Bio-degradable

[steven wilkinson]

Where do you get yours?

[Grace and Favour]

Any of the leading Supermarkets sell 'Eco' ranges

As do some industrial suppliers on Fleabay

 

I find that if one buys them 'on promotion' - then they work out no dearer, (and sometrimes cheaper) than the 'non-promotion' price of non-eco products.

[ditchcrawler]

But are they any better

[Grace and Favour]

But are they any better

Ah! - - I know not!

 

However, after a degree of research I will appoint a level of trust to a purveyor

 

and I will wish to purchase environmentally friendly products rather than those products [that I know ain't!]

[tillergirl]

Ah! - - I know not!

 

However, after a degree of research I will appoint a level of trust to a purveyor

 

and I will wish to purchase environmentally friendly products rather than those products [that I know ain't!]

Me too...............supermarkets own label..............like wise I buy when on promotion.

[eightpot]

But are they any better

I've used three different types of eco washing up liquid - usually whatever is on special. Compared to the "normal" stuff they all semed pretty much of a muchness really. Got the plates and glasses clean and lasted the same amount of time too. If anything, the Tesco own brand stuff lasted marginally longer than the bottle of Ecover and the "naturally Powered" brand I'm using at the mo is really thick and needs a fair bit of agitiating to get it to mix with the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm talking at length about the relative merits of washing up liquid on the internet. Has anyone seen my life?

[Grace and Favour]

I've used three different types of eco washing up liquid - usually whatever is on special. Compared to the "normal" stuff they all semed pretty much of a muchness really. Got the plates and glasses clean and lasted the same amount of time too. If anything, the Tesco own brand stuff lasted marginally longer than the bottle of Ecover and the "naturally Powered" brand I'm using at the mo is really thick and needs a fair bit of agitiating to get it to mix with the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm talking at length about the relative merits of washing up liquid on the internet. Has anyone seen my life?

Didn't she go out with the Vicar??

 

(Back to subject - standard house salt (sodium chloride) is the ingredient most often used to thicken liquid detergent to give the impression it's 'thicker/more concentrated)

[jami dodgers]

#6......Haha!!

Edited April 14, 2013 by jami dodgers

[Jambo]

We're using Bio-D which rates highly on ethical consumer and cleans very well. You can pick up 5 litre containers of it quite easily online and you can probably even find refills

 

http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/shoppingethically/bestbuylabel/biod.aspx

http://www.biodegradable.biz/where-to-buy/

[ditchcrawler]

We're using Bio-D which rates highly on ethical consumer and cleans very well. You can pick up 5 litre containers of it quite easily online and you can probably even find refills

 

http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/shoppingethically/bestbuylabel/biod.aspx

http://www.biodegradable.biz/where-to-buy/

And where does Fairy Liquid or Tesco cheapy come? I don't believe just because they print eco on the label they are necessarily any better for the environment

[ChimneyChain]

What benefit do you get out of buying Eco friendly products??

 

Darren

[eightpot]

Not falling foul of the mooring agreement mainly.

[Jerra]

What benefit do you get out of buying Eco friendly products??

 

Darren

As we use waterways I would have felt it was obvious.

 

I have a friend who before he retired worked for the EA taking water samples and prosecuting polluters and in his opinion the aquatic environment would benefit greatly if everyone used eco products. I think it was because these were mainly low in phosphate but I can't quite remember.

[ditchcrawler]

As we use waterways I would have felt it was obvious.

 

I have a friend who before he retired worked for the EA taking water samples and prosecuting polluters and in his opinion the aquatic environment would benefit greatly if everyone used eco products. I think it was because these were mainly low in phosphate but I can't quite remember.

That's my point, just because they have eco on the label does it make them any better than the rest or are we all being conned. There is no recognized bench mark that I can find.

[onionbargee]

we need to know whether cheap as chips ordinary washing up liquid is not biodegradable before you spend 10 times the cost on eco stuff, who knows ? it might be harmless.

[Jerra]

we need to know whether cheap as chips ordinary washing up liquid is not biodegradable before you spend 10 times the cost on eco stuff, who knows ? it might be harmless.

 

As I said earlier my friend (who was after all employed to deal with pollution problems) implied that any "eco" washing up liquid was better as they were all lower in phosphates (I think it was) he didn't say yes eco if you choose brand X because Y isn't any good.

 

I also assume (perhaps naively) that some organisation such as Which would be pointing it out if this weren't the case.

[Chris Pink]

From the 'Ethical Consumer'

 

 

Washing-up liquids do not contain phosphates so products labelled phosphate-free are misleading. But conventional brands do contain petrochemical surfactants and synthetic fragrances, not to mention the increasing number that claim to be antibacterial.

[Jerra]

From the 'Ethical Consumer'

 

 

Washing-up liquids do not contain phosphates so products labelled phosphate-free are misleading. But conventional brands do contain petrochemical surfactants and synthetic fragrances, not to mention the increasing number that claim to be antibacterial.

 

Thanks! I couldn't remember which chemical(s) he mentioned.

[carlt]

Thanks! I couldn't remember which chemical(s) he mentioned.

Worth bearing in mind that Ecover contains Sodium Lauryl Sulphate.

1. “Shampoos with SLS could retard healing and keep children’s eyes from developing properly. Children under six years old are especially vulnerable to improper eye development. (Summary of Report of Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. conference.”

2. “Sodium Lauryl Sulphate can cause cataracts in adults and delays the healing of wounds in the surface of the cornea.”

3. “Sodium Lauryl Sulphate has a low molecular weight and so is easily absorbed by the body. It builds up in the heart, liver and brain and can cause major problems in these areas.”

4. “Sodium Lauryl Sulphate causes skin to flake and to separate and causes roughness on the skin.”

5. “Sodium Lauryl Sulphate causes dysfunction of the biological systems of the skin.”

6. “Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is such a caustic cleanser that it actually corrodes the hair follicle and impairs the ability to grow hair.”

7. “Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is routinely used in clinical studies deliberately to irritate the skin so that the effects of other substances can be tested.” (Study cited by the Wall St Journal, 1st November 1998)

[sassan]

We use Ecover. Not sure whether it's actually much better for the environment, but it's a decent price and seems to clean well enough.

 

Currently interested in seeing if there's a shampoo/conditioner that's better to be dumping into the canals and rivers...?

[Lady Muck]

From the 'Ethical Consumer'

 

 

Washing-up liquids do not contain phosphates so products labelled phosphate-free are misleading. But conventional brands do contain petrochemical surfactants and synthetic fragrances, not to mention the increasing number that claim to be antibacterial.

Avoid anything with Triclosan in, it's harmful. The charity Thames 21 is even asking London Boaters to empty their grey water onto the bankside, so polluted is our river. Not sure about this but our river is very polluted.

 

http://sustainablehackney.org.uk/profiles/blogs/phosphate-pollution-in-the-river-lea-from-sewage-and-homes

[Jambo]

And where does Fairy Liquid or Tesco cheapy come? I don't believe just because they print eco on the label they are necessarily any better for the environment

 

Well according to this safety data sheet Bio-D is fully biodegradable and pH neutral. According to this safety data sheet Fairy has a pH of 9, contains C10-16-Alkyldimethyl which is listed as a pesticide, and while it complies with biodegradability legislation, this Ecologist article suggests that that's not all that difficult.

 

I'm sure Fairy is fine if you're chucking it down a drain where it's going to be treated before it gets discharged into the environment, but I wouldn't want it to go straight into our waterways.

 

You're right to be alert to greenwashing but I think where there's little hard evidence either way it is a sensible rule of thumb to seek out products which are fully biodegradable and have less in the way of synthetic ingredients. That's not to say that Bio-D can be considered champagne for the fish, but it's likely to have less of an impact.

 

Most importantly we should be minimising the amount of these chemicals we use, whichever one you end up opting for.

[Grace and Favour]

Well said, Jambo