My Top 3 Eco Swaps for your Laundry

In this post I'll outline the easiest most effective swaps for your Laundry - all designed to be minimum effort and maximum impact. In this post we'll tackle; microplastics, plastic waste, chemical pollution and toxicity.

As with the kitchen swaps I've taken two of my top swaps from the same brand, Bower Collective. This is a brand that we'll come back to again in other blogs because in my opinion they are they've got it right on so many levels. Bower Collective are not only tackling the chemical pollution and the carbon emissions our washing can generate, they have also come up with an intuitive new approach to consumption. They have moved away from the crazy single use container model and introduced what is called a circular economy.

The circular economy concept is super simple: Refill, return, reuse! This is something I believe we will start to see a lot more of in the years to come and I am in full support. It works especially well for all those products that we are used to purchasing in liquid form, such as; washing liquid, shampoo, condition, and the hardest to get right of them all - washing up liquid. My tip: make sure your order is over £40 so you don't get charged for the delivery. I stagger my deliveries, bundling more products that last longer to ensure free delivery. Stay tuned for more tips on these products, but for now, let’s focus on laundry.

Swap # 1: Washing liquid and Fabric Conditioner by Bower Collective

What's the problem?

Like dishwasher tablets, many popular laundry detergents and fabric conditioners contain high levels of phosphates. These chemicals end up in our rivers and oceans, causing oxygen imbalances and ultimately killing marine wildlife. In addition, most of these products come packaged in plastic containers or are wrapped in plastic. Furthermore, many fabric conditioners contain harmful chemicals and even palm oil, which is used to make fabrics feel softer but contributes to deforestation.

What's the solution?

There are a couple of fantastic brands working on these problems. For me, Bower Collective is the best. At £5.69 for 1L (25 washes), it’s great value, and there are better deals if you purchase in bundles. The products are 99% naturally derived, smell amazing, and, as mentioned, Bower Collective offers a brilliant solution to plastic waste. Their laundry liquid also works at low temperatures, which reduces the environmental impact of washing.

According to the National Geographic, in Europe, on average, up to 60 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions from laundry come from heating the water in our washing machines—more than packaging or ingredients. So here's my call to action: join the Bower Collective bandwagon and dial down the temperature of your wash to dramatically lower its energy footprint.

Swap #2: Laundry Bleach by ECOVER

What’s the problem?

The issues with stain removal products, like vanish, are written all over the packaging,  "ingredients used in products can be toxic to humans". These are ingredients that we readily put on our clothes, into our washing machines and thus in our water ways. I'm tempted to go on a complete tangent here and start talking about the toxins we're unwittingly exposing ourselves to in everyday life. I won't, but look out for a blog about this in Eco Conversations.

What’s the solution?

Finding an eco-friendly stain remover was a challenge. My family has endured many experiments! In the end, ECOVER’s powdered oxygen bleach stood out. Packaged in a cardboard box and made from plant-based ingredients, it’s effective and affordable. You can find it at Sainsbury’s, which is a bonus if that’s your go-to store.

Swap #3: Washing Bag by GUPPYFRIEND

What’s the problem?

I've cheated a little bit on this one. This is less of a swap and more of a start. Start waging war on microplastics. Until recently we had absolutely no idea that every time we turned on our washing machines hundreds of thousands of micro fibers are released into our oceans. It might be a convoluted journey but have no doubt that your washing machine is directly linked to the sea. This is ok if the fibers are natural - wool, cotton, linen, etc, but each item of clothing made from man made fibres like - nylon, acrylic, polypropylene and elastane's - sheds plastic lint every time you wash it. These microfibers are not only harming our oceans and the creatures in them but they are also ending up in our food and water and therefore our bodies!

What’s the Solution?

The most obvious way to combat this problem is to stop wearing clothes made from synthetic fibers. Although this is unlikely to be the cheapest or the most straight forward course of action. You can also wash your clothing at a lower temperature (as we discussed above) and less frequently to reduce the shed. For those items you already own and cannot do without - like gym gear, fleeces, technical kit, then there are a few options.

I've got the GUPPYFRIEND washing Bag. It's super straight forward, you put your synthetic clothes in the bag and wash as normal. Not only does that bag prevent 90% of microplastic fibers being released into the waterways, it also reduces shedding during washing thereby protecting your clothes for longer. Sadly there is no UK retailer for this item so you do have to ship it from Germany, if you have a better low cost alternative please let me know!

The other option, which I’ll admit I have not yet tried, is the PlanetCare reusable microfiber filter. When I bought my GUPPYFRIEND washing bag, there wasn’t a microfiber filter that I felt was more effective. However, PlanetCare has recently released their newest reusable microfiber filter, and there is no doubt that it’s currently the most powerful microfiber solution for washing machines—immediately filtering out 98% of microfiber waste.

Not only that, but they also operate a closed-loop service (circular economy). PlanetCare collects all used cartridges from you free of charge and refurbishes them. 95% of the cartridge (the shell) is washed, fitted with a new filtering medium, and sent back to customers. The remaining 5% (the filtering medium with the trapped fibers) is collected for recycling.

If anyone already has one, please let us know how you're getting on. For me, there is no more important issue than keeping our planet—and our bodies—healthy!