially if you’re not into the DIY movement. Luckily, Elate Cosmetics has a beautiful collection of clean, cruelty free, and vegan cosmetics that include a range of refillable compacts made from bamboo! Plus, they use sustainable materials, their packaging is plastic-free, and everything is made in Canada. Refills are even packaged in seed packaging: simply wet, plant, and water!
Elate Cosmetics is committed to our communities and the world. Their products will never compromise the health of any person, animal or the planet. Elate Cosmetics is redefining the future of the beauty industry, and is at the heart of the conscious beauty movement. Treat your skin to healthy and nontoxic beauty without compromising on sustainability with Elate Cosmetics.
Find something for all of your needs. Elate Cosmetics has a wide range of products for your face, eyes, and lips. Perfect for all skin types! Gift yourself or your friends with conscious beauty, and reduce your waste with their refills. International Shipping is available.
Au Natural Skinfood
Au Natural Skinfood is shaking up the industry! The Au Natural Skinfood’s skincare line is formulated from high-quality and all-natural ingredients that have been ethically sourced in New Zealand, where the company is based. Au Natural Skinfood embraces the science of nature to repair and strengthen your skin, and is perfect for all skin types!
Au Natural Skinfood makes four daily-use skincare products (cleanser, toner, day cream, night cream) that work together to improve the health of our skin and strengthens skin’s natural barrier against the elements. Their focus is on skin health, no cosmetic beauty, so we can have healthier skin.
Not only do they care about skin health, Au Natural Skinfood also cares about the environment! Au Natural Skinfood uses aluminum containers that you can refill over and over again with product refills delivered to your door in eco-refills every 8 weeks. The eco-refill pouches are plant-based and recyclable. They are made from cornstarch or sugarcane (not plastic) and their production is zero-emissions. All packaging and shipping materials are eco-friendly and recyclable or compostable.
Subscribe to Better: Use zerowaste15 to get 15% off your first two month’s subscription to Au Natural Skinfood (this is after the free trial). Subscribe yourself or as a gift! International shipping is available.
Photography provided by The Zero Waste Collective.