Start with little changes to more sustainable and healthy products

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” –Arthur Ashe

A friend recently introduced me to this quote by Arthur Ashe, and the quote really resonated with me. In my own personal sustainability journey, a path of continuous improvement and learning, I am often overwhelmed. I am overwhelmed with the options, the scarcity of details to support green claims, fueled by a desire for impact to outweigh convenience and value. 

Eco-friendly products still need more demand by consumers to be able to produce their sustainable products cheaper, and have them be more accessible. These products are most often coming from small companies, who are also needing to pay a lot of extra fees to be certified and prove they are actually delivering a sustainable product. As mentioned in this article from The Institute of Sustainability Studies 49 percent of consumers want to make environmentally sound choices but are unwilling to pay extra for this benefit. 

So back to where we started…LET’S GET SWAPPING!!!!

If I’m going to start swapping for good, over convenience, I’m going to have to look outside of my typical grocery and doorstep delivery options. In this first post, let’s look at an option to go directly to a company where you can explore multiple swap options.

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Company/Brand: BLUELAND, household cleaning products

I found Blueland while looking to swap out traditional cleaning supplies with products that were better for my family, reducing chemicals and irritants, and hoping to find products that were also better for the environment. I was happy to find a company dedicated to making products for the better of people and the environment. Blueland is addressing sustainability across many aspects of the product lifecycle including the ingredients, packaging, logistics and emissions, and overall impact on the environment.

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Dishwasher detergent
Before swap: Finish Quantum Powerball pods
Swap tested: Blueland Dishwasher Tablets
Swap Keeper scale: 9 out of 10, The Dishwasher Tablets are keepers!

In my house, there is a lot of scrubbing of the dishes. Even though we’ve been told many times that we shouldn’t pre-clean our dishes too much before putting them in the dishwasher, well let’s just say we’re human and we’re still working on that. So, when looking for a new dishwasher detergent, I was mainly focused on making sure the dishwashing detergent had clean ingredients and a better product in regards to waste.

Pros: I like this product because the tablets are plastic free, made with clean plant and mineral-based ingredients, and they come in an attractive tin that I like to keep on our windowsill for easy access. I was cautious for the first few times that I opened the tin with mid-dishwashing damp hands that I would drop water on the tablets and they might expand, but I’ve had no issues. They sell the tablets as a refill too, which are delivered in compostable plastic-free packaging.

Cons: I’ve noticed a slight increase in streaks on my glass dishes after being washed in the dishwasher, but not enough to make me want to use chemicals to avoid them.

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Cleaning sprays
Before swap: Variety of products such as Lysol, Clorox, Scrubbing Bubbles, and Windex
Swap tested: Blueland multi-purpose cleaner, bathroom cleaner, and glass cleaner
Swap Keeper scale: 7 out of 10, keepers for now, no complaints in effectiveness

When I began to think about the chemicals in the cleaning sprays used in my house I started realizing there might be residue lingering around on surfaces and in the air, and decided to try to swap out for cleaner brands. I decided to give Blueland’s cleaning sprays a try, and have so far really liked their products.

Pros: I like their system of a refillable bottle, with tablets that you dissolve in water to refill the bottles. They have a simple color scheme for each product, with nice clean and simple bottles. So far, I’ve been really happy with the 3 types of cleaning sprays, and I don’t feel as though there is a lingering residue after use.

Cons: I wasn’t thrilled that the refillable bottles were plastic themselves, but the refill tablets helped make me feel better about that. The first bottle purchase comes with an extra spray top. I’m hoping the spray top doesn’t break soon and I won’t need that, so it feels like a bit of a waste to send it.

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Hand Soap
Before swap: Softsoap Hand Soap
Swap tested: Blueland Hand Soap
Swap Keeper scale: 1 out of 10 – watery, wouldn’t suds up. Note: I did not try with a foaming hand soap dispenser as I was looking for a refill for the hand soap dispensers we already use. Likely to have worked better with a dispenser designed for foaming hand soap.

I was thrilled when I found a hand soap that was a tablet you dissolved in water. In my house I’m the queen of the refills. Or maybe the refill maid? Whatever angle you want to take, I’m usually the one that will take the extra time to refill whatever is empty. The thought of dropping in a tablet, which are small and can easily be stored in each of the bathrooms instead of a central spot, seemed like an awesome swap… taking away the need to hunt down a refill bottle, and work to pour in the refill soap, and return the refill container to the central storage place.

But, in the end, the soap just came out like water. We could shake the dispenser and we’d get a hint of soapy, but not enough to feel like we could get a lather and a proper wash. We’ll work to find another alternative. As noted above, this product is likely to perform differently with a foaming dispenser.

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That’s it for the Swaps tried from Blueland.com. I hope you were inspired to try a new swap, no matter how little. Remember, the key is to not overthink it, or try to boil the ocean, just start with a few changes…a few simple swaps for good!

What’s Next:
Swaps for party hosting!