![]() Unfortunately, this isn’t being talked about much in the UK, so no brands appear to be testing or removing 1,4 dioxane. ![]() It is not biodegradable, persists in the environment, and ends up in the food chain.Ĭurrently, EU Ecocert will permit ethoxylated ingredients under its “natural” certification until there are better alternatives on the market. Unless tested for and removed, 1,4 dioxin can end up contaminating the final product. Well, the process produces a carcinogenic substance called 1,4 dioxin. SLES is used in many eco products because it is cheap and mild. The process of ethoxylation makes an ingredient less irritating to your skin. For example, when sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) gets ethoxylated, it becomes Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). The detergents in the category have great ethics and have only been marked down because they contain ethoxylated ingredients. If you are an eco company and want to be featured, send me an email. NOTE: If there is an eco brand missing from this list, it is because they wouldn’t disclose their surfactants to me (or I haven’t had time to email them yet). Is the manufacturing local to reduce the carbon footprint? Is it vegan or cruelty-free? Sustainably Lazy will never recommend products with ingredients that have been tested on animals. What makes laundry detergent eco-friendly?Īs “eco-friendly” is an unregulated term, it seems fair that I tell you what factors I’m looking at when deciding which laundry detergents are the most sustainable.ĭo they use surfactants from petrochemical sources or plants, like coconut, corn, sugarcane or palm oil?Īre they palm oil free? If their suppliers sometimes substitute palm derivatives, is the palm oil certified by the RSPO?ĭoes the detergent contain microplastics or liquid polymers (like acrylic copolymer/ PET)? Like plastic, liquid polymers are non-biodegradableĭoes the brand offer a refill or reuse service to reduce plastic packaging and waste? Liquid polymers were unfortunately not included in the microbead ban, and do not fall under the biodegradability rule like surfactants (according to Code Check).Ģ. If an ingredient can biodegrade when oxygen is present it can be labelled readily biodegradable.Īcrylic copolymer dissolves in water but is often referred to as a liquid microplastic due to its poor biodegradability. It is derived from crude oil and is not anaerobically biodegradable (which means it will not biodegrade unless oxygen is present).Ĭurrently, the EU does not require surfactants to be anaerobically biodegradable, even though oxygen isn’t present in wastewater treatment and UK water companies dump untreated wastewater straight into the sea. This is the main surfactant used by the detergent industry. More information about ingredients to avoid ✅ Vegan enzymes in bio detergent have no negative impact on the environment This is typically a petroleum derivative, however, it can now be derived from plant sources. ❌Propylene glycol (PEG) with no information about sourcing. ✅Fragrances that are free from phthalates They do not biodegrade and can be found in rivers where they are harmful to fish and aquatic plants, like algae. ❌An optical brightener is a light-reflecting chemical that gives the illusion of whiteness on your clothing. ✅No palm oil, or sustainable palm oil with a solid policy ❌ Ingredients derived from petroleum, like Alkylbenzene Sulfonates, acrylic copolymer, and PET. ✅ Ingredients derived from plants, like coconut and sugarcane. Read on to find out which laundry detergent brands in the UK are the most eco-friendly and which companies didn’t make the cut. I have read the ingredients lists and sustainable credentials of every brand listed here and put them into three categories: Sustainable cleaning brands use surfactants that come from plants, like coconut, instead. These are fossil fuels which are the main contributor to climate change and cause a devastating amount of pollution. The problem with ingredients is that the majority of surfactants (which remove dirt from clothes in water) are derived from petrochemicals. Like in August 2022 when Persil’s detergent advert was banned for saying it was “kinder to the planet” without any being able to provide any evidence of this. Greenwashing is when a brand pretends to be more sustainable than it is. This makes it super easy for companies to fool you. Would you believe that cleaning brands are allowed to keep the ingredients a secret in the UK? The ingredients look like something only a scientist can read… and that’s if they even share it with you. Figuring out which laundry detergents are eco-friendly can be tricky.
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