Ever see people carrying around their entire year's waste in a mason jar? We have massive amounts of respect for you mason-jar guys and gals. But truth be told, we are not massive fans of the term "zero-waste" which implies an all-or-nothing mentality. In fact, we find it quite nerve-wracking. And who needs additional eco-anxiety after the stressful year we've all had? 

Reducing our waste, or not consuming unnecessary products and packaging, to begin with, is an essential part of taking care of our precious planet. 

We want to stress that we are not yet another zero-waste cleaning brand. Brands often overstate or misrepresent their eco-credentials. For instance, they call their products zero-waste if the consumer doesn't see much non-recyclable waste. However, in the background, there may be tons of secondary packaging waste that consumers don't get to see. We're steering clear of any such greenwashing or overstating of our eco-credentials so you can decide if we are low waste enough for you! 

The eco movement is important but is also reductionist. 

The zero-waste movement is way oversimplified. On the surface, buying glass jars and religiously refilling them at your local refill store is the zero-waste option. However, glass is a fragile material that is packaged with a ton of plastic to prevent it from breaking. It is also quite heavy, and as a result, produces more CO2 than other materials when transported. Bulk produce often still comes in plastic, which you might not see at your local zero-waste store. No activity is truly zero waste in our opinion. 

Remember the best way to reduce plastic waste is to use what you already have at home. Be the outfit repeater, upcycle grocery jars and fix broken china and furniture.  

The environmental crisis is incredibly complex.   

As discussed in our Veganuary blog, the vegan diet is the single most effective way to reduce your impact on the environment. However, a lot of vegan products come in single-use plastic or glass containers, use palm-oil and petroleum and contain toxic ingredients in vegan cosmetics and household products. The environmental crisis is so complex and a single solution cannot solve the problem.  

Eco-anxiety. 

Refills and no waste movement can feel overwhelming for people who are new to this lifestyle. This has resulted in what is known as eco-anxiety and prevents individuals from making small but mighty changes. It's better if we can all be imperfectly low waste than for a handful of people to fit a year's worth of waste into a mason jar. This is why we have designed our products to be completely hassle-free, so if you are just getting started with your eco-journey, it is actually a pleasant experience, not an inconvenience or burden on your lifestyle.  

Our message is simple. We're not a zero-waste cleaning brand.

Aiming to be low waste is incredibly important and it is undeniable that we need to change the way we consume for our planet to survive. However, we believe that being zero-waste is an unattainable goal. 

We are not a  zero waste cleaning brand, but we're the lowest waste cleaning brand you will find in the market. The small changes that you make to your lifestyle will have a bigger impact to ensure a more normal future for our children and generations beyond. 

In the spirit of transparency, we've shared our behind the scenes waste on our Instagram. Check it out if you haven't already! 

Also read this recent Medium blog about our journey to curb the plastic pandemic.

Musings of Sofya Zakharova. Photo courtesy Priscilla Du Preez via the mighty Unsplash

More on the blog: A word on our eco-friendly packaging