New enviro-products
I have noticed over the past couple of years a significant rise in the availability of environmentally-friendly products. When we started to become involved in enviro-product branding you could almost count the number of enviro-products on one hand. There were the ones that have been around for a long time such as Alpro and Ecover. There were ones that had recently entered the UK market such as Oatly, and Marks & Spencer had just launched their natural T-shirts. But these brands trod a lonely path.
Today, prompted by the rising awareness of the devastating effect climate change is having on Earth and the horrifying impact of single-use plastics, there are many more enviro-products. Often they are the result of clever innovation that means they do not default to over-used chemicals in the ingredients and non-biodegradable plastics for their packaging.
Take Ecoegg for example. Most washing powders contain chemicals and plastic micro-beads. The Ecoegg is a plastic egg filled with pellets made from natural ingredients. The larger one lasts 720 washes, after which, the egg is filled with a new set of pellets. Many enviro-products involve an environment to price trade off: you have to pay more to save the environment. The Ecoegg is actually cheaper per wash than washing powder so it’s a win win.
Another example is Fit Pit, an all-natural ingredients deodorant that comes in a glass jar with a tin lid. Once you get over the idea of putting deodorant on with your finger, it’s great.
Festes Shampoo is another one. A bar of shampoo made from natural, plant-based ingredients that is packaged in a cardboard box.
And then there’s the Bamboo Brew cup. I’m a big fan of bamboo. I have several items of clothing that are made principally from bamboo. I have been using a reusable cup for my coffee for a couple of years now but the Bamboo Brew is an even better way of avoiding the use of wasteful take-away cups. As you may have guessed, the cup is 100% bamboo, a totally sustainable biodegradable material. Unfortunately, the silicone lid and sleeve are not biodegradable but the company is working on this.
These are just a few of the great new products that are playing a small part in the drive to reverse climate change. I use all these four products myself and, not only are they better for the environment than the conventional chemical and plastic guzzling alternatives, they are also just as effective.