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Green cleaning with Martha from the Moon & I
From budget friendly to boutique - whatever your preference we have created a roundup of the top ten products we recommend for taking steps towards helping to grow a greener business. Even small changes have a big impact. From plastic-free products that cut down on day to day waste, to eco refills that ensure not only running out is a thing of the past, but single use plastic is too. While the market is becoming more populated with mainstream greener cleaning products, we have taken the opportunity to shed light on the smaller, more family run eco entrepreneurs who are setting the scene for more sustainable living. Time to big up the little man and lean into the Green Clean revolution.
The line between convenience shopping and conscious shopping can be a thin one. We seem to have less time and more to do than ever as hospitality business owners. When we began The Moon and I five years ago, it occurred to me that running a business that largely relied on the abundance of nature, without consciously considering her in the products we used to run our business was certainly something to think about.
Quite soon after opening, we decided to make a green pledge both at home and for the business; we would only use products that caused no harm to us, our guests, animals or the earth. I do not claim to be an eco expert but wanted to share some of the fantastic products we have discovered as part of our personal green pledge, it has honestly never been easier (and more fun!) to make these small but essential changes in the way we work with our environment.
While some may argue grabbing a £1 bottle of antibacterial hand wash from the supermarket is cheaper and more convenient - the ripples of these consumer decisions will be felt environmentally. How we work in collaboration with the big boss Mother Nature herself is paramount. Let’s face it, without her most of the people reading this would be out of business, let’s start showing the boss some respect!
Pure eco elegance, Colt & Willow is a beautiful family-run brand dreamt up by husband and wife team Tony and Annie Mcwilliam. Expect stunning natural fragrance and toxin-free cleaning that packs a punch. Each bottle is lovingly presented in reusable amber glass spray, with fully recyclable 1ltr refills available. Our hot favourite is the exquisite Rosemary, Lemon and Juniper Berry Bathroom Cleaner 470ml, at £12 (£8 1ltr refill bottle). And their playful Fig & Cassis ‘Potty Spray’ (£8.50) is a must for any shared bathroom facility! Head over to their website for direct orders and take a peek at their helpful blog The Knowledge Base, which is packed full of advice for getting the best out of their products and much more.
Who knew running out of toilet paper could be so much fun!? WGAC not only boast the most colourful packaging of any toilet paper out there, it also smashes the eco credentials out of the park AND they donate 50% of all their profits to charity. Their two main ranges of TP consist of individually wrapped, 100% recycled paper rolls that are double the size of a standard toilet roll, and their more luxurious 100% bamboo range (premium wrapping and softer texture, also double in length). Available in boxes of 24 or 48 rolls posted to your door for free. Prices range from £24 per box to £40. Switching to this playful plastic-free brand could not be simpler, with a rolling subscriptions service also available - so getting caught short could be a thing of the past.
Another plastic-free protagonist. Now, they may be small but these nifty little pouches of cruelty free cleaner are mighty! We loved using the “Starter Kit” range of five cleaners (including Bathroom and Kitchen Surface Cleaner, Over, Glass and Floor cleaners) available online for £10 with free delivery. You simply label a reusable bottle with the stickers provided, drop a dissolvable pouch into lukewarm water and shake, then voila! Once the pouch has dissolved fully, releasing the concentrated cleaner inside, you are good to get scrubbing. Handy monthly subscriptions are available.
The refill rulers of the green cleaning crowd. Here at Moon & I HQ, we have been using the big boss Boi D for over two years. Their handy 5 litre refills help reduce single use plastic and mean you are never far away from a top up on change over days. Natural, plant based, vegan and cruelty free and all created in the UK. Bottles across their ranges are made from 100% recycled plastic and the full range is recyclable, including their larger 5 litre and 20 litre refill bottle. They are also the only green cleaning company whose products meet the standard for commercial food preparation. For glampsite consumables, we recommend their concentrated toilet cleaner (individual 750ml bottle £2.56, 5litre refill £12.25, 20 litre £47.48) really effective cleaning with a fresh neutral scent, and the delicately frangranced Geranium and Grapefruit sanitising hand wash (small pump bottle £4.30, 5 litre refill £20.85). Our everyday champion from their range is their knock-out lavender washing up liquid (individual 750ml bottle £3.35, 5 litre refill £13.45. All products available from website with free UK delivery on orders over £50.
*To enable more effective decanting from 5 litre refills, we recommend purchasing a 5litre pump lid, available from bio-d website £4.20
Sleek sexy and sustainable. Tincture London’s wide range of premium cleaning products are 100% natural and non-toxic, made using essential oils and plant-based ingredients. The brainchild of Angelika Davenport, a mother of four seeking a life less toxic. Tincture’s eco accolades are numerous and impressive. To name a few, they are not only cruelty-free, but ocean-safe, vegan with fully biodegradable and sustainably sourced ingredients throughout the luxurious range. Investment in their extensive range starts from £4.99 and moves up to £34.94 for their six-piece starter kit range. For greater reassurance during this unusual time for the hospitality industry they also offer antibacterial starter kits (£39 93 set of eight products). These kits include their divine Cedarwood and Thyme anti-bacterial hand sanitizer spray (£4.99) in a handy pocket-sized bottle (refills available) which provide extra protection while feeling gentle on skin and smelling like nothing shortest of a stroll in the forest! They also have a fab blog, EVOKE, available to read on their website and packed full of practical plastic free advice, eco living lifestyle and mindfulness magic.
*For anyone offering yoga retreats at their facility, Tincture also sell a fresh and effective Yoga Mat Cleaner that is the most effective cleaner I've ever personally used to keep my yoga mat smelling fresh and clean after getting my Ashtanga on. £1.99 for a handy 50ml spray bottle
Green Hospitality Cosmetic Champions
The issue of single use plastic in the hospitality industry can sometimes feel like a losing battle. When we first started out I searched the internet high and low for plastic-free complimentary cosmetic alternatives, to no avail. We ended up with 1000+ singl-use mini plastic bottles of eco shampoos and body wash that it pained me to put in the spaces. We also felt that wall mounted refill dispensers, although a great solution in part, have some very real hygiene issues if not appropriately maintained. I am pleased to say that the tide has turned! Enter Beauty Kubes and Crystal Cole, like lighthouses in a storm to those weary business owners seeking sustainable quality and change for their guests.
Perfection, squared. These dice-like dynamos come in a handy little biodegradable box of three kubes, all 2cm x 2cm, sulfate and silicone free. A box contains one shampoo, body wash and conditioner. They're the perfect waste free toiletry solution for any accommodation provider. An individual sample is £1.75, boxes of 50 are currently on sale for the reduced price of £40, boxes of 250 also on sale for £180
DIY eco tip
Homemade cloths it's no secret that tells embedding can often be consumable items why not breathe new life into a titles by cutting them into small squares and reusing them with cleaning cloth.
Astonish
Your budget friendly eco cleaning buddy. As a more mainstream brand, Astonish can easily be scooped up as part of the weekly shop but still holds a number of impressive everyday eco credentials. In an effort to lower the company's carbon footprint, all manufacturing takes place in a state-of-the-art, purpose-built site near Bradford in West Yorkshire. All astonish products are cruelty-free, International Vegetarian and Vegan Society certified, as well as being in recyclable packaging. The oven and grill cleaner is an outdoor kitchen must-have, with its gentle but powerful mineral abrasion and 99% of the formulation being made with naturally derived ingredients. A great idea for some much-needed spa treatment for all of your sites hard-working garden furniture, barbecues and pots and pans. Available for £4 online or a number of high street retailers, alongside other products in their range.
A fab forest-friendly cleaning companion. Forest Hog cleaning products are fresh, practical and won't break the bank. Vegan-friendly, cruelty free and made from organic, plant-based ingredients, their starter kit ranges include five 500ml bottles of washing up liquid, dirtbuster gel, home cleaning spray, fruit and veg rinse and laundry cream for £24.95 or the ultimate starter kit for £44.95, which includes everything above plus toilet cleaner, floor cleaner, hand wash and their wood & hide balm to revitalise thirsty wood and leather surfaces. Forest Hog claim this kit will last for months, so they should prove a good investment. Larger refills are also available for those wanting to have a refill station on site or at home.
Roll up roll up and fill em up. Fill, as the name suggests, is a fab and fun refill business based in Northamptonshire and available across the UK, Ireland and some parts of Europe in participating independent retail outlets. They have an extensive range of refillable products ranging from washing-up liquid and laundry powder to hand soaps and all-purpose cleaner in a closed loop packaging supply chain, meaning no unnecessary single use waste. Fill products can be supplied in 500ml screen printed glass bottles and jars (these are available to purchase empty from many Fill stockists), 10 litre bag-in-box, 20 litre post-consumer recycled refills, and also, for larger returnable bulb refills of 200, 600 and even 1000 litres. Prices start from £18 for a Fill sample set. A five litre washing up liquid refill bag is priced between £27.30 and £29, 10 litres is an investment of £33 to £35.30. The brand makes quite an impression with its iconic black and white design and we feel their brave bold and conscious business is one to watch.
Are you a larger site with a shop or honesty shop? Why not contact Fill about becoming a refill centre?