Donna Malena 
Clean your way to a cleaner planet
Achieving a zero-waste lifestyle can seem like a daunting prospect, but the truth is that every effort helps – from cutting plastic waste to switching to eco friendly cleaning products. Don’t stress out about being perfect because we don’t need a small number of people doing it perfectly, we need lots of people doing it imperfectly.
Planet Etica believes saving the planet should be something everyone can take part in because the more you learn about saving the planet, the more you want to do to help. With that in mind, we’ve found a mix of planet-friendly products to encourage everybody to clean up their cleaning routine, wherever they may be on their eco journey.
Refillable surface sprays and plastic-free cleaning
There are several plastic-free options on the market, including ingenious dissolvable sachets. You drop them into a bottle of plain old tap water and voila, you have a bottle of cleaning solution. This uses zero plastic and shipping of the products takes up a lot less space than bulky bottles, so it’s kinder to the planet that way too.
Bower Collective , Ocean Saver, Iron & Velvet and Homethings sell a number of products, including surface sprays and floor cleaner. You can choose to buy their sturdy resuable bottles or use old ones that you have from home.
If you’re not sure about that, try kinder cleaning products from brands such as Ecover and Method. They aren’t as low-waste as the sachets, but they both use fully recycled plastic and natural ingredients.
Do the washing-up with a clean conscience
Bower Collective, Method and Splosh all sell refillable pouches, which use less plastic than buying a new bottle every time. Splosh and Bower Collectove run a scheme that allows you to return your pouches by post, so you really are using less waste. If you’re into buying in large quantities, Ecover sell refills in 15litre boxes – that’s’ a lot of washing-up!
Not everyone feels ready for refills straight away. We get it. If you want to buy bottles, try Ecover and BioD. Their products are free from harmful chemicals and the bottles are made from fully recycled plastic.
If you use a dishwasher, there are several planet-friendly tablets available. Smol, Homethings and Ecozone clean your dishes without damaging the planet and they come in plastic-free packaging too. Smol and Homethings let you set up a subscription, so they’ll be delivered straight to your door as often as you need them.
Eco sponges and cloths
If you want to be super planet friendly, then ditch the plastic dish clothes, brushes and sponges too. They tend to be made from polyurethane, which harms the environment and can take hundreds of years to break down. Swap them for biodegradable and compostable alternatives instead.
Ecozone sell a range of planet-friendly sponges and washing-up brushes. including compostable sponges and brushes made from coconut fibres and FSC-certified wood. Composty make compostable sponges and dishcloths, while Zero Waste Club sell compostable scourers and sponges. Household brand Addis have also ventured into eco-friendly products, such as bamboo washing-up brushes, scourers and cleaning cloths.
Prefer something you can buy on the high street?
Some supermarkets sell products by Method, Addis and Ecover and many Holland & Barrat and Oxfam stores sell eco-cleaning ranges. It’s worth looking into zero-waste stores in your area too because new ones are opening all the time. Check out The Zero Waste Network to see what’s available near you. Many of these stores also sell refills of cleaning products, which allows you to buy as much as you need.
Even if you’re apprehensive about subscription services such as Smol and Homethings, it is worth giving them a try. It saves lugging heavy bags home from the shops!
Looking for vegan cleaning products?
No problem. Method, Homethings, Ecover, Ecozone, Smol, Bower Collective, Splosh, BioD, Iron & Velvet all say their products are vegan and cruelty free. It is wise to always double check the information for each item before you buy though.
Got a question? Get in touch at helloplanetetica@gmail.com
