Laundry Detergents

There are lots of things to consider if you want to do laundry in the most eco-friendly way.

This guide mainly focuses on the ethical and sustainability credentials of the detergent products we use, and the companies that make them, such as:

• is your laundry liquid vegan?
• is your laundry liquid cruelty free or does the company test on animals?
• does your washing detergent come in sustainable packaging?
• what chemicals are in your laundry detergent?
• are there polymers or microplastics in your detergent?

Also see our guide to environmentally-friendly washing machines. 

Packaging and refills – what are the eco friendly options?

Most laundry liquid still comes in single-use plastic bottles. Another option for laundry liquids is pods or pouches. Our dishwasher detergent guide will feature what’s wrong with pods and pouches. Suffice to say, none of these packaging options are recommended.

Laundry powder usually comes loose or as tablets in a cardboard box, which, if not from a recycled source, is at least renewable and biodegradable.

But new in this guide are several companies which gained a Company Ethos mark for having a business model that was all about refills. All have gone beyond the first step of the ‘waste hierarchy’ of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Refill-focused businesses

Fill Refill sells bags which you can return to them for refilling with laundry liquid (5l or 10l) or powder (10kg). Or they sell glass bottles you can refill at stations around the country. For more information about Fill Refill see the  'Companies behind the brands' box at the end of this guide.

Miniml sells 500ml glass/ PET bottles, 5L and 20L containers which you can return for reuse, or refill from zero waste, health food and farm shops across the UK.

SESI has refill stations for its laundry liquid in zero waste, farm and wholefood shops across the UK, and picks up the 5l and 20l containers for reuse. Use their ‘Find a Stockist’ page to search your area.

Splosh posts out concentrated refill pouches of laundry liquid (which they say reduce plastic by 95%) that can be returned and will either be reused or reprocessed for future products.

Bulk options

Of the brands which mainly sell single-use bottles, some offer bulk sizes that you can use to refill, using less plastic per ml. Bulk sizes are often much cheaper per ml too, but the outlay on the biggest sizes can be a bit much for you alone, or might take you years to get through, unless you share with others.

As well as the refill companies Fill Refill, Miniml and SESI, other brands which offer bulk options are: ATTITUDE, Bio-D, ecoleaf, Eco-max, Ecover, Faith in Nature, Greenscents, and Sonett. Of these only Faith in Nature and Greenscents take the bottles back for reuse.

Refill stations

Several of these bulk brands are also available from refill stations in alternative shops around the country. Some list these stations online so you can search for one near you. Some supermarkets have even experimented with refill stations.

As well as the refill companies SESI, Fill Refill and Miniml, other brands offered at refill stations include: Bio-D (list), ecoleaf, Ecover (list), Faith in Nature (list) and Greenscents.

Vegan laundry detergent

Most of the products in this guide are either marketed or certified as vegan. They are marked with [Vg] on the score table and include: Bide, Greenscents, Bio-D, Friendly Soap, SESI, Faith in Nature, Fill Refill, Planet Detox, Sodasan, ATTITUDE, Miniml, Smol, ecoleaf, Ecozone, Splosh, Astonish, Sonnet, Eco-max, Ecover and Method.

Brands that do not claim to be vegan including Unilever (Persil and Surf), Procter & Gamble (Ariel, Bold, Daz, Fairy), McBride (Surcare), Reckitt Benckiser (Woolite), SC Johnson (who own Ecover and Method) and Easy.

Our Company Ethos scores highlight the vegan companies which use no animal ingredients right across their business. Our Product Sustainability marks also show which individual products are vegan.

Cruelty-free laundry detergent

Company Ethos scores also show which companies are certified as cruelty-free. These were ATTITUDE, Astonish, Bio-D, ecoleaf, Ecozone, Faith in Nature, Fill Refill, Friendly Soap, Greenscents, Miniml and Smol.

We have introduced a new exemption in the Animal Testing column for small vegan companies which may not be certified but are clearly committed to avoiding animal testing. Our summary article on eco issues and detergents has more information about this.

What are all these ingredients in my laundry liquid?

Enzymes

Biological detergents contain enzymes that break down protein, starches and fat. Taken from microorganisms such as algae or bacteria, these enzymes are naturally occurring and biodegradable. Under testing, enzymecontaining (‘biological’) detergents are better at removing stains and are more effective at low temperatures, compared with non-biological detergents.

Those with sensitive skin who are concerned about enzymes can look for the Allergy UK ‘Seal of Approval’, which indicates products efficient at reducing or removing allergens, or with a significantly reduced allergen or chemical content. The Allergy UK-approved laundry products in this guide are: Bio-D, Ecover Zero, Ecozone, Fill Refill and Surcare.

Perfume and fragrances

Synthetic fragrances are used in most mainstream detergents. The word ‘Fragrance’ or ‘Parfum’ on a label represents an undisclosed mixture of various scent chemicals and ingredients, potentially including hormone-disrupting phthalates, synthetic musks, and ethylene oxide. Fragrance mixes have also been associated with allergies, dermatitis and respiratory problems. Alternative products are commonly either fragrance-free or they use essential oils.

Optical brighteners

Optical brighteners make clothes look cleaner than they are by using chemicals called stilbenes which reflect light. However, these chemicals do not biodegrade. They pass through the sewage treatment works and are easily detected in our rivers and seas.

Stilbenes are also suspected hormone disruptors, are toxic to fish, and may cause allergic reactions when in contact with the skin. Eco detergents don’t tend to use optical brighteners which is why they don’t perform well in Which? tests where ‘whiteness’ is a ratings category.

Surfactants and biodegradability

‘Surface-active agents’ (surfactants) are the main active ingredient in detergents. They work by keeping dirt suspended in the water. Surfactants can be made from plant oils such as coconut oil, or sugar, or can be synthesised from waste materials from the petroleum industry. EU law requires that surfactants used in domestic detergents must be aerobically biodegradable (it will biodegrade if oxygen is present) and break down by 60% within 28 days.

The main surfactant used by the detergent industry is LAS (Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate) which is derived from crude oil and is ‘ultimately biodegradable’ but not ‘anaerobically biodegradable’ (i.e., it will not biodegrade unless oxygen is present). The alternative surfactants used by companies such as Bio-D are plant-based and ‘readily’ biodegradable.

Polymers and plastics in detergent

As well as potential microplastics, there may be liquid polymers in your cleaners. Liquid polymers are not plastics, but they are also poorly biodegradable and remain for years in our ecosystem with unknown consequences.

Dr. Ruta Almedom at CodeCheck told us: “In the EU and UK, surfactants used in cleaning products have to be biodegradable. Interestingly all other substances (such as liquid polymers and microplastic) which are not biodegradable, which are even persistent, do not fall under this rule. And there is no intention yet to implement a rule for those. [Polymers’] job is often to merely make a detergent look more opaque or milky, or even just as a‘filling’ or bulking agent which makes the product look more than it really is.”

Our rating for microplastics and liquid polymers found the following:

• Liquid polymers found in ingredients: Ecozone, SC Johnson (owner of Ecover and Method), Smol.
• No clear statement found about microplastics and liquid polymers: Astonish, McBride, (Surcare), Prism (Eco-Max), Procter & Gamble (Ariel, Bold, Daz, Fairy), Reckitt Benckiser (Woolite), Unilever (Persil, Surf).
• No statement found: ATTITUDE, Easy, Splosh.
• Companies that got a best rating for microplastics and liquid polymers were: Bide, Bio-D, ecoleaf, Fill Refill, Friendly Soap, Faith in Nature, Greenscents, Miniml, Planet Detox, SESI, Sodasan, Sonett.

Which companies use palm oil in washing powder?

Some of the brands we reviewed are completely palm oil free across all products. They were: Bide, Greenscents and Planet Detox, with Greenscents certified as palm oil free by the International Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark POFCAP.

Several others (Bio-D, Faith in Nature, Fill Refill, Miniml, SESI, Sodasan, Smol and Splosh) scored our best rating for stating that all of their palm ingredients, including derivatives, were certified by the RSPO.

Several small or medium companies scored a worst rating if they had no information on palm-based ingredients, or if they only seemed to use certified palm in one brand but not another, or if they talked about palm oil but not
derivatives: Astonish, ATTITUDE, Easy, Ecozone, and Prism (Eco-Max).

Low impact laundry and alternatives to buying detergents

If you’re looking to reduce the environmental impact of your laundry washing, some or all of the following can help:

• Wash at 30°C.
• Wash less! Air your clothes after wearing to make them last longer, and wait for a full load.
• Dry laundry on the line or a clothes horse, not in a tumble dryer.
• Try soapnuts or making your own cleaner (see below).

Several of these tips also help reduce the shedding of microfibres from synthetic clothes such as nylon and polyester. This plastic waste is damaging water sources and the animals that live in rivers, lakes and oceans.