Join the refill revolution: buy in bulk
Looking for an easy way to reduce plastic, cut carbon emissions and save £££s? Switch to refills…
Small changes can make a big impact. Whether you’ve swapped your old shampoo for one that doesn’t pollute rivers and streams, or your old laundry detergent for one that’s cruelty-free, you’re making a real difference. But did you know there’s an easy way to make even more of an impact? Just switch to bigger bottles.
Cutting plastic with refills
Many of your favourite eco-friendly products are available in refill sizes, from Bio-D Washing Up Liquid to Faith in Nature Body Lotion. Bigger bottles means less plastic overall. Take the 5 litre bottle of Ecover Lavender & Aloe Vera Hand Soap. It uses 74% less plastic than if you bought the individual 250ml bottles. It’s also made from recycled plastic, and you can just pop it in your recycling box when you’re finished with it. That might be a while though – we reckon most households will only need one 5 litre bottle of hand soap for a whole year. (Which means that’s one less thing to add to the shopping list.)
Buying in bulk to save money
We believe every good deed deserves a reward. And bigger sizes means bigger value. That 5 litre hand soap we mentioned works out at around half the price per litre than the smaller bottles. In fact, if you buy most of your hair & body, cleaning and laundry supplies in bulk, you can save some serious money over the year.
Bulk buying = reduced emissions
When you transport bigger bottles, there’s less wasted space than for smaller bottles. That means fewer lorries on the road, which means lower CO2 emissions. So, you’ll be cutting CO2 while you cut your shopping bill. And, of course, you’re less likely to run out, so there’s no risk of having to dash out to the shops because you’ve got a tonne of washing to do and no laundry detergent to tackle it with.
Eco favourites – repackaged
Whether you’re after a laundry liquid, body wash, washing up liquid, all purpose cleaner or another household essential, it’s probably available to buy in a refill size. And in many cases, you can choose between 1 litre, 5 litre, 15 litre and even 20 litre sizes. The products themselves are the same – it’s only the packaging that’s different. So, you’re still getting cruelty-free products made from planet-friendly ingredients. You’re just saving plastic, CO2 and money in the process.
Using a refill
If you’ve been put off by refills because you’re worried they’ll be difficult to use, don’t be. We sell special taps for some of the larger sizes, so it’s easy to decant the liquid into a smaller reusable bottle. That means you won’t need to lift a heavy bottle every time you need to refill. Alternatively, you can refill using a funnel. Tight on space in your kitchen? Refills can be stored in a shed or garage.
How we calculate plastic savings
Brands let us know how much plastic they use for packaging different sizes of products, and we then compare the numbers. So, for example, we’ll look at the amount of plastic used for a 5 litre bottle of laundry detergent compared to the amount used for 20 x 250ml bottles. When there are different refill sizes available, we’ll compare the plastic used for each one.
Ready to make the switch?
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