Last Updated on November 22, 2023
Did you know approximately 1 billion laundry jugs are discarded in the United States each year? Only 30% of these plastic jugs get recycled, while the remaining 70% end up in landfills, with many finding their way to the oceans.
Not to mention all the resources and energy that went into making each jug (aka its life cycle). Plastic jugs are made from crude oil, a nonrenewable resource, that has to be extracted from earth in an unsustainable way.
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Then, the crude oil is transported to be molded into the shape of a jug – a process that also burns fossil fuels.
While packaging isn’t everything when choosing a sustainable laundry detergent, it should still factor in. That’s why I love eco-friendly laundry sheets: They’re compact so you have more space in your cleaning caddy, plus there’s no laundry jug waste to worry about.
Laundry sheets are essentially concentrated detergents, which require less plastic for bottles, less water, less corrugated cardboard for crating, less gasoline used, and fewer trucks to move the shipments (source).
Here are my favorite zero waste and eco-friendly laundry sheets on the market.
do laundry sheets work as well as detergent?
Yes, laundry sheets work as well as detergent. They also help make sure you’re not overpouring or adding too much detergent to your loads.
Usually, one pre-measured laundry sheet is more than enough. For an even smaller load, you can half that. And for a bigger load, you can add two sheets.
Laundry sheets are essentially concentrated forms of detergent. They dissolve upon contact with hot or cold water.
They also help save a LOT of water because they skip the plastic bottles, added water, and fuel to transport traditional liquid laundry detergents. In fact, water accounts for around one fifth of the total ingredients in liquid laundry detergents! (source)
However, while laundry strips can be used for a majority of fabrics, you’ll want to be mindful to always read the laundering instructions for your clothes and linens. For example, if your French linen bed sheets say “wash with liquid detergent,” please honor this. You will extend the life of your items that way.
For a more in-depth review on how well laundry sheets work, be sure to check out my full review of Earth Breeze and Tru Earth, two laundry sheet brands I’ve personally tried.
RELATED: Non Toxic Laundry Detergent: The 10 BEST All-Natural, and Eco Friendly Options
are laundry sheets good for dark clothes?
Yes, laundry sheets are good for dark clothes, as well as whites. They dissolve in both hot or cold water. Just place them directly into your machine, add your clothes, and you’re ready to go.
what is the best way to use laundry sheets?
Laundry sheets work best when added directly to the drum of the washer, before adding your clothes. Don’t try to fit them into any detergent dispensers. They will dissolve and coat your clothes in detergent as the water contacts the sheet.
what are the cons of detergent sheets?
The cons of detergent sheets are that they can’t be used to pretreat or spot clean stains. Sometimes people will rub detergent onto stains before adding them to a load of laundry to try and pretreat them. This cannot be done with laundry sheets.
Also, laundry detergent sheets typically have PVA in them. PVA, aka polyvinyl alcohol is a synthetic plastic that biodegrades according to the EPA. However, a recent study found that PVA doesn’t fully biodegrade during wastewater treatment.
Now, the study was funded by a brand that doesn’t use PVA, and I’m always a bit skeptical of studies funded by a brand so that said brand comes out looking better.
All in all, I think a good conversation has started and I look forward to seeing more data and studies about this in the future.
do laundry sheets work in front load washers?
Yes, laundry sheets work in front load washers. Just make sure to add them in before adding in any clothes for an optimal and efficient laundry cycle.
the best eco-friendly laundry sheets:
Now that you better understand what laundry sheets are, lets discuss some of the ones available on the market.
I’ve rounded up a list of laundry sheets that get the Going Zero Waste seal of approval. All these brands wash your clothes thoroughly, without contributing to plastic detergent bottle pollution. Many of these brands also go above and beyond through donations, certifications or by being B Corps.
I’ve gone ahead and highlighted some of my favorite features of each brand, but it isn’t an exhaustive list. Be sure to check out their websites for more information.
1. earth breeze
- Biodegradable packaging + ingredients
- Hypoallergenic, vegan + cruelty-free
- 40,000+ 5-star reviews
- 100% money-back on subscriptions
- 40% off when you subscribe
- 30+ million loads donated, Buy 10, Give 10 Program
2. ecoroots
- Compostable/recyclable packaging
- Hypoallergenic, vegan + cruelty-free
- Biodegradable
3. kind laundry
- 100% recyclable + plastic free packaging
- HE safe
- Donated 23,000+ laundry detergent sheets to animal shelters across Canada
- Travel friendly, light + compact
- Starch free
4. tru earth
- Certified hypoallergenic
- Cruelty free
- HE safe
- Biodegradable
- Plastic free packaging
5. grove
- Recyclable packaging
- HE safe
- Cruelty free
- Certified B Corporation
- 100% natural fragrances
- Carbon offsets for each shipment
- Plastic neutral
6. zws essentials
- Plant-based ingredients
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Woman-owned brand
- Packaged in a compostable and/or recyclable cardboard box
7. boulder clean
- Packaged in recyclable materials
- No brighteners, bleach, dyes or phosphates
- Leaping bunny certified/cruelty-free
- Certified B Corporation
- 1% For The Planet
8. ecos
- Laundry strips available
- EPA safer choice certified
- Leaping bunny certified
- HE safe
- Facilities are run on 100% renewable energy
- TRUE Platinum Zero Waste certified
What do you think of these eco-friendly laundry strips? Which would you try? Let me know in the comments!
The post 8 Eco-Friendly Laundry Sheets For Clean Clothes + Linens appeared first on Going Zero Waste.
Curating a conscious home is a thoughtful process involving much consideration — who made my products, how they were made, and what are they made from — and this guide aims to support you on your journey towards finding ethical and sustainable home decor you truly love.
What is Sustainable Home Decor?
Sustainable home decor includes any home decor that is made in a way that takes into consideration both the makers and the planet. Sustainable home decor will be ethically made using eco-friendly and natural materials. Eco-friendly decor will also be produced using sustainable supply chain practices. This includes using renewable energy and recycled or compostable packaging.
While there are numerous sustainable home decor brands, some of which are featured below, first consider what’s already been made in order to prevent contributing to new waste. Secondhand, used, or DIY home decor options are typically more sustainable than buying new.
What is Ethical and Fair Trade Home Decor?
Ethical and Fair Trade home decor is produced in a way that adheres to Fair Trade standards and is, ideally, Fair Trade Certified. Fair Trade means paying artisans and makers a fair, living wage and providing ethical working conditions. Ethical home decor also includes supporting goods made by artisans using traditional heritage techniques and art forms. Many cultures around the world are at risk of losing their age-old artisanal crafts forever in the age of mass manufacturing.
It’s important to note that sometimes a major brand may use an “eco” fiber while still supporting irresponsible labor practices, and excessive production amounts that inevitably lead to a lot of waste. This is not true sustainability in my mind!
Most artisan-made home decor is ethically produced and directly supports the makers. However, it’s important to check if a brand or marketplace is transparent about their business practices to ensure they are ethical or Fair Trade.
Where Can You Find Sustainable Home Decor?
In terms of environmental sustainability, looking secondhand and vintage is always a great first place to look for sustainable home decor.
But if you’ve scoured those options and haven’t found what you’re looking for and/or if you’re looking to financially support artisans and traditional crafts around the globe, this shopping guide is designed for you. You’ll discover many brands with artfully designed and artisan handmade goods for furnishing any space among this list of decor brands.
All of the brands in this guide use natural and/or recycled fibers and avoid the use of virgin synthetics like polyester; however, some brands do use materials that are not the most environmentally-friendly option on the market, such as conventional cotton.
And of course, I wanted to choose brands that followed slow, thoughtful production practices, prioritizing artisan handmade over factory labor and quality over quantity.
So without further ado, here are my favorite small-batch, artisan-made, and ethical home decor brands.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links — as always, we only curate brands vetted for sustainability that we love (and that we think you’ll love too).
1. Urban Natural
Categories: Accent Pillows, Tabletop, Lighting, Wall Art & Mirrors, Blankets & Throws
Eco-friendly home retailer Urban Natural is on a mission to curate high-quality furniture (and other home goods) built with quality and free of toxic chemicals. Urban Natural carries several sustainable home decor brands, including artisan brands Ethnicraft and Jaipur Living as well as ethically USA-made brands Farmhouse Pottery and East Fork.
2. GOODEE
Categories: Pillows, Lighting, Wall Decor, Planters, Baskets, Blankets, Candles
GOODEE is an ethical marketplace featuring numerous sustainable artisan brands and designers. You’ll find a variety of beautifully crafted home decor goods to suit a wide range of styles. Goodee is a Climate Neutral and B Corp Certified company. They publish an annual impact report so you can easily ensure their business practices align with your values.
Our favorite brands on Goodee are Texidors, Baba Tree, Makaua, and Tensira.
3. Healthier Homes
Categories: Rugs, Lighting, Tabletop, Baskets, Wall Decor & Wallpaper
Founded after years running an award-winning healthy home building firm and publishing a book by the same name (Healthier Homes) this retailer is a go-to online destination for finding non-toxic home goods. The eco-friendly home decor on Healthier Homes is primarily made with natural materials like clay, cotton, seagrass, mango wood, and bamboo,
4. Will & Atlas
Categories: Baskets, Tabletop
Will & Atlas is a women-owned small business making most of their homewares from plant materials like jute, palm leaf, and hogla grass. Their natural fiber baskets are flexile but sturdy built to hold blankets, pillows, laundry, magazines, toys, or just to stand alone as a decor piece. You’ll also find jute coasters and placemats in their tabletop collection.
The brand is committed to ethical practices, partnering with nonprofit fair trade artisan groups in Bangladesh and craftspeople in the U.S. to build long-lasting production relationships.
5. Ten Thousand Villages
Categories: Baskets, Pillows, Throws, Candles, Wall Art, Planters & Vases
Founded 80 years ago, Ten Thousand Villages is the original fair trade store. Throughout the decades, the nonprofit business has continued their commitment to fair wages, safe working conditions, as well as sustainability.
As a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization, with artisans around the world from under-resourced communities. Most of the products they carry are made from recycled, upcycled, and natural materials.
6. MagicLinen
Categories: Curtains, Kitchen Linens
Linen is an exceptional material for home decor — there’s a reason we say “kitchen linens!” It’s natural, beautiful, and is often high quality.
I purchased a set of linen curtains from Magic Linen one year ago and they remain one of my favorite home decor pieces. The fabric they use meets the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, meaning its been tested for harmful substances.
7. Passion Lilie
Categories: Pillow Covers, Table Linens
Passion Lilie is a fair trade fashion and lifestyle brand with ethically made home decor, too. The Fair Trade Verified brand has handwoven cotton blankets, organic cotton kitchen linens, unique ornaments, and hand-dyed throw pillow covers.
Each piece is made by Passion Lilie’s partners in India who pay living wages and ensure a safe working environment. Beyond this, the brand supports efforts to enable artisans to continually develop their skills and creates opportunities for community development.
8. 54kibo
Categories: Throw Pillows, Wall Hangings & Artwork, Mirrors, Baskets, Rugs, Lighting
A destination for modern African artisanal decor, 54kibo curates a stunning selection of ethically made home decor. The pieces on 54kibo are made with time-honored techniques using locally sourced materials with rich histories. The designs are exceptional, but the stories behind them make the pieces beautiful additions to your home beyond the surface.
9. The Citizenry
Categories: Baskets, Planters & Vases, Tabletop, Wall Decor, Mirrors
The Citizenry partners with artisans around the world, ensuring safe conditions, fair wages, and offering grants to their artisan partners so that they can expand their businesses.
Their online collection features small-batch artisan-made home goods made from locally-sourced and natural materials like palm leaves and indigo dyes.
More Sustainable Home Guides:
Sustainable Furniture Brands to Furnish a Conscious Home
Best Eco-Friendly and Zero Waste Kitchen Products
Easy Swaps for a Low Waste, Sustainable Bathroom
The post 9 Beautiful Places to Source Ethical and Eco-Friendly Home Decor appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
9 Beautiful Places to Source Ethical and Eco-Friendly Home Decor