Posts Tagged laundry
A Method To My Madness: A Look at Method Green Cleaning
Posted by Gareth Eynon in Products and Tips on September 12, 2011
There’s a new environmentally-conscious cleaning product finding its way into UK shops right now, and I’m so impressed with the stuff, I thought I’d write a review about it.
The product is called Method and it works really well. That’s it. What more can I say?
Oh all right then, here’s some more info: Method is manufactured by a San Francisco based company of the same name. Their products are “made with naturally derived, biodegradable ingredients that clean like heck and smell like heaven”. I have to say; they’re right. However, it’s not just the goods themselves that turn me on to this company; it’s the ethos behind the brand and also the packaging.
The ethos is sustainability and community and all of their products are non-toxic and never tested on animals. The packaging is not only dead cool, but also the cleaning bottles are made from 100% recycled material and the rest is readily recyclable.
The company has been around for about 10 years now, but it’s only recently I’ve seen – or even heard of – their products. According their press, they have been selling in this country for 6 years. So that one slipped passed me, did it not?
Method appears to be a young, innovative company and part of the reason I’m so fond of their products is because of what happens behind the scenes. They’ve put sustainability and environmental responsibility at the core of their business model, including: climate modelling, an awareness of their partners’ business practices and transparency in everything that they do. For a full list of all the cool things this company is doing click here.
For me it’s not enough for a company to just throw a few natural ingredients into a cleaning product and say it’s environmentally-friendly; they also have to show consideration for the environment in every aspect of their business.
As an amendment to the first version of this post – and after a question about the carbon footprint of using a product in the UK that’s made in the the US – Method do manufacture in the UK too.
Like many people, I’m a huge fan of the Ecover brand, in no small part because of the way that they also conduct themselves. However, here is a company that may usurp Ecover’s long held eco-crown. We shall see.
Over the last few years various different natural cleaning products have been released on to the market, and I have tried many of them. This is the first one that has really grabbed my attention as a serious rival to Ecover - hence this blog post.
Although having said that, one aspect Ecover does have over its rivals is the ability to refill bottles when they’re empty, as opposed to buying new ones.
In summary then…
Method products look the part, do the job well and smell really nice. I recommend you give them a try. That’s it.
GR
If you have anything to say on this article, or indeed anything raised in The Green Review, then do join the discussion on the facebook page. The more contentious the better please…
Photos courtesy of Method
Eco-Lie#3: The Great Hoteliers’ Contradiction
Posted by Gareth Eynon in Eco-Lie on August 4, 2011
If you’ve stayed in a hotel at any time over the last 20 years or so, you will no doubt have seen a notice in the bathroom that looks something like this:
Although I agree this is a commendable move by the hotels, the cynic in me has always believed that many are simply doing this to lower their laundry bills while scoring some easy ‘green’ points at the same time. My real bugbear however is when, literally a few paces away from a notice such as the one above, you find this:
So what are we looking at here (apart from a hotel coffee maker)? Well, to begin with you may notice that there’s no choice but to use a disposable cup, which is also wrapped in that most despised material: polyethylene. Second, the coffee machine that this (apparently environmentally conscious) hotel has purchased for every room employs a single-use plastic tray to put the coffee in. That’s right folks, each and every individual coffee sachet comes in it own disposable plastic tray. Disgraceful.
So as you can see below, the waste created by just one cup of coffee somewhat makes the whole saving resources thing look like a bit of a scam.
The waste created by one cup of hotel coffee.
Unfortunately, my job requires me to stay in quite a few hotels (not very green I know, but I’m working on that) and this is by no means a one off. This scenario is repeated over and over again; in fact it’s what gave me the original idea for the Great Eco-Lie Outbreak.
In contrast, some hotels do get it right. The picture below, for example, shows reusable china mugs that are not wrapped in plastic, plus the coffee machine uses a plastic tray that can be used repeatedly in the coffee machine. That’s much better, don’t you think?
Professing your care for the planet via the obligatory ‘please reuse your towels and save resources’ notice is fine, but these hotels who then use so many disposable components in their coffee machines are just being hypocritical.
So next time you stay in a hotel and witness an Eco-Lie such as this, do have a word, and let the managers know we are on to them.
GR
If you have anything to say on this article, or indeed anything raised in The Green Review, please join the discussion on our facebook page. The more contentious the better…
Photos courtesy of me.
Putting a Green Spin on Things: Gas Powered Tumble Dryers
Posted by Gareth Eynon in Products and Tips on July 9, 2011
You may well have read my recent post on ceiling mounted airers, in which I looked briefly at the impact tumble dryers have on the planet. Well, in researching that post I found a surprising bit of kit that I never knew existed: the gas powered tumble dryer.
I’m well aware that the average domestic user shouldn’t really be using a tumble dryer, but perhaps you own a business that requires one, or maybe run a children’s football team and get lumbered with the kids’ muddy kit every Sunday evening. If you are one of these people then read on. If not; get a washing line.
There are 10 million tumble dryers in the UK, accounting for 4.3% of our domestic energy consumption. Ok… Stop for one second: 4.3% of our domestic energy consumption? Geez people, what’s wrong with the sun and the wind? Do we really have to throw so many clothes into these machines? I have a family of four, including two young, messy children, we live in small Victorian terrace and we have never, ever felt the need for a tumble dryer.
Anyway, sorry about the rant – on with the post.
Gas powered tumble dryers are beneficial to your pocket and the planet for the reason that they use gas, which is cheaper than electricity and emits less CO2
The average carbon emissions from a domestic electric tumble dryer are 159kg of CO2 per year and they cost about £37.00 to run (based on 148 4.7kg cycles) A gas tumble dryer should produce 54% less carbon than this and cost 61% less to run.
There is only one gas tumble dryer available in the UK market and that is the White Knight (a somewhat grand title for a clothes dryer, don’t you think?) However, you may be able to purchase a second hand gas tumble dryer from a launderette, which would be an even greener option (reuse); just remember to remove the coin mechanism – or perhaps not; it may look quirky and cool.
Of course there are some downsides to using a gas tumble dryer:
- They have to be fitted (and maintained) by a CORGI registered gas fitter; an electric version simply needs to be plugged in.
- If you use renewable electricity in your home, you will not benefit from any savings by using a gas tumble dryer. But then again, if you do have robust green principles and have taken the time and expense to install a renewable energy system, I’d be surprised to find a tumble dryer in your house anyway.
You can pick up a gas tumble dyer from about £300 so they’re not too expensive in comparison to electric models as is so often the case with ‘green’ technology.
To finish, I would like to say that we shouldn’t really be using tumble dryers at all. There are plenty of other ways to dry clothes without the need for these machines. Nevertheless, if you do truly need a tumble dryer, or feel you really can’t live without one, perhaps you should think about a gas powered version. At least it’s greener than the alternative.
GR
If you have anything to say on this article, or indeed anything raised in The Green Review, please join the discussion on our facebook page. The more contentious the better…
Photo courtesy of my mother-in-law. Gracias
