Consider these facts:
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 2 billion disposable razors make their way into U.S. landfills every year.
Toothbrushes account for more than 50 million pounds of waste annually.
A person may use 50 to 60 gallons of water every time he takes a bath.
You don't have to go any further than the bathroom to explore ways to conserve. Several companies are producing products that can help you go green in the lavatory.
Ripple Products of Australia has developed cute timers that you can place on your shower wall to help limit your time in the shower to four minutes, which can use as little as 8-10 gallons of water if you're using a low-flow showerhead.
There are star-shaped sand timers ($12) and those that have digital timers in shapes of stars, houses, crosses and ducks ($16). They can be ordered at www.rippleproducts.com.
Recycline, an environmental consumer company in Waltham, Mass., has been making recyclable products since 1996. It first introduced the recyclable toothbrush, whose handle is made of polypropylene that currently comes from recycled Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups.
In the dental health area, it provides Preserve toothbrushes -- in adult and junior sizes -- that can be purchased individually ($3.95 for adult; $3.29 for junior) as well as tongue cleaners ($2.75) and toothpicks (box of 35 at $1.95).
Better yet, the company offers a subscription program in which customers receive a toothbrush in the mail every three months, along with a postage-paid mailer to recycle the used brush. Dentists recommend replacing toothbrushes at least four times a year because the bristles can break down in three months and don't clean the teeth as efficiently.
The brushes sent back are ground and reprocessed into a source for material for plastic lumber, used in products such as park benches. The Preserve toothbrush subscription program costs $13, when ordering four a year.
Two years ago, Recycline introduced the Preserve recyclable razor, in green, orange and yellow, also made from yogurt cups. The razor triple costs $7.46 (with two cartridges) and four-packs of triple blades cost $7.49. The razors, too, can be recycled into plastic lumber.
These products are available at Whole Foods Market, Amazon.com and also at the company's Web site at www.recycline.com or call 1-888-354-7296.
Recycline this fall also is introducing a kitchenware line -- including colanders, cutting boards, food storage containers -- also made of 100 percent recycled materials that are then recyclable, just like the toothbrush and razor.
Here are other ways to conserve in the bathroom:
Never use the toilet as a wastepaper basket to dispose of cigarette butts or tissue paper. That can waste 5 to 7 gallons of water unnecessarily.
Turn off the faucet while you are shaving or brushing your teeth or hand washing dishes.
Avoid running water in the shower while you are shampooing or soaping. Most people step away from the water to do this anyway. Many water-saving showerheads come with a button to shut off the flow without changing the mix of hot and cold water.
Repair leaks in your faucets and toilets. A leaky faucet can waste 20 gallons or more per day. Leaky toilets, even though they are usually silent, can waste hundreds of gallons per day.
(To find out if your toilet leaks, put a little food coloring in the tank. If, without flushing, color appears in the bowl, you have a leak that should be repaired. Repairing a faucet is usually as simple as changing an inexpensive washer. Leaky toilets often can be repaired by adjusting the float arm or plunger ball.)
If you are building a new home or remodeling an old one, install "low flush" toilets. These toilets use 1 to 2 gallons per flush instead of the 3 to 5 gallons used by toilets sold before 1992.
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