Making Empty Bottles Last
“The beginning of the shampoo bottle always goes faster than the end.” - Elizabeth Royte, author of Garbage Land.
When I read that quote, I instantly realized that I was one of those people who waste things when they’re there, and then try to savor them when they’re nearly gone.
And I know I’m not alone.
How often do you find yourself trying to pound out what’s left of your shampoo bottle, only to give up and reach for that fresh new bottle waiting on the side just aching to ooze out generously into the palm of your hands?
Next thing you know the old bottle is tossed away with perfectly good shampoo still hanging on to dear life! Not a very eco-friendly move.
“Yeah, but what could I possibly do about it?”
- Don’t buy new shampoo and conditioner until you completely run out of the surplus you already have. Use what you have and work with it! You’d be surprised how much of the product is still left in a seemingly empty bottle: Consider it a Hannukah bathroom miracle!
- Got new bottles already lying around? Store them somewhere far, far away from your bathtub, like in another room where you’ll think twice before skipping out of the shower all cold and wet to get it.
- I personally try leaving my (cruelty-free) shampoo and conditioner upside down for a while but that usually turns into a bad bowling game, knocking down bottles left and right. There must be a better way, right? There is: Apparently some geniuses before me have already thought of this and came up with new and convenient ways to store your bottles upside down (see above pic, courtesy of Fluggart). You might consider it a good investment to ultimately help you waste less.
- And when you’re finally finished squeezing the sense out of the bottles: Recycle, recycle, recycle!
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