a smol view on sustainability.

smol things make a big difference

We believe that each of us, every person, every customer, every action, no matter how small, can contribute towards a better world. Our commitment to powerful performance with eco-friendly design, convenience and a great price makes more sustainable cleaning the effortless choice. Since launch in 2018, customers switching to smol have saved over 300 tonnes of plastic and more than 1000 tonnes of chemicals.
As a team we also believe that we are responsible not just for what we make, but also how our products are made, sold, used and disposed of.
We want to be at the leading edge of being, and doing good business and we're focusing on three key areas: product, planet and people.

Product

Cutting back on plastic

The UK generates 2.3m tons of plastic packaging waste each year. Only 35% of this is recycled.

It’s very clear. We must dramatically reduce our reliance on plastic, particularly new and single-use plastic.
In 2020, smol designed a world-first; 100% plastic-free packaging for laundry capsules and dishwash tablets.
We use refillable bottles-for-life for our surface sprays, made using recycled plastic.
Our fabric conditioner bottles are made with 100% recycled plastic and are 100% recyclable or can be returned to us for refill and re-use.

Using less chemicals

Our super-concentrated products have been formulated with lower levels of added chemicals per wash, and we are working to reduce these even further.

Planet

Reducing carbon emissions

We are one of the few laundry and cleaning brands to have conducted a full and independent LCA (lifecycle analysis) on our laundry capsules and dishwasher tablets, giving us absolute transparency on the emissions generated at each stage of production of our products.

Interestingly, for each smol laundry capsule used, 70% of its carbon emissions come from the energy used to heat the water and run the washing machine. That's why we're committed to reducing our own footprint whilst also sharing how best to use our products (check out our #washwell campaign for more info on smart ways to wash).

When it comes to the carbon emissions generated by detergent alone, each smol capsule generates 35% LESS carbon than the average detergent.

Since launch in 2018, customers switching to smol have helped to reduce carbon emissions by over 7000 tonnes - that's enough to heat 2592 UK homes, for a whole year!

How is our footprint lower than other brands?

  • Our products are super concentrated despite using lower levels of added chemicals
  • We use less packaging and choose more environmentally friendly materials
  • Less chemicals means less production and transportation in our materials
  • Smaller capsules mean more washes per pack, and more packs on each truck. Delivery to your door gives you one less reason to drive to the supermarket.

We're working with all our suppliers to find ways of reducing our footprint even further, including reviewing energy sources, product formulations and transport. If you would like more information on our LCA evaluation, please email us on help@smolproducts.com

Improving water conservation & quality

Water is our most precious resource and increasingly it's at the mercy of climate change.
Cleaning waste-water uses lots of energy, as does heating water. The more we limit our use, the more sustainable our household.
Most cleaning products are around 90% water. Why pointlessly ship water from place to place when it's already in your tap? Our surface sprays are tiny tablets posted through your door. Pop one into your bottle-for-life, add water and away you go.
We’re committed to reducing water across our products and we’re working with machine manufacturers to see how we can ALL reduce the water we use for cleaning and laundry.

People

sustainability isn’t just about the environment

1 in 5 people in the UK live in poverty.
"Everyone has the right to feel clean" (The Hygiene Bank).
We are passionate supporters of this grassroots organisation. smol donates a pack of laundry capsules each time a customer returns four fabric conditioner and / or hand sanitiser bottles for reuse.

let's give everyone access to clean clothes

We also donate product to those in need of clean clothes, including projects with primary schools and homeless shelters.

equality and inclusion matter

We’re big fans of gender balance at work and at home. We are determined to build the very best team of people at smol, going the extra mile to give opportunities to those who really need them and being inclusive in all that we do.

#washwell

We can all be more sustainable at home, whatever your detergent of choice!

At smol we firmly believe our responsibility isn’t just in which products we make and how we make them but in how those products are then used in the home. We know that an average laundry load uses over 50L of water, and that washing machines and dishwashers account for over 25% of household carbon emissions.

Our #washwell campaign is our mission to get us all washing and cleaning as sustainably as we can, with smart and simple tips that together add up to a big difference.

Where to start?
Our first tip to #washwell is all about taking a load off. This may sound odd from a laundry detergent company ... but we’d actually LOVE you to wash a bit LESS!
A recent smol survey found 49% of us use our washing machine at least once a week without a full load.
If each of us could wait for a full load and cut back by just 1 laundry wash a month, across the UK we would reduce carbon emissions by 1200,000 tonnes - that's the equivalent of heating 43,000 UK homes, for a year!
Cutting out those half loads also means you’ll be saving detergent. One load less per week could mean in 6 months you’ll save one complete box of smol laundry capsules. Perhaps you could even donate this to a local food bank or The Hygiene Bank when the time comes?

To find out more and to get involved in our #washwell campaign, please click here.

find out more

For more information relating to our sustainability policies or activities, please just drop us an email on help@smolproducts.com

other brands doing good things

If you are looking for inspiration and other easy, eco-friendly switches to make, we've highlighted a few brands here:

Rapanui Clothing

A fabulous UK business making T shirts using a circular supply chain approach. Their products are made from natural materials, using renewable energy and everything is designed to be sent back once it has worn out, for the team to rework into new products.

2 Minute Beach Clean

The 2 Minute Foundation is a registered charity that is devoted to cleaning up the planet, 2 minutes at a time. Their #2minute campaigns use social media and direct action to empower, educate, inspire and enable individuals, groups and businesses to make simple changes or take part in simple actions that contribute to the planet's wellbeing.

DAME

A UK brand committed to providing more sustainably designed period products and working hard in campaigns, education and charity activity to make sustainable period products available, acceptable and accessible to all.