I rummaged through the recycling for some empty containers and purchased a few eco friendly cleaning products. I will now test them to see if they are any good and if they are an affordable option. One of the biggest barriers can be price, rendering shopping for sustainable products an option solely for the wealthy.

The products tested so far –

For those without a convenient eco shop, I will also test out a free postal sample of eco friendly products from Smol and report back.

Starting with the milk, I am aware that ideally, I should switch to a non-dairy option. However, I dropped meat a few years ago, and quitting dairy completely is a step too far for me at present.

Unless you are buying high-end organic action, milk is much the same regardless of the source. This was also the case with milk from the eco shop, so from a taste perspective, it was a tick.

Consequently, this option will come down to convenience and cost. Currently, we have our milk delivered from a dairy. This started in lockdown when food delivery was essential. There was also a potential eco benefit via their glass bottle option. However, this was simply too expensive at £1.19 a pint! Reluctantly, we opted for plastic bottles costing £0.60 per pint. This is still much more expensive than Aldi, our usual supermarket at just £0.36 a pint – although the convenience of delivery must be taken into consideration.

Per pint this route costs £0.61, so this is competitive on price with the dairy. 

The tablets are produced by Taylor Made Refills – founded by Carole Taylor in 2019, with the first products being made in her home kitchen, in Kintore, Aberdeenshire. 

They are unwrapped, lemon-scented, and come in cardboard boxes of 36 tablets. They are eco friendly, plant-based, and 100% plastic-free.

Aqua, Sodium Carbonate, Salt, Bicarbonate of Soda, Citric Acid*, Sodium Percarbonate, Lemon Juice*, Lemon Essential Oil*

They contain no palm oil, phosphates, sulphates or parabens making them the perfect pairing for an eco choice without toxins. Each tablet is moulded by hand.

Price-wise, these are expensive costing 23p per wash. Conversely, our usual product from Aldi costs just 8p per wash. This is a big difference. Aldi’s Magnum range is also highly rated and makes use of cardboard packaging. Consequently, whether it is an environmental friendly option will come down to the ingredients in the Magnum range, which will require further research.

However, comparing them to Aldi is unfair, since price will always be their USP. Therefore, looking at the bigger brands at the next cheapest supermarket – Asda – they are much more competitive. Fairy and Finish range from £0.14 - £0.38 a wash and unfortunately use plastic packaging.

The tablets were surprisingly good. Glassware was crystal clear and even stubborn dishes were clean. However, on occasion, the inconsistent size and shape of the handmade tablets made it difficult to fit them within the dishwasher compartment. 

Despite the eco benefits the cost difference is considerable considering the current financial climate. Consequently, for a fairer test, I am going to continue my research and compare them with equivalent eco friendly products from Smol when they arrive.

Faith in Nature was founded in 1974. They are B Corp verified, use recycled plastic for all their bottles, and balance their unavoidable carbon emissions through the carbon balancing programme in Guatemala of their partner the World Land Trust (WLT).

Although I have shown the branded bottle, once empty, the same product can then be refilled at the eco shop.

This is a great eco product, but it is an established eco brand, so it was always unlikely to be a viable option purely on price. It costs £1.25 per 100ml. By comparison, a typical shower gel from our usual supermarket Aldi, costs just £0.18 per 100ml. This is a bit unfair, but even when compared to non-discount supermarkets, the price is not competitive. For context, a big body wash brand like Dove costs £0.67 per 100ml.

With this in mind, it would require incredible eco credentials and smell very good to be a serious contender as a permanent, environmental friendly replacement.

Aqua (Water)**, Ammonium laureth sulfate, Maris sal (Sea Salt), Cocamidopropyl betaine, Polysorbate 20*, Cocamidopropyl betaine* Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil*, Lavandula hybrida oil*, Pelargonium graveolens (geranium) oil*, Melaleuca alternifolia leaf (tea tree) oil*, Anthocyanins*, Potassium sorbate, Sodium benzoate, Citric acid*, Linalool*, Citronellol*, Geraniol*

*Plant derived
** Water from the Lake District

Faith in Nature shower gel smells great and is nice to use. Does exactly what a shower gel should, but with the added benefit of feeling you have made a positive, ethical purchase.

I really like this eco friendly body wash and the ethos of the company. However, in this financial climate, I can not justify such a dramatic price increase. With this in mind the hunt for sustainable products continues.

An unbranded, eco detergent with a subtle neroli fragrance that is simply refilled at the eco shop.

Contains less than 5%:
Preservatives (Phenoxyethanol), Perfumes (contains (L) Hexyl Cinnamal)

Contains less than 15%:
Non-Ionic Surfactants

The eco choice worked well when tested on 30˚ washes. Therefore, from a performance perspective, it could be a contender.

However, I did make a mistake when testing. I forgot to buy an eco friendly fabric conditioner, so added our existing product to the washes. I find that the fabric softener provides most of the lovely ‘washed’ fragrance, so this could be key.

Would the clothes still smell good when used with an eco conditioner?

Consequently, I will purchase an additional eco friendly product and re-test. No point in having clean clothes, if they do not smell clean.

The eco detergent costs £0.60 per 100ml. Conversely, our usual liquid comes in at approximately £0.20. This is a stark difference. However, Aldi is a discount supermarket, so does the eco option stack up against the brands. In this scenario, it is a much closer race with Fairy costing £0.45 and Persil non-bio more expensive at £0.68. Prices taken from Asda – generally considered the next cheapest supermarket.

Before a final decision can be made, I think I will need to re-test with an eco conditioner as stated above, and then compare with the eco friendly products from Smol – when they arrive in the post.

An unbranded, all-purpose cleaner with a subtle fragrance of honeysuckle that is simply refilled at the eco shop.

Contains less than 5%:
Preservatives (Phenoxyethanol), Perfumes (contains (L) Hexyl Cinnamal)

Contains less than 15%:
Non-Ionic Surfactants

This cleaning liquid costs £0.39 per 100ml. When compared to the typical products we currently purchase from Aldi, this is high, since they cost approximately £0.16 per 100ml. As a fairer comparison, a non toxic general-purpose spray from Asda costs £0.48 per 100ml.