Swap the bottle for a bar!
Ever counted the plastic bottles in your shower? We did, and it was a bit of a shock!
Shampoo, conditioner, a roll-on deodorant, a couple of plastic toothbrushes... and every one of them ends up in the bin sooner or later. The good news is that these are some of the easiest swaps in the whole house.
Shampoo and conditioner bars, natural deodorants and bamboo toothbrushes cut out the plastic packaging, and they can also help you cut back on some of the chemicals you put on your skin every single day.
Not sure where to start? Pick one, use up what you've got, then make the switch.
What’s the harm?
There are two problems hiding in the bathroom: the plastic packaging, and what's inside it. Most shampoos, conditioners and deodorants come in plastic bottles or tubes, and a plastic toothbrush is used for a few months then binned. None of it breaks down, so it hangs around in landfill (or the ocean) for a very long time.
Then there's what we rub into our skin and hair every day. Many personal care products contain phthalates, a group of chemicals used to make plastics flexible and to help fragrances last. They're known as endocrine (hormone) disrupting chemicals, and they've been linked to a range of health effects.
Did you know — when researchers at SAHMRI in Adelaide tested 605 pregnant South Australian women, phthalates were found in 99% of them! The highest levels were for chemicals commonly used in personal care products and food packaging. The good news? The study didn't find a link to preterm birth, but the lead researcher still suggests simple steps like choosing fragrance-free personal care products to cut down unnecessary exposure.
Health benefits
Here's the encouraging bit: your body can clear some of these chemicals surprisingly fast once you cut down your exposure. Researchers at the University of Western Australia ran the PERTH Trial, published in Nature Medicine in 2026. They found plastic chemicals in 100% of the 211 Perth adults they tested, with everyone carrying at least six different types on any given day.
Then they swapped 60 people over to low-plastic food, kitchenware and personal care products for just seven days. Every group that made changes saw their plastic chemical levels drop. Even better for us bathroom-swappers, the group that only changed their personal care products saw a drop in one of the common phthalates on its own, without changing anything else.
We'll be honest, the researchers say the biggest effect came from food, and they're still working out what this means for long-term health. But it shows your bathroom shelf matters too.
Bar shampoos and conditioners often skip the synthetic fragrances and preservatives that liquid products need, and many natural deodorants are aluminium-free and fragrance-free (always check the label). Choosing a bamboo toothbrush also means one less plastic object in your mouth twice a day.
Environmental advantages
Did you know — the bathroom is usually the second most wasteful room in the house, right after the kitchen! That's according to the WA Government's WasteSorted program, which points the finger squarely at plastic: shampoo and conditioner bottles, toothpaste tubes, cosmetics and wipes.
Toothbrushes are a big one. Australians throw away more than 30 million of them every year, adding around 1,000 tonnes to landfill. The Australian Dental Association says a plastic toothbrush can take 100 to 1,000 years to break down. A bamboo handle, on the other hand, can go in your green waste bin or compost. Just pull out the bristles first (they're usually nylon) or snap off the head and pop it in the general bin.
Bars are a simple win too. A shampoo or conditioner bar usually comes wrapped in paper or cardboard, so there's no bottle to rinse, recycle or send to landfill. Natural deodorants often come in cardboard tubes, glass jars or refillable cases. Each swap is small on its own, but over a year, a household can keep a surprising pile of plastic out of the bin.
Not sure where to start?
You don't need to swap everything at once!
Next time your shampoo or deodorant runs out, replace just that one thing. We started with Cooki shampoo bars, and then their conditioner, and then moved to deodorants - now we hardly have any plastic containers in the bathroom.
Small swaps really do add up, and we'll be here sharing what's worked for us along the way.
Recommended products…
Cooki shampoo bars and conditioner bars
We tried a few and these were the best for us, as they lather up really well and smell great.
A year on and still really happy with the feel of our hair and the reduced packaging. The travel tins are so handy for travelling too. No liquids to worry about leaking or limits on planes. The refills come in cardboard - so no plastic use at all.
We each have our favourites and different hair types - coconut or ginger or cinnamon blends. The conditioner bars last for ever too. Just have to soak them a bit before first use.
The bars are vegan, plastic-free, with zero waste. Great that they are Australian made as well.
Packaged plastic-free in a recyclable box or reusable tin. They are free from silicones, parabens, and synthetic fragrance. Gentle enough for coloured hair and suitable for everyday use. We can confirm the shampoo bar foams into a cleansing, bubbly lather that feels just like bottled shampoo.
We first purchased from a health food shop, then online, but now they are stocked in many pharmacies and some supermarkets too.
You can purchase direct from their website link below, or on Amazon.
No Pong deodorants
We made the swap to their range of deodorants more than a year ago too. Love the little aluminium tins and the range of fragrances and fragrance free options - with or without bi carb too.
As you can see we have tried quite a few different options over the last year - plus some of their seasonal limited edition specials!
The cream is easy to apply, you only need a pea sized amount. Sometimes the tins can be a bit hard to open with wet hands, so I tend to open it after I have dried off thoroughly!
Their bicarb-free formula uses magnesium hydroxide and super-absorbent diatomaceous earth in a nourishing base of coconut oil and beeswax. The cream has a smooth, light grey appearance from its natural mineral ingredients. Clinically proven to reduce body odour for up to 24 hours (we agree!).
PROUDLY AUSTRALIAN MADE: Australia's favourite natural deodorant. Free from aluminium, palm oil, parabens and plastic. Cruelty free. Plastic-free, always, in a reusable, recyclable tinplate tin.
Use our code for 15% off your first purchase if you order from their website: https://www.nopong.com.au?npl-ref=7mKufYSg
Colgate Bamboo toothbrushes
This is such a simple swap to make once your toothbrush wears out and the two pack made it even easier.
Made with sustainably grown bamboo and better for the environment than plastic. Child sized brushes are also available.
You can buy them at the local pharmacy now, not just health food shops, as well as online. We went with a trusted brand to ensure quality, as had read a lot about the brushes coming apart easily. A few months on and no issues as yet.
We hope that they will soon be stocked in supermarkets too.
The set we bought has 2 soft-bristled toothbrushes featuring charcoal-infused bristles for effective cleaning. The handle is biodegradable.
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We want to be transparent about where our facts and data have come from. In a world of ‘fake news’ and AI, its good to be clear about information, so that you can trust it.
Our sources
USAHMRI (2025), Widespread exposure to plastic chemicals found in pregnant women but no link to preterm birth. Original study in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.
University of Western Australia (2026), Research shows fast and effective way to reduce plastics in body.
Harray, Lucas et al. (2026), Low-plastic diet and urinary levels of plastic-associated phthalates and bisphenols: the randomized controlled PERTH Trial, Nature Medicine.
WasteSorted, Government of Western Australia, Reduce bathroom waste.
Australian Dental Association, Sustainable oral health care.