10 Best Eco-Friendly Household Brands
As times have changed and we have become more aware of how our choices affect the world we live in, brands have slowly started following suit. Many cleaning products are based on products that are toxic and harmful to the environment, and similarly a lot of products we use everyday leave a massive impact on the Earth, whether by using single-use plastics or incorporating harmful chemicals.
We have rounded up some of the best home/cleaning/bathroom products to minimise your impact on the environment – check them out! Let us know if you have any of your own favourites.
Cleaning products:
Greenscents
British brand Greenscents is the only cleaning brand to have certification by the Soil Association, meaning it has been certified organic. While ‘organic’ and ‘certified’ don’t necessarily equate to ‘eco friendly’, the brand also has a number of other standard that make it significantly better than a lot of mainstream cleaning brands.
Greenscents was named the most ethical brand of cleaning and laundry products in the UK (Ethical Consumer, 2017). The brand is also vegan, cruelty free, transparent in its sustainability and has a hypoallergenic range for those who require it. Read more about its certifications here.
Eco-egg
When I first heard about eco-egg I was amazed the idea isn’t already more popular. The premise is that laundry detergent is wasteful (not to mention harmful to the environment), so an eco-egg (an ‘egg’ filled with mineral pellets to clean clothes) saves huge amounts of plastic, packaging and reduces the amount of harmful chemicals used in washing. The egg is refillable too, and lasts over 200 washes.
They also have a dryer egg that reduced tumble-drying time, thus saving energy, and cleaning products that are better for the environment, such as bamboo towels that are washable, cutting out the need for disposable kitchen towels.
Bio-D
Another UK brand, Bio-D is fully transparent about their credentials. Here is what they say about their products: “None of Bio-D raw materials are tested on animals, they are all GM free and wherever animal by-products are used they are at the scrutiny and approval of The Vegan Society, Naturewatch Trust, BUAV and the World Wildlife Foundation. Likewise the bottles that Bio-D use are recyclable and contain optimum levels of recycled material”.
Bio D produces pretty much all products you would want to use around the home at an affordable price, so is a good option if you want to start making a lot of difference sustainablity-wise! Also they provide refill bottles of many of their products, reducing packaging waste.
Ecover
One of the best more environmentally friendly household brands, Ecover is a global company committed to providing more eco-friendly options when it comes to cleaning. From reducing single-use plastics to changing ingredients to reduce pollution to waterways, Ecover makes a big point of being more ‘green’. In 1992, Ecover opened the world’s first ecological factory, which provoked much media interest. Despite some controversy about animal-testing in the past, the brand now labels itself as cruelty free, and it looks like all animal testing has stopped (as of 2018).
Method
Method was merged with Ecover in 2012, to become the biggest green cleaning company in the world. It’s easy to be sceptical of big brands when it comes to green credentials (the bigger they become, the more they seem to move away from their original purpose), but both Method and Ecover seem to have some pretty good credentials and positive press. For starters, Method is a B Corp company, meaning that it has withstood rigorous testing into the ethical and eco credentials of the brand. They have seemingly high levels of transparency when it comes to improving their eco credentials, so we would say this is a safe bet if you’re looking for a mainstream/global eco brand!
Ecozone
Another UK based brand here (yay!). Ecozone is vegan and certified cruelty free, and make the home toxin free products that are also pet friendly, plant based, palm oil free and safe for aquatic life, which is one of my main concerns about mainstream cleaning products. They have a range of accreditations, so a safe bet whatever you’re looking for!
Mangle & Wringler
If you’re UK based and looking to support a local, handmade brand, this is where to look! Handmade in the Cotswolds, each Mangle & Wringer product is non-toxic, free from fragrance and colour and uses only food grade ingredients. All of the products are also biodegradable, from renewable/sustainable sources and not tested on animals. We love the idea that it started in the early 1900s from a home soil recipe and is still going!
Bathroom products:
Who Gives A Crap
Not a cleaning brand, but I had to include it after discovering it recently. Who Gives a Crap is a loo paper brand (as its name suggests) that gives back. Not only are the products made from 100% recycled materials, meaning no trees are used to create the loo paper, wrapping or packaging. Not only that, but 50% of profits go to charities working to improve access to hygiene, water and basic sanitation in developing countries. Not only this but the products actually work out a lot cheaper than loo paper from your local shop, especially if you buy their big rolls in bulk online. This is a brand doing lots of good.
Modibodi
Women – Modibodi is a brand that was recently brought to my attention as part of a collaboration, but looking into it I’d like to share more about it. Modibodi is an alternative to disposable period products. With their different absorbencies, Modibodi can be used as an alternative, or in addition to traditional period products to absorb blood. They also have products to stop butt sweat at the gym and wee for those who suffer from incontinence. There’s something for everyone on their site!
Freda
If period pants aren’t your thing and moon cups scare you, look no further than Freda, a brand that provides sustainable, organic and bleach free period products. Freda has a subscription service to provide you with a personalised box of products through your letterbox in time for your next period (there is an algorithm to predict exactly when it’s going to be)! In addition, a proportion of the profits are used to support UK-based period poverty initiatives, helping asylum seekers, homeless people and school children have access to period products even if they can’t afford them themselves. Sustainability-wise, although there are small amount of recycled (and recyclable) plastic wrapping the applicator-free tampons, everything else is biodegradable and made in factories that use renewable energy and have a zero-waste policy.
This post has been adapted from Foodfitnessflora.blog