Toiletries and using less plastic

[Paul1255]

When I started my own listing 18 months ago I bought hotel-style individual toiletries to leave in the guest room when guests checked-in.

Almost all guests would use them, take them home or comment on them- but I suppose only because I provided them...they were never expected!

Last year @Lizzie started a thread about plastics and going plastic free, which really made me think about my plastic and single plastic use.

Another community member, I think  @Kath9 in Australia suggested using large dispensers in the bathroom and then refilling those- and now I have run-out of those naughty little individual bottles I have purchased pump bottles for the bathroom and big 5 litre refills to top them up.

I have bought them for my own listing as well as all of the listings I manage, to try and do my bit.

I still feel bad, everything is still made of plastic (the bathroom dispensers, the big refills and the pumps) but certainly it’s less plastic than a new bottle every few guests and I hope it’ll make a bit of a difference 🙂 

What does everyone else do in their listings?

Paul :

[Sarah977]

@Paul1255  I have longish hair and I've never used a shower cap. If I don't want to get my hair wet, I just put it up in a ponytail or bun- it might get a bit damp, but no biggie. Maybe shower caps were used before the days of hair dryers- If you had to go out after a shower and didn't need to wash your hair, it would stay totally dry so you didn't have to go out in the cold with damp hair.

[Paul1255]

@Sarah977  makes sense to me! No one has ever asked for one, and I don't think I have the energy to make sure another item is always in stock in my listings...ahaha

[Sarah_Matthew0]

I now use pump dispensers and refill them, I do offer a collection of travel toiletries which I have collected or been given  from hotels but I find guests hardly ever use them.

[Paul1255]

That's really good @Sarah_Matthew0 🙂

[Kerry143]

I have the pump soaps as well but just started with a local soap company I found at one of the country markets that will make us little travel size soaps and supply us with liquid soap as well.  I'll make sure their company is mentioned in our House Manual.  I try to have as many local products as we can and people seem to appreciate that. Oh and fragrance free or lightly scented works best.

[Paul1255]

Really cool @Kerry143 shopping local is important too, I'm sure your guests appreciate it.

[Manasui0]

I personally don't mind with plastique soap bottle if you can refill it.. I got to be flexible in many ways.. so as long it can be use and use, not as a single use and through times it does injured the planet sooner or later.. water bottle.. if you refill it is better, but in many case it has become a necessaty in my way of life that I tooked for granted.. 

cheers..

[David3267]

great idea and a move in the right direction!

[Steven-And-Paige0]

It's tough to eliminate plastic entirely, however,  we try to minimize it in our space. We do have 2 receptacles, one for trash the other for recyclables; guests are generally good about disposing into correct one. 

[Linda1213]

Fabulous Paul! I have big jars i refill for shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and hand soap and lotion. I do not use single use water bottles, but have a jug of filtered water in the fridge quests can use. But.... most of them are... you guessed it. Plastic!

[Robin129]

This has been a fascinating conversation to read. It is odd to witness things come full circle. There was a time when everything that could not be produced on one's own property was purchased in bulk; fabric, flour, coffee, sugar, etc. Then it became fashionable to buy everything from the shops, everything homemade was looked down upon. Then, we circled back to nature (1960's) with peace, love, and handmade stuff again. Then again in the 1980's back to designer jeans, fragrances, shampoos, et al. Now we are trending back to bulk purchasing, paper/reusable shopping bags, glass/steel not plastic. 

I often become perplexed by people (not necessarily here, just in general) who are all about reusable, but sneer at second-hand/charity shops. Even Airbnb seems to promote the high-end looking locations, with the exotic/commercial/resort feel. 

I wonder what would be involved in opening a "refill" shop, here in the US? We have so many regulations. 

[Karen440]

My rental is near Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone gets 4 million visitors per year. Our house, fortunately, has great water from the tap! I have asked my guests to seriously consider not purchasing bottled water and I have provided them with re-usable water bottles AND a cooler (many guests take picnic lunches into the park.) When people are visiting Yellowstone, I hope to tap into their sense of conservancy and protecting our environment by resisting the urge of buying bottled water. I also provide soap, shampoo/conditioner and I use refillable dispensers in the shower. I’m trying to keep plastic out of the garbage as much as I can as our city does not have great recycling facilities.

[Kelly324]

In Minnesota, we have cooperatively owned co-op stores which feature tons of bulk and refill options. Recently, my guests took my large shampoo and conditioner bottles which I use to refill. He said he thought they were his. So I started labelling my refillable bottles in the shower. I also had him send me some money to make up for his mistake (he was a nice guest). I also use a product called Alaffia for hand soap- it's a co-op in Togo, Africa where the workers own the business and make a great product and also re-invest some of their profits back into their community and local schools.

[Lizzie]

It's great you have lots of refill options, @Kelly324. Do you refill anything else in your home?

[Kenn-And-Susan0]

We tried switching to boxed water, but it was expensive and (in my opinion) tastes weird. I like the idea of providing refillable glass bottles and maybe putting a water dispenser in the room. We have recently gotten our first order of bamboo toilet paper and facial tissue. It's not bad, and I like the idea of showing our guests that we are environmentally conscientious. 

We have been offering travel sized shampoos and conditioners (the little soaps we offer come in cardboard, not plastic. Reading this thread is making me rethink that we should install dispensers in the bathroom.