The only way to lead a more sustainable life is to go green. But the first thought that may trouble you, is where to begin?  Our everyday decisions can impact every aspect of our lives. However, instead of thinking tall, we should start with small changes. Every day small changes can contribute to bringing about an enormous change in your environment. However, today we would focus on how to make our bathroom a cleaner and greener zone. However, it does not mean you have to do away with bath, shower, or home comforts. Here’s how you can incorporate small yet significant changes to change the way you maintain your bathrooms.

Use Only Natural Materials for Fixtures

When you are renovating your bathroom, shop for natural and organic materials to make your cabinets. Cabinets with natural, organic materials are bereft of harmful, pollution-causing chemicals that can be recycled later.

Countertops that are made up of glass, wood, or stone can provide a prestigious and sustainable look. They are a better option than materials such as acrylic, MDF, or some of the other less environmental-friendly materials.

Choose LED Bulbs

While you may think that the only way to make your bathroom more eco-friendly is to use less water, but also change the lighting in the bathroom using LED bulbs. It is the simplest way to make some serious savings on the electricity bill, which does a great service for the environment. LEDs have at least an 80-90% efficiency. This means that you get to save 80-90% of their energy as it is turned into light rather than heat.

Conventional incandescent bulbs, on the other hand, use 80% of their energy, and hence their efficiency is only20 % efficient. LEDs produce a range of lighting effects that can create the right look and feel without compromising on the sustainability factor. That’s right you can even use the LED lights for accent lighting to create spotlights for mirrors.

Eliminate the Shower Curtain

Vinyl shower curtain liners are particularly detrimental to the planet. They cannot be recycled; lets out harmful fumes when they are burned. Various studies such as the one made by the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ), a non-profit organization have substantiated that shower curtains are toxic to our health.

Other options may be marginally more environmentally friendly such as Non-PVC shower curtains but while renovating your bathroom you can settle for a shower screen instead of a shower curtain. They are better options available as they are easier to clean; they are also much kinder to the environment. Glass shower screens can also be easily recycled while the bathrooms are renovated.

Get a Low-blow Model Toilet

Toilets use at least 27% of the water used in your home, more than any of the other appliances or plumbing and that includes, washing machines, dishwashers, and showers. To make a change, all you have to do is use a low-flow model that can reduce the amount of water flushed away, amounting to 5,000 liters of water on average. Since 1992,  the U.S. law has mandated that the people will have to use low-flow or low-flush; it means that the amount of water flushed away will be no more than 1.6 gallons (6 liters) per flush.

Thanks to the law, most of the models available in the United States are low-flow. If you are planning to change the toilets, go for high-efficiency ones that will not only help you save water but also help in financial savings. What’s more they are easy on your pockets too, with sizeable rebates available.

A Shower Over a Bath

Choosing to take a bath over a shower is one of the biggest changes you can bring about, especially if you are taking steps to make your bathrooms more eco-friendly. As per studies, an 8-minute shower can use 62 liters of water; that’s a lot less than the 80 liters of water that you use in a bath. Eight minutes is a lot of time to devote time in a shower, you can certainly sing or think there in those 8 minutes.

Always think of your bathroom as not one that holds great aesthetic value, but a place where you can help it keep clean, green, and sustainable. Build your bathroom keep accessibility in mind. Keep a wet room and position your outlet drains in ways that will help in saving your environment and also help in future renovation.