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Soap

Your shower habits can have a positive impact on the environment by swapping out single-use plastic packaged shower and shave products for bars of soap.

What you can do

Choose to refuse plastic-packaged bathroom supplies, including shower gel.

How you can do it

Making the switch from shower gel to bars of soap is an easy way to reduce consumption of single-use plastics. Bar soaps come in different blends to suit body washing, face wash, shampoo and shaving, so your line-up of bottles may become a line-up of bars.

Some people also go one step further and check the ingredients of the soap to ensure they don’t contain palm oil, which contributes to deforestation.

Bar soap can often be purchased without packaging, especially in bulk food, health, and organic stores. Alternatively, many suppliers use cardboard to package their soap which can be thrown in the compost once used. 

Taking the next steps

Making your own soap is pretty easy to do, and is a rewarding way to avoid waste. There are plenty of recipes online, and once you’ve got the hang of it you can start experimenting with different scents and ingredients. 

There may also be events in your local community sharing how to make your own soap. If there’s not, it might be a great opportunity for you to share your soap recipes!

The impact

  • Enjoy a simpler bathroom routine.
  • Reduce plastic waste and the use of our natural resources in creating it.
  • Protect our wildlife who can mistake plastic as food.

More ideas

What others do

Glass of lemonade, bunch of straws and a plastic juice bottle

To find plastic free ideas, take the Plastic Free July challenge

Reusable carry bag, keep cups and bamboo cutlery
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