Category: Eco-Friendly

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

Sustainable Options Overview

TLDR: Bleach is bad for you and the environment. Only use it if someone is sick with a SPECIFIC illness, and you need to kill SPECIFIC* harmful germs. (For example, you don’t need bleach to kill COVID. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/why-soap-preferable-bleach-fight-against-coronavirus)

Why you should care: Y’all, I read the studies, and there are SO many ways that bleach gets into our household environment and causes problems. It’s mind-blogging!

What you should buy: You don’t need bleach. Seriously. https://www.maids.com/blog/how-to-sanitize-laundry-without-bleach/ 

Y’all, I have been using bleach in my white loads for AGES. I guess I knew it was bad but didn’t really think about it practically. 

Bleach does lots of stuff. It means you can save energy because you don’t have to wash your clothes with hot water to kill microbes. It gets rid of stains and makes your clothes look whiter/brighter. 

Fun fact, bleach makes stuff look white because it stays on your fabric and gives off light. So when you look at the fabric, it gives you the impression that it’s whiter or brighter. OMG! https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/20/9084 However, a key part of this is that it STAYS on your fabric and can get trapped there for more than a year. That’s not a good thing to have rubbing against your skin.

So do we really need bleach? Not really. Only for killing certain bacteria.

Using bleach is like hiring a giant bar bouncer. It’s great if you actually need muscle. But most bacteria aren’t in the big leagues. And you don’t need a bouncer to break up a scuffle on the kindergarten playground. 

Most bacteria gets killed by your washing machine’s regular detergent and a spin in the dryer. However, there are some cases like rotavirus (diarrhea and vomiting), which needs hot water over 60 °C, detergent AND you can use bleach sanitizer. 

NOTE: Wash your hands immediately after doing laundry and don’t touch your face. Store dirty clothes in a dry place, which will discourage bacterial growth. Remember that bleach only lasts for three months.

https://academic.oup.com/jambio/article/132/2/1435/6716105

Bleach tends to cause a lot more problems for the average homeowner than it solves. It gets into rivers and hurts aquatic life. It messes with our public water system. It reacts with a whole bunch of different chemicals we have in our air and furniture to create nasty stuff that gets into our body through skin or breathing or eating.

Seriously, it creates a LOT of chemicals that stay in our house for years and can cause health problems. Even the EPA has this fact sheet: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2013-08/documents/factsheet_whatstheproblemwithbleach.pdf 

Still want to keep your whites white? https://zerowastefamily.com/what-we-use-instead-of-bleach 

*One of those very specific bacteria is norovirus. That’s a time where you actually do need to go to the store and get some bleach. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAkH4jakLYA 

Additional Reading:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653512013410
https://www.greenplanetscientific.com/greenplanet-scientific-blog/the-dangers-of-bleach-and-why-it-is-toxic.aspx
https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/public-health-toxicology/bleach/
https://record.umich.edu/articles/clean-results-u-m-researchers-learn-how-bleach-kills-bacteria/
https://www.bobvila.com/articles/disinfecting-with-bleach/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441921/
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.3139/113.110464/html
https://academic.oup.com/jambio/article-abstract/122/5/1124/6714322

Photo Credit: featured image, Kelly Sikkema/in-post photo, Jack Finnigan

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

Sustainable Options Overview

TLDR: “Choosing a reusable cotton q-tip is an eco-friendly option that can reduce your environmental footprint, as well as your spending.” https://ecofriendlyhacks.com/reusable-q-tips/index.html 

Why you should care: This photo will tell you everything you need to know https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/seahorse-ocean-pollution

What you should buy: https://www.walmart.com/ip/8-Count-Reusable-Silicone-Q-Tip-Cotton-Swabs-Portable-Swab-Ear-Cleaning-Makeup-Women-2-In-1-Set-Case-Cosmetic-Mirrors-2-Pack-Green-Grey/6617918475

“Single-use Q tips contribute to the global plastic waste crisis. An estimated 1.5 billion cotton swabs are produced every day in the world and the average person throws away approximately 415 of them each year, according to a report by market intelligence company Acute Market Reports. These products are frequently found in landfills and oceans, polluting the environment and posing a threat to marine life. By opting for reusable Q tips, individuals can play a part in minimizing their ecological footprint.” https://ecofriendlyhacks.com/reusable-q-tips/index.html 

Don’t use a Q-tip for cleaning your ears: https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-dangers-of-q-tips-1048870 If you’re going to use it to clean your ears, buy this: https://www.amazon.com/Handmade-Removal-Cleaning-Cleaner-Keychain/dp/B07PTPX4GZ I like brass because it contains copper, which has antimicrobial properties! https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3067274/ 

It sucks that my pick is a Walmart buy. But I honestly couldn’t find what I wanted elsewhere except Amazon, and I tried!

This is another option: https://lastobject.com/products/lastswab?Color=Turquoise I don’t like that it’s made of “durable materials,” which tells me absolutely nothing about what it’s actually made of. I also think the plastic carrying case is completely unnecessary. 

Some Q-tips say they’re compostable/biodegradable. I’m extremely skeptical of this. I’ve tried composting those Q-tips and three years later they haven’t decomposed one bit!

But, if you HAVE to buy regular Q-tips, I’d recommend these from The Humble Co. https://earthhero.com/products/the-humble-co-biodegradable-cotton-swabs-100pk “These organic cotton swabs with bamboo sticks go a step further than traditional eco-friendly cotton swabs by using only sustainably sourced, and “panda-friendly” bamboo, and packaging everything in a recycled paper box.” https://zerowastememoirs.com/zero-waste-eco-friendly-q-tips/ 

There are other brands out there like https://zerowasteoutlet.com/products/biodegradable-swabs-bamboo-cotton?sscid=11k9_83q7v& but they don’t have the sustainability that The Humble Co does. I emailed and asked! https://www.reddit.com/r/ZeroWaste/comments/gf5q2l/has_anyone_tried_those_silicon_qtips_and_if_so_do

Additional:
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/39fj3w/ive_used_this_thing_as_an_ear_cleaner_for_the
https://lochtree.com/blogs/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-reusable-q-tips https://citizensustainable.com/q-tips/#google_vignette 
https://www.amazon.com/Pampoo-Case%E4%B8%A8Reusable-Packaging%E4%B8%A8Strengthen-Stick%E4%B8%A8Eco-Sustainable/dp/B08NCP6CLR/#customerReviews
https://www.amazon.com/BOETECO-Reusable-Makeup-Silicone-Cotton/dp/B082YLNPGK
https://www.amazon.com/Upgraded-Reusable-Portable-Silicone-Beauty-Black/dp/B085737GM8/
https://www.thehealthy.com/ear-nose-throat/reusable-q-tips/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ZeroWaste/comments/gf5q2l/has_anyone_tried_those_silicon_qtips_and_if_so_do/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/22/magazine/ear-wax-removal-ear-pick.html https://www.greenmatters.com/p/zero-waste-q-tips-reusable

Photo Credit: Jen Theodore

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

Sustainable Options Overview

TLDR: Regular laundry detergent has components that are harmful to the environment and to your skin. Plus, there’s a ton of waste and you’re mostly paying for water, which is a waste of money.

Why you should care: These are getting harder to write. I feel like you should just care because your body and the environment are important! But check out the reasons below…

What you should buy: https://www.shopetee.com/products/concentrated-laundry-detergent 

I really liked this Consumer Reports roundup of eco-friendly detergents, but they didn’t really look at sustainability. It was mostly health related. Still good to know: https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/laundry-detergents/how-to-find-an-eco-friendly-laundry-detergent-a8349611828/ 

This is a good roundup of what I’ve found to be the environmental impact of regular detergents. It’s more succinct than I could make it:

https://www.greenmatters.com/p/detergent-environmental-effects

“Non-concentrated liquid laundry detergents contain 60 to 90 percent water, and a concentrated one could have 15 to 50 percent water, according to He.”

https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/2014/05/13/purex-laundry-detergent-cut-water-content-percent/9049081

“A horrifying 1 billion laundry jugs are discarded in the United States annually.” https://www.treehugger.com/ditch-laundry-jugs-and-go-plastic-free-4858737 

For the most environmentally friendly load, wash in cold water! https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/partner-content-laundry-lightening-the-load 

I’ve also used laundry detergent sheets from different brands, which come in compostable bags. I think that’s great, but I tried composting the bags for two years and they didn’t break down even a little. Most packaging that says it’s biodegradable is actually only biodegradable in professional facilities. But this is the packaging that Etee uses, and I’m impressed because it looks like a solid choice: https://tekpaksolutions.com/

Additional Info:
https://apnews.com/article/climate-solutions-greenwashing-laundry-detergent-plastic-7c91d2981783d9c9e0b6e5b62caded9e
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2021/08/08/study-says-up-to-75-of-plastics-from-detergent-pods-enter-the-environment-industry-says-they-safely-biodegrade
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45711230
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/cleaning-and-organizing/using-too-much-laundry-detergent-causes-more-problems-than-you-think/ar-AA1wD2DV https://www.rd.com/article/laundry-pods-bad-environment/

Photo Credit: Averie Woodard

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

Sustainable Options Overview

TLDR: It’s better to invest in sustainable bath towels for your own health and the health of the planet.

Why you should care: “Towels marketed as ‘ultra absorbent’ often shed microfiber plastics when washed and dried.” https://www.leafscore.com/eco-friendly-bath-products/best-eco-friendly-towels/ Microfiber plastics pollute our soil and water. Plus, we rub these towels all over our bodies so they should be made of stuff that’s safe for our skin.

What you should buy: https://www.the-citizenry.com/products/mara-organic-waffle-towel-set?v=44255203918011 

These towels are effing expensive! I got them on sale at Christmas.

The following link is actually a great primer on towel materials and it’s consistent with all my reading but in a much more concise form. The only info that’s not exactly accurate is the part about some fabrics being antimicrobial. Studies don’t support that so ignore that paragraph! https://fiveadrift.com/blogs/news/7-reasons-why-you-should-be-using-eco-friendly-towels 

I liked these towels because they last a long time. They have the GOTS and Oeko-Tex certifications, which means they were made with safe and environmentally friendly practices.  

Plus, you can throw cotton towels in the washer, whereas other materials don’t fare as well in a machine.

One of the big downsides of this product is that it’s made from Turkish cotton, which means a larger carbon footprint for shipping. But since I’m only buying it once and then keeping it for many years, I’m less concerned about this issue.

Additional Reading:
https://greenwithless.com/sustainable-organic-bath-towels/https://shrinkthatfootprint.com/eco-friendly-bath-products/
https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/organic-towels/
https://nontoxicdad.com/home/are-your-bath-towels-toxic-what-you-need-to-know
https://shrinkthatfootprint.com/eco-friendly-bath-products/

Photo Credit: pablo ramos

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

Sustainable Options Overview

TLDR: It’s really hard to make stuff out of 24K gold because it’s such a soft metal. If you are very sensitive, even items that are 18k gold can cause an allergic reaction.

Why you should care: It sucks to have an allergic reaction.

What you should buy: Buy jewelry from a reputable place that has a return policy. Wear it for at least a full day. Just a reminder that nickel reactions can take up to 72 hours to appear. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17842-nickel-allergy 

Did everyone know about the percentages rules of gold? I was totally in the dark. “18K gold is 18 parts pure gold and 6 parts other metals. And therefore, it is 75% gold and 25% other metals.” https://luxe.digital/lifestyle/jewelry/gold-karats-guide/ If the jeweler doesn’t tell you what those other metals are, it could contain something you’re allergic to, like nickel. About 18% of people in North America are allergic to nickel. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/eczema/insider/nickel-allergy This would explain why my ears got swollen, even though I was wearing 18K gold earrings. Some people are just sensitive!

I haven’t done sustainability research on this one. Mostly because I rarely buy nice jewelry. Someone please get at me with your collected info!

Photo Credit: Syed F Hashemi

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

Sustainable Options Overview

TLDR: There’s no such thing as sustainable, healthy/safe-for-you honey. Buy vegan honey. It tastes the same.

Why you should care: Honestly, collecting honey on a commercial scale isn’t good for bees. Small honey purveyors don’t pasteurize their honey, which means you’re at a higher risk for illness and there’s nobody regulating their practices. BUT, not everyone cares about bees or pasteurization. So then the best reason NOT to eat honey is because most honey is polluted with nasty chemicals.

What you should buy: https://mellodyfoods.com (Mellody is my fav! But there are cheaper options: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wholesome-Yum-Zero-Sugar-Honey-Substitute-with-Monk-Fruit-Allulose-Sugar-Free-Honey-Alternative-11-oz/) Or you can make your own: https://milkandpop.com/vegan-honey-made-with-apples-and-chamomile/#ingredients (It really does taste just like honey!)

I eat a lot of honey—and I mean a LOT. It’s one of my guilty pleasures. I love it in my tea every day and drizzled on top of my cereal. Of course, it’s a staple of my PB&H sandwiches. So when I started doing research on honey, I figured I’d get something more sustainable. You know, switch to glass jars or whatever, and then call it a day. NOPE.

It turns out that this is WAY more complicated than I thought. There are four different types of honey (that I know of!). https://www.leaf.tv/articles/what-are-the-differences-between-raw-pure-natural-honey/ If a label says “natural honey” it means there are no artificial additives, but some companies still add non-artificial stuff like sugar, etc. “Pure honey” on a label means there are no additives at all, even natural ones. “Raw honey” means the honey hasn’t been pasteurized and has no additives. And “organic honey” means the honey has supposedly followed organic regulations. But here’s the kicker: the organic regulations are based on the specific country the honey comes from. And only about a quarter of all US honey comes from the US. That means the word “organic” is essentially meaningless (unless you happen to know about organic certifications all around the world).

Actually, ALL these labels are meaningless. That’s because the FDA has recommendations for labeling but no requirements. So companies can use whatever words they want and the onus is on the consumer to figure out what they actually mean. WILD! https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/guidance-industry-proper-labeling-honey-and-honey-products 

But, for the sake of argument, let’s pretend all these companies are abiding by the “rules” I listed above. What’s the deal with raw honey? Why don’t we pasteurize it?

People like raw honey because they think it has more health benefits. This hasn’t been proven in any studies large enough to actually mean anything. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324966#how-to-find and https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/honey-remedy#research and https://www.healthline.com/health/botulism-honey

Honey is pasteurized for the same reason we pasteurize stuff like milk. It has bacteria in it that’s harmful to our health such as botulism. We all know that infants can’t have honey because of botulism, which is present throughout the entire honey making process: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16689729/ But can adults get sick because of it? Some researchers say yes and others say no. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S107599642200124X?via%3Dihub

It seems to me that if you have any health issues or a history of stomach/intestinal issues, then you should steer clear of raw honey. I tend to be super cautious about what I put in my body so I like my honey pasteurized and bacteria-free.

OK, so you need to choose a type of honey AND THEN you can just buy it, right? NOPE. That’s because most honey is contaminated with a weed killer chemical called glyphosate. And government agencies don’t regularly check for it. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fda-finds-monsantos-weed_b_12008680 

Beeswax, which is used in lots of cosmetics, also contains harmful chemicals.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278691523002089 and https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969719353045 

The research just isn’t there to determine if ingesting glyphosate is a huge, red light problem. But after reading some studies, I personally feel like the health risks just aren’t worth it. Ingesting part of a weed killer isn’t safe: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/roundup-glyphosate-and-health#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3 and https://www.texasorganicresearchcenter.org/organic-research-page/List-of-Products-and-Foods-that-Tested-Positive-for-Glyphosate_vq13490.htm 

In this case, it’s actually not the beekeeper’s fault. They can offer their bees an organic field of flowers but if the bees fly over to a neighboring field that uses weed killer OR if some of that weed killer gets in the breeze and onto the beekeeper’s field… basically it’s a nightmare to track.

Then there’s bee safety. Beekeepers are only supposed to harvest excess honey, since bees rely on the stuff they make. Some beekeepers are good about it, others probably aren’t. There’s really no way to tell.

The majority of bees that make sellable honey are not native and they compete with native bees for pollen. This can starve out native bees, which pollinate a lot of our local crops, flowers and gardens and can lead to big ecological issues. https://nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/oik.08915 

In conclusion, it’s a huge mess, and you really shouldn’t be eating honey of any type. Instead, go for vegan honey, which is made of plants. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/vegan-honey 

More stuff I read:

https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/shopping-guide/honey (if you live in the UK)
https://yoursustainableguide.com/glyphosate-free-honey-brands/
https://www.thehonestconsumer.com/blog/organic-honey
https://detoxproject.org/certification/glyphosate-residue-free/certified-products
https://mellodyfoods.com/pages/faq
https://www.bonappetit.com/story/vegan-honey
https://www.organicauthority.com/buzz-news/american-honey-tainted-with-twice-the-legal-eu-limit-of-glyphosate-fda-documents-show
https://usrtk.org/pesticides/fda-finds-monsanto-glyphosate-in-honey/
https://usrtk.org/pesticides/more-bad-news-for-honey-as-u-s-seeks-to-get-handle-on-glyphosate-residues-in-foods/
https://www.greenchoicenow.com/v/organic-honey
https://usrtk.org/pesticides/glyphosate-health-concerns/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/more-bad-news-for-honey-a_b_12769698
https://thebeet.com/bee-keepers-love-bees-a-beekeeper-sets-the-record-straight-about-honey/
https://www.keepingbackyardbees.com/overharvesting-honey/ 
https://www.beeawarebrisbane.org/native-bees-vs-honeybees-key-differences-explained/
https://americanbeejournal.com/when-do-honey-bees-compete-with-native-wild-bees/ 

Photo Credit: featured image: Heather Barnes, honey drip: Benyamin Bohlouli, bee flower: Aaron Burden

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

Sustainable Options Overview

TLDR: A lot of essential oils are adulterated because stores can’t test every batch. This means that if you’re buying essential oils at big box stores, you’re probably putting unidentified stuff on your body. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-16546-8_9 

Why you should care: It’s kinda scary to let stuff soak into your body and you don’t know what’s in it.

What you should buy: https://www.aromatics.com/ 

I liked Aromatics International for the rigorous testing process and their sustainability. Because a lot of this stuff isn’t sustainable: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/09/how-essential-oils-became-the-cure-for-our-age-of-anxiety and https://sustainabilitynook.com/are-essential-oils-ruining-environment/ 

NOTE: Make sure you read up on how to properly use essential oils. Because they’re so concentrated, you generally shouldn’t put them directly on your skin without diluting them first. And because they don’t have preservatives, they often need to be stored in the fridge.

I don’t use essential oils to treat any health conditions. You should definitely read up on the science before choosing to do so. https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/what-science-says-about-the-healing-potential-of-essential-oils and https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7309671/ 
Additional Reading: https://www.consumersadvocate.org/essential-oils

Photo Credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

Sustainable Options Overview

TLDR: We know that plastic “normal” floss isn’t good for your health. More sustainable floss might not be good for the environment.

Why you should care:  “Dental floss is often made with PFAS. PTFE, commonly known as Teflon, is one of many PFAS chemicals and is widely used in floss. PFAS are associated with numerous health effects, such as impairing the immune system, cancer, fertility concerns, reproductive and developmental impacts, and kidney disease. Some PFAS are toxic at low levels and are known to build up in the body. PFAS in dental floss could be particularly concerning, considering you put it directly in your mouth and flossing can cause bleeding gums, providing direct access to the bloodstream.” https://www.consumerreports.org/toxic-chemicals-substances/dental-floss-without-pfas-and-other-harmful-chemicals-a9722832754/

What you should buy: https://www.shopetee.com/pages/plastic-free-floss 

Again, I’m recommending Etee. They’re based in Canada so they’re not too far away. They donate to good causes. They don’t do plastic. They don’t test on animals, and use safe materials. They care about their workers and supply chain. Their floss works. They address a lot of my questions about sustainability here: https://www.shopetee.com/blogs/sustainability/silk-or-no-silk-lets-talk-about-it

Floss is a fascinating topic. It’s one of those dental hygiene issues where the big health/safety, sustainability and adoption come into play quite separately. 

We know that plastic floss isn’t good for your health. It would be great if there was silicone floss that lasted for years so we could just reuse. One company called “simplyfloss” has this option, but the silicone floss doesn’t last years. https://simplyfloss.com/  So is it more eco-friendly?

We can also look at floss made of silk. I read a paper stating that silk floss isn’t practical for scalability reasons. https://www.openlca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Report_Dental_Floss_LCA.pdf 

There’s also floss made of corn. Some reviewers said it tends to break easily. Others said it was great but pretty expensive. It claims to be compostable, but most of the time that really means it’s “compostable in an industrial lab” so make sure to ask the company for that information before buying. https://www.thereducereport.com/home/fresh-labs-corn-floss-2020-review-vegan-refillable-plastic-free-floss 

There are many options out there that say their floss is recyclable. That may be true, but odds are, your local recycling station won’t actually recycle it. Remember, only about 9% of plastic is actually recycled in the U.S. https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data 

Additional Resources: https://greencoast.org/best-eco-friendly-floss/https://sustainablereview.com/reusable-floss-options-for-eco-conscious-oral-hygiene/

Photo Credit: Oana Christina

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

Sustainable Options Overview

TLDR: Electric toothbrushes aren’t sustainable. But if you already have one, do the world a solid and get a sustainable toothbrush head.

Why you should care: The toothbrush debate online is fierce. Educate yourself so you can join in!

What you should buy: https://www.brushmable.com/products/bamboo-electric-toothbrush-head-phillips-sonicare

We already have an electric toothbrush, which is not environmentally friendly. So I wouldn’t recommend getting one if you don’t already have it. Since I got it as a gift ages ago, for now, we’re getting sustainable toothbrush heads. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41415-020-2124-3 

Ultimately, what you choose is going to depend on what type of electric toothbrush you have. Luckily, most sustainable toothbrush heads have taken this into account and don’t make you buy a whole new electric toothbrush just to use their better product.

I liked Brush Mable because it’s FSC. That means the bamboo was harvested sustainably and no one clear cut forests to make it. I bought in bulk, which means a lower carbon footprint.

Photo Credit: Henrik Lagercrantz

Please read the following post for important information on how I’ve chosen my recommendations:

Sustainable Options Overview

TLDR: Store-bought dishwashing soap is a waste of water and money. We’re getting scammed.

Why you should care: Check the ingredients of your dishwashing soap. It’s mostly water! All that water means a bigger carbon footprint when shipping. Plus, it’s a waste of plastic, which takes resources to make and then lives in our landfills and oceans. Gross. 

What you should buy: https://www.shopetee.com/search?q=dishwashing 

I like Etee dishwashing soap for SO many reasons. They’re based in Canada so they’re not too far away. They donate to good causes. They don’t do plastic. They don’t test on animals, and use safe materials. They care about their workers and supply chain. Their soap doesn’t have a strong scent, which is great if you have smell sensitivities. And it works for cleaning dishes.

If you want to be even more eco-friendly, buy a bar of soap (Etee sells those, too). But if you’re gonna go with liquid dishwashing soap, this is your brand. 

Etee also sells dishwashing detergent. I think it’s great, but I have not yet tried to compost their bag. Most bags that say they’re compostable, actually aren’t. Take that into account.

Photo Credit: Gustavo Fring