Why? Because there’s more dirt in the stuff that we use than we often know
HOPEFUL FACT
If everyone in the UK switched to a refillable model we’d throw away around 1 billion less plastic bottles a year. Imagine that.
Want to know a shock fact? Fairy Liquid - the nation’s favourite washing up liquid - contains crude oil. Yes. Also Aldi and wait for it…Waitrose Original. We almost fell off our lockdown office chairs. Recovering shakily…
In a recent interview, when asked about the one thing we could all do that would make the biggest difference to the planet, David Attenborough said reduce waste. Thanks to him we all know the unforgivable damage we wreak on our oceans, its creatures and the natural world with throwaway plastics and toxic chemicals and more. Enough.
To really address this recycling is not the answer, we need to use less stuff and get to as little waste possible at source. So, having a look around our kitchen sinks, we have two questions to ask ourselves - what’s in it and what’s the impact of the packaging?
Ok, so what’s the intel?
For now we’re focusing on washing up. Specials on sponges, bathrooms, laundry etc to come.
Here was our criteria to make the grade:
Packaging that is either refillable or have inventive ways to reduce waste.
Plant based, renewable, ingredients, non-toxic to marine life and the environment
No animal testing. Full stop.
*** Ecover and Method are the best of the supermarket stocked brands, though since their sale they have a boycott call against it for being owned by non cruelty-free company, SC Johnson. So…
Where to buy:
Splosh - online here
Ecoleaf- online here
Ecover - all major supermarkets. Find your refill centre here.
If you’ve got a dishwasher (it’s actually more eco-friendly than washing up by hand if you run a full load), use the same brands recommended above. Ecoleaf here.
Have something to ask or share with everyone? A great product we should know about? Please post it in the box below. And…is there something you’re proud of, big or small (old emails deleted, herbs planted …) Email us, so we can feature you on our Weekly Shout Out!
We…
Aimee: I have been a lifelong Fairy customer so this has floored me. Time to say thank you and goodnight. Onwards and upwards…I predominantly use a dishwasher (obvs for eco-reasons only, not being lazy…!) and Sonia is singing about Splosh so I’m going to give their tinned dishwasher tabs a try - same price as Fairy…boom!
Sonia: When Ecover launched their local refill service, I dumped my fave Method because Ecover was a totally zero waste option, and I’ve been skipping down to my local refill centre ever since. However, now we have the scoop on SC Johnson’s animal testing situation, that’s it I’m afraid. Love affair over. Two relationships nuked. I’m going to wind down all my existing stuff, and then probably switch to Splosh as it’s a closed loop recycling model, an easy one stop shop and I like them.
“Love always goes the extra mile”
Photo: Volodymyr Hryshchenko