Why You Should Put a Compost Bin in Your Bathroom (It’s Brilliant!)

When I first learned about the concept of a zero-waste lifestyle in 2017, I was inspired. The first step I took to start reducing my waste was composting, which is the process of returning natural waste to the soil rather than sending it to the landfill. I stored food scraps in an upcycled plastic container in my freezer, and then dropped them off weekly at a nearby compost collection bin in my New York City neighborhood (yes, composting in an apartment is possible!).

Soon, my kitchen garbage was filling up much more slowly than before — but my bathroom garbage can was still filling up at the same rate. After some more research into sustainable living and composting, I discovered a lot of the bathroom things I was throwing out could actually be composted!

Nearly anything made of 100% natural materials can be composted. Of course, you should always look into product ingredients before tossing them in the compost; and even then, if they are contaminated with any unnatural ingredients, they should go in the trash to be safe. But in general, here are some bathroom items that can be composted.

• Hair (from the drain or hairbrushes)
• Nail clippings (as long as there’s no polish on your nails)
• Tissues
• Unbleached toilet paper (and toilet paper rolls)
• Matches
• Cotton swabs and cotton balls, including Q-tips (only if they are entirely plastic-free and made of natural materials like cotton, cardboard, bamboo, and wood)
• Compostable dental floss
• Compostable PATCH bandages and their wrappers
• Bamboo toothbrushes (after removing the bristles or snapping off the head)
• 100% cotton tampons (only compost these if you have your own backyard compost system — do not send them to a public compost service)

Once I realized how many bathroom items could actually be composted, I started walking from the bathroom to the kitchen every time I needed to compost something. Soon, I realized it would be more convenient to just put a small compost bin right in my bathroom.

Initially, I used another upcycled plastic container on the windowsill to collect compostable items. But after a while, I realized that this was not the way to go — the moisture eventually caused mildew to grow inside the container. Yuck. 

Still, I kept using the container until I moved into a new apartment a few years later, when I figured out that a lined bin without a lid would work best. I repurposed a small pink planter to use as a compost bin in my bathroom, which has the added benefit of being plastic-free. To keep my compost from mildewing, I line the clay pot with small paper bags, which are compostable, and fit perfectly. And whenever the small paper bag fills up, I bring it to a compost drop off point.

Living a zero-waste lifestyle is about much more than reducing your garbage — it’s about trying to have the lightest environmental impact possible, and part of that is not buying things that aren’t necessary. That said, if I do ever decide to upgrade, I’ve had my eye on the mini compost bin from Joseph Joseph. This one-gallon bin is ventilated and uses replaceable filters, which prevent the bin from mildewing or smelling.

Having a compost bin in my bathroom has worked so well for me that I now produce such little landfill waste that I actually don’t keep a garbage can in there at all. The only trash can in my home is in the kitchen. 

The only drawback is when a new guest comes over and I have to explain to them what can go in the compost bin, and what they need to take over to the trash can in the kitchen. But then again, that’s one of the sneaky silver linings to living in a teeny-tiny NYC apartment — the kitchen and bathroom are right next to each other.