5 Best Eco-Friendly Toiletries For RV Living Lower Your Footprint
Our top eco-friendly picks for life on the road.
You’ve just pulled into the perfect boondocking spot, miles from anywhere. The last thing on your mind is the pile of plastic bottles under your tiny bathroom sink. But when you have to pack out every single piece of trash, you quickly realize how much waste a conventional bathroom routine creates.
Living in an RV magnifies your consumption habits. Every item you bring aboard takes up precious space, every drop of water used fills a finite tank, and every piece of trash has to be stored until you find a bin. This isn’t about sacrifice; it’s about being smarter with your resources.
Choosing the right toiletries is one of the easiest and most impactful ways to shrink your footprint on the road. It saves space, reduces waste, and often helps you conserve water, extending your time off-grid. It’s a simple change that ripples through your entire travel experience.
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Shrink Your RV’s Footprint With These Toiletries
The bathroom is ground zero for waste in any home, but in an RV, the consequences are immediate. Plastic bottles clutter your limited cabinets, and chemical-laden liquids go directly into your grey tank, which you are personally responsible for emptying. This closed-loop system forces you to confront your consumption head-on.
Eco-friendly in an RV context means more than just "natural." It means multi-use, low-waste, and water-conscious. A product that replaces three others is a massive win. A solid bar that eliminates a plastic bottle is a victory for your trash bag and the planet.
The goal is to build a toiletry kit that is as efficient and self-sufficient as your rig. The products that follow aren’t just trendy alternatives; they are practical solutions designed to solve the specific challenges of space, water, and waste that every RVer faces.
Ethique Solid Shampoo: Ditch the Plastic Bottle
Deeply cleanse oily hair with Ethique St Clements clarifying shampoo bar, featuring lime and orange essential oils. This plastic-free bar lasts for at least 80 washes, offering an eco-friendly and effective solution for a fresh, balanced scalp.
Shampoo bottles are a terrible fit for RV life. They are bulky, prone to leaking during travel, and create a steady stream of plastic waste that you have to haul around. There is a much better way.
Solid shampoo bars, like those from Ethique, are a game-changer. One small, concentrated bar can replace up to three full-sized plastic bottles of liquid shampoo, freeing up a significant amount of cabinet space. Because they are solid, they can’t leak, and their minimal cardboard packaging can be composted or recycled.
Using them is simple, but you need a plan to keep the bar dry between uses to prevent it from turning to mush. A simple soap dish with good drainage is all it takes. This small adjustment in your routine eliminates a major source of plastic waste and clutter from your rig for good.
Bite Toothpaste Bits: Your Zero-Waste Smile
That half-empty, crinkled tube of toothpaste is an icon of inefficient design. You can never get all the product out, the cap gets messy, and the mixed-material tube is nearly impossible to recycle. It’s a small but constant source of waste and frustration.
Toothpaste tablets, or "bits," solve all of these problems at once. Brands like Bite package their waterless toothpaste tablets in glass jars with metal lids, which are designed to be refilled and reused indefinitely. You just pop a bit in your mouth, chew it into a paste, and brush as usual.
For an RVer, the benefits are even greater. There is zero risk of a toothpaste tube exploding due to changes in altitude or temperature. The compact jars are incredibly space-efficient, and you can easily portion out exactly what you need for a short trip without carrying the whole container.
Dr. Bronner’s Soap: One Bottle For Everything
Cleanse effectively with Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soap, made with regenerative organic certified oils. This concentrated, multi-purpose soap can be used for face, body, hair, and home cleaning, and comes in a 100% recycled bottle.
In a tiny home on wheels, single-purpose products are a luxury you can’t afford. A bottle of body wash, a separate face wash, hand soap, and maybe even a special soap for hand-washing clothes—it all adds up to a cabinet full of clutter. This is where multi-use products become essential.
Dr. Bronner’s pure-castile soap is the undisputed champion of versatility. This concentrated, biodegradable liquid soap is famous for its "18-in-1" uses, and while you may not use all 18, it can easily replace a half-dozen other products in your RV. It’s safe for your grey tank and gentle on the environment.
This EWG Verified and Certified Palm Oil Free castile soap gently cleanses while being kind to the environment. Made with organic plant-based oils, it's a versatile, concentrated formula perfect for body, baby, pets, and household cleaning.
Use it diluted as a body wash, face wash, hand soap, or even for washing dishes in a pinch. One bottle does the work of five, drastically reducing the number of containers you need to store and replenish. For RVers, this level of efficiency isn’t just convenient; it’s a core principle of smart, sustainable travel.
Go Plastic-Free With Native Paper Deodorant
Experience 72-hour odor protection with Native's plastic-free deodorant. Its aluminum-free formula uses naturally derived ingredients like baking soda, coconut oil, and shea butter for a clean, residue-free application in a refreshing Lavender & Rose scent.
Deodorant is a non-negotiable daily item, but the plastic applicators are a major source of single-use plastic. Every time you finish a stick, another non-recyclable container goes into the landfill. It’s an easy piece of your routine to overlook, but the waste adds up.
The solution is a direct, one-for-one swap to a brand that offers plastic-free packaging. Native, for example, now offers its popular deodorants in a paperboard tube made from 100% recycled paper. The product inside is the same, but the container is fully recyclable or compostable.
This is one of the simplest eco-friendly switches you can make. There’s no new habit to learn and no compromise on product effectiveness. The paperboard tube is surprisingly durable for travel, and making this change permanently eliminates a consistent source of plastic from your RV’s trash bin.
Combat Wipes: Your Biodegradable Shower
Stay clean and refreshed on any adventure with these extra-thick, biodegradable wet wipes. Infused with aloe and Vitamin E, they offer a thorough, gentle cleanse for your body and hands, perfect for camping, backpacking, or the gym.
Water is your most precious resource when you’re not hooked up to a city water supply. Every gallon used for a shower fills your grey tank and shortens the amount of time you can stay off-grid. This is the fundamental equation of boondocking.
Biodegradable body wipes are an essential tool for water conservation. Unlike standard baby wipes, which are often made with plastic fibers, options like Combat Wipes are made from plant-based materials designed to break down. They are thick and durable enough for a full-body "hike-out shower" to remove dirt, sweat, and grime.
These are not a permanent replacement for a real shower, but they are a fantastic way to extend the time between them. Using a wipe allows you to feel fresh without using a single drop of your fresh water. This simple practice can easily add days to your boondocking adventures, giving you more freedom on the road.
Choosing Your Eco-Friendly RV Toiletry Kit
There is no single "best" kit for every RVer. The right combination of products depends on your travel style, the size of your tanks, and your personal preferences. The key is to be intentional with your choices.
When evaluating a new product, run it through a simple filter. Ask yourself these questions:
- Is it multi-functional? Can this one item do the job of two or three others?
- Does it save water? Will this help me extend my time between tank dumps?
- What is the packaging? Is it minimal, plastic-free, refillable, or compostable?
- Is it tank-safe? Are the ingredients biodegradable and safe for septic systems?
Don’t feel pressured to change everything overnight. The best approach is to start with the item that causes you the most frustration. If you’re tired of plastic bottle clutter, start with a shampoo bar. If you’re always running out of fresh water, invest in some quality body wipes.
Your Sustainable Road Trip Starts Right Here
Living in an RV forces a powerful shift in perspective. You become acutely aware of the resources you use because you are the one managing them. Your bathroom cabinet isn’t just a cabinet; it’s a reflection of your entire approach to resource management.
These simple product swaps are about more than just being "eco-friendly." They are practical upgrades that make RV life easier and more efficient. Less trash to pack out, more space in your cabinets, and longer stays in the beautiful, remote places you bought your rig to see.
Ultimately, a sustainable RV lifestyle is a more resilient and free one. By consciously choosing products that align with the realities of the road, you’re not just lowering your footprint. You’re building a smarter, more capable system that empowers you to travel further and stay longer.
The transition to a more sustainable RV lifestyle happens one small choice at a time. It begins under your bathroom sink, in your shower, and at your trash can. By replacing disposable, inefficient products with reusable, multi-use, and low-waste alternatives, you’re doing more than just helping the environment. You’re investing in a more streamlined, self-sufficient, and enjoyable life on the open road.
