Are you ready to take on the plastic-free July challenge but worried about maintaining a clean home without plastic-based cleaning products? We've got you covered! In this guide, we'll share the essential tips and habits to keep your home sparkling clean while making a positive impact on the planet throughout this important month.

1. Opt for Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products: Switching to eco-friendly cleaning products is the easiest and quickest change you can make. At Delphis Eco, our sustainably sourced and less harmful cleaning solutions are as effective as conventional products, ensuring a clean home without compromising the environment.

2. Embrace Compostable Bin Bags: Ditch plastic bin bags and opt for compostable alternatives made from plant-based materials. By doing so, you'll prevent harmful chemicals from seeping into landfills, as these bags decompose naturally within six months.

3. Reuse and Refill Spray Bottles: Be environmentally conscious by reusing old cleaning spray bottles. At Delphis Eco we offer a range of refill options made from recycled plastic, reducing carbon emissions by an impressive 70%. Simply refill your spray bottles with our eco-friendly cleaning solutions and minimise plastic waste.

4. Plastic-Free Scrubbers: Explore plastic-free scrubbers that offer antimicrobial properties without the environmental impact. Bamboo, coconut coir, and plant fiber scrubbers are excellent alternatives, providing durability and effective cleaning power.

5. Try Laundry Detergent Strips: Opt for innovative laundry detergent strips packaged in minimal, compostable materials. Look for brands that use biodegradable ingredients, ensuring a clean laundry without harmful chemicals. Always check the labels for eco-friendly certifications.

6. Swap Disposable Wipes for Hemp Cleaning Cloths: Say goodbye to disposable cleaning cloths and microfibre alternatives. Reusable hemp cleaning cloths are washable and biodegradable, providing a sustainable option without compromising cleanliness.

7. Consider Eco-Friendly Cleaning Services like Cleaning Express: If time constraints make professional cleaning services a necessity, opt for local cleaners who can commute by walking or cycling. Request that they use your eco-friendly cleaning solutions and equipment to maintain your sustainable lifestyle.

Achieving an eco-friendly cleaning routine is easier than you think. With the right cleaning solutions and sustainable equipment, you can maintain a clean home without harsh chemicals while contributing to a healthier planet. Make a positive impact this Plastic-Free July and discover that sustainable cleaning is both effective and rewarding.

Globally, only 9% of plastics are recycled each year. So, what happens to the plastic that is not recycled? Did you know that Europe consumes 4-6% of its oil and gas resources in the production of plastics? According to WRAP, it takes a whopping 75% less energy to make a plastic bottle from recycled materials compared to producing it from scratch. But what would happen if we increase our recycling efforts and build a circular economy to reduce plastic waste?

Wait… What's the Buzz About a Circular Economy? 

Imagine a world where nothing goes to waste! That's the magic of a circular economy. It's a regenerative system that aims to keep resources in use for as long as possible, extracting maximum value while minimising waste generation. When it comes to plastic waste, a circular economy focuses on creating a closed-loop system where plastic is recycled, reused, or repurposed instead of ending up in landfills or polluting our beautiful oceans. And that is exactly what we do at Delphis Eco. Did you know that so far, in 2023, we have saved a whopping 19,709kg of virgin plastic from being produced? Not only this but through using recycled plastic material, we have avoided an outstanding 30 tonnes of CO2 from being emitted. **

The Plastic Problem

Plastic waste is like a villain threatening our environment. Huge amounts of it end up in landfills, and sadly, many find their way into our oceans. This pollution harms our beloved marine life, disrupts delicate ecosystems, and contributes to the global environmental crisis. Embracing a circular economy for plastic is the key to breaking this harmful cycle.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

 In a circular economy, we can do our bit by reducing our plastic consumption. By making mindful choices and opting for sustainable alternatives, we can minimise the amount of plastic waste generated in the first place. And when plastic waste does come knocking, recycling swoops in to save the day!

Innovations in Plastic Recycling

To make the circular economy for plastic a reality, we need cutting-edge recycling technologies and infrastructure. Think advanced sorting systems, high-tech recycling processes, and brilliant innovations that turn old plastic into new treasures. These superpowers help us transform discarded plastics into raw materials for new products, reducing the demand for virgin materials and the environmental impact of plastic production.

Rethinking Consumption and Design 

A circular economy inspires us to rethink how we consume and design products. Manufacturers play a key role by creating easily recyclable items, using recycled content, or exploring fantastic biodegradable materials. By supporting these eco-friendly products, we ignite the growth of a circular economy and reduce plastic waste in style.

So this Plastic-Free July, let's rethink our consumption of plastic and opt to buy PCR plastic, just like our Delphis bottles, made from recycled milk bottles, which are 100% recyclable. By recycling plastic waste, reducing our plastic consumption, and redesigning products with recyclability in mind, we can steer clear of landfills and protect our breathtaking oceans. Let's join forces, spread the word, and create a future where plastic waste is minimised. Together, we can make a lasting impact for generations to come. Let the adventure begin!

** Disclaimer: Our calculations have been independently verified by Climate Partner.

This January, we have listed our top tips to make your new year more eco-friendly. By simply swapping some of your day-to-day habits and purchases, you will be well on your way to a planet conscious 2023.

It all starts at home.

When cleaning after the holidays, our products are the ones to choose to stop the nasty chemicals from getting into the environment, impacting your health and the health of aquatic life. But what a great way to go that one step further and switch your cleaning equipment to compostable alternatives, like Seep's ones. Seep offer a range of compostable gloves, sponges and even bine liners to help you keep on top of your eco-cleaning and ensure that no micro-plastics go out into the environment.

Planning a holiday?

This year choose a conscious stay away with the planet in mind. Room2 by The Lamington group is the world's first hometel brand moving to fully net zero. We are delighted to support their business in becoming more sustainable by providing them with our planet-friendly range of cleaning products!

Skin and Beauty

Switch your skin and beauty products to products with natural ingredients and recycled packaging like the ones offered by Grumm! They even provide a razor cartridge recycling scheme, taking care of the recycling for you. From purifying Facial cleansing bars to Beard Wash bars, they have all your necessities to leave you fresh this January without compromising. 

Dining out!

We know this month's focus is mainly on your health, so why not treat yourself to delicious and healthy food at the Apricity restaurant in London? Apricity is a sustainable restaurant offering a conscious dining experience from its menu to its dishes; they have the environment in mind. 

Giving back

With the cost of living at an all-time low this January, families around the country are struggling to eat. So this January, why not give back to charities like The Felix Project? The Felix Project is a charity that distributes surplus food to vulnerable people in the UK and is a great way to give back this January.

Need more inspiration for an eco-friendly 2023? Why not try the 'In Good Company' app? Wherever you are in the UK, this app finds you trusted and reviewed shops- from social enterprise coffee shops and sustainable restaurants to zero-waste shops and even eco hair salons. All your options at the click of a button! To download, please click here.

 Christmas… A time for families to come together, exchange gifts and eat to their heart's content. But what impact does our overindulgence and shopping habits have on the environment? During the holiday season our carbon footprint is 6% more than the rest of the year, so how can we make our Christmas a little bit greener? Every pound you spend this Christmas is a vote for the world you want to create, so here are Delphis Eco's top tips for a Christmas that doesn't cost the Earth.  

Should you go for the real tree or get the plastic one out of the loft? 

Every year there is a debate about whether people should ditch their real tree and go for a fake one. Or ditch the Christmas tree altogether. Research has found seven million trees are thrown out every year in the UK, releasing copious amounts of methane into the atmosphere. Artificial trees can be reused on average 7-20 times, which is better for the environment as it saves fresh trees from being chopped down and can save you money! 

But if you want to buy a real tree, know that the carbon footprint is lower than that of an artificial one. A popular alternative is opting for potted trees, which can be reused and replanted. Another option is replanting your Christmas tree in your garden or converting your old tree into beneficial woodchip mulch by putting it through a shredder which can reduce its carbon footprint by up to 80%. It's a win-win! 

Spread the Christmas magic 

At Christmas, we know the pressure is on to buy the perfect present for your nearest and dearest, but just under a half of us Brits admit that we have received gifts we don't or will never use. But the only good can come from buying gifts from small businesses, being mindful of sustainability and going for gifts with less packaging. 

According to Gov.uk we use enough card packaging (and material) at Christmas to cover Big Ben nearly 260,000 times. That is mind-boggling! Were you aware that to make 1 tonne of paper, around 24 trees must be cut down? So why not get creative by making e-cards to send your Christmas wishes by text if you want to give a great gift to the planet? 

The main event 

Christmas is the ultimate time to overindulge by eating our body weight in pigs in blankets or stuffing. But all that overindulgence means that around 270,000 tonnes of food are thrown away at Christmas every year. That's five million Christmas puddings, seventy-four million mince pies and two million turkeys, according to the Big Issue. And if that statistic doesn't make you want to spit out your eggnog, the government reckons that the number of poultry we throw away yearly is enough to make eight hundred million Boxing Day curries. Unbelievably, a herd of 636,000 reindeer weighs the same carrots thrown away by UK households annually.  

Fareshare is a charity network focused on reliving food poverty and food waste in the UK, was awarded 1.9 million pounds in 2019 from Defra. With the funding, Fareshare could redistribute even more food to those who need it. Their work also prevented 2,000 frozen turkeys from Gressingham Foods from going to waste in 2019, almost double the number redistributed the year before. So why not donate some of your leftovers to them? 

What actions are we taking to do our bit? 

Around 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging will be thrown away and not recycled in the UK this Christmas – which is more than the weight of 3.3 million Emperor penguins. One way to lower your contribution to the plastic plight is to buy products made of post-consumer recycled content. Ultimately you can only purchase the products available to you, and here at Delphis Eco, we offer refills on a range of our products so that you will be all kitted out for the festive season. 

 Here are our top ten Green Christmas tips: 

1. Use eco-friendly cleaning products that don't harm the planet but get the job done!
2. Donate your untouched food item to your local food bank  
3. Eat less meat - Christmas is the perfect opportunity to try something new 
4. Try out your local refill shop to dodge the unnecessary packaging at your supermarket 
5. Buy your food from suppliers that use minimal packaging 
6. Get all your food in one trip or order online if it's more convenient  
7. Buy loose fruit and veg to avoid unnecessary single-use plastic
8. Try and reduce your food waste by buying only what you need 
9. Invest in some reusable wax wraps and foil liners (foil is recyclable in most cases but check with your local authority)
10. Store your leftovers in the freezer

Written by Ellie Meredith

As COP27 ends, we reflect on the discussions surrounding the global climate change conference and what we can take away to tackle this global fight. The annual conference presents opportunities for all stakeholders, government leaders and activists to discuss strategies to reduce climate change. The international conference gives global leaders and shareholders the platform to discuss ways to minimise the effects of climate change and the potential impact it could have on the planet. 

COP27 highlighted a solution-focused approach to minimise global surface temperature. Unlike the most recent Climate Week held in New York, which emphasised the ongoing global climate issues.

Now climate change specialists are urging global leaders to develop strategies to mitigate the global warming effects on the planet. There is an emphasis on governments working with businesses to accomplish this. Connecting with countries globally to work together is paramount, and this needs to happen with everyone in the same room. 

Previous COPs emphasised businesses were moving together at the same pace, working together to deliver environmental change. However, with global temperatures reaching record-breaking highs, the race is on, and there has been a shift to urge companies and countries to act as fast as they can.

COP27 bought speculation concerning whether the COPs are the best way to direct positive action against climate change. One word that circled COP27 was ‘greenwashing’ (deceiving customers by falsely advertising natural, green and eco-friendly products). The growing demand for sustainable products in the market means that everyday brands are renaming, rebranding and repackaging products to keep up to date with customers’ needs, but without holding sustainable values at the core of the business. COP27 presented the opportunity to mitigate greenwashing and bring awareness to the issues at stake when deceiving consumers. The conference reminded us that we each have the responsibility to make conscious decisions, an integral part of our lives to make a significant change.

We at Delphis Eco are proud to have sustainability at the forefront of our business values, and as a certified B-corp, we make all business decisions with the planet in mind. 

Summer’s here and the sun is out. Once again, it’s time to dig out my cricket whites and get back to the crease with a bunch of old mates.

While playing ‘dad’s cricket’, a pal of mine – a ship broker by trade – had some grim news that he wanted to share. “Things are going mad in the market and it’s going to be bad for everyone.”

Shipping prices are a pretty good early indicator of inflation and national prosperity, it turns out. And container shipping, especially from Asia, seems to have lost its mind. Where forward rates for ship hire were recently around $8,000 a day, they are now hitting a staggering $146,000. And these are prices that are locked in… for at least five years.

As someone who runs a growing SME, the intricacies of the container market had passed me by. But pandemic imports like PPE and medicines, a growth in online shopping demand and low ship availability have created a perfect storm. Or as my mate said, it means everything imported is going to get way more expensive. “The government should watch out – inflation is coming like a bullet train.”

Of course, inflation is bad for business because it forces up interest rates, hurting investment and hitting jobs. However, that wasn’t the issue that got me thinking.

At Delphis Eco we have been passionately pro-British since the off. Not in a creepy jingoistic way, but more to do with wanting to do the right thing to deliver on our environmental promise. For me, supporting local businesses supports local communities, it also means we can share our eco-vision and standards with suppliers and cut the ‘carbon miles’ of our products.

Sadly, over time Britain has become a manufacturing wasteland. There is no doubt that we have some of the brightest and best minds in this country, yet successive governments have seemingly given up on the idea of supporting companies that make ‘stuff’. The attitude seems to be that third world countries will produce cheap goods and we should just leave them to it, no matter that it means products have to come halfway round the world to us.

Recently there has been plenty of bluster about how the post-pandemic world will be a chance to ‘build back better’. A ‘green revolution’ is going to take place, with Britain at the forefront, apparently.

For our business, the lack of homegrown manufacturing capability has been a real bind. Trying to find a UK firm making lotion pumps and spray triggers for our bottles (we want them made of 100% recycled plastic, of course) has proved totally impossible. Look around your house and you’ll find virtually every one of those trigger sprays on domestic products was made in China.

It’s the same for washing powders. We’d love to get into that market and have a great recipe ready and waiting but I’d have to go to France to get it made (a 30-second phone call would do it), so still our search goes on to find a British partner.

Plastic as a raw material costs the same here as anywhere else in the world, and machine-made mass-produced items have virtually no cost of production. My big gripe is how – as a nation – we’ve got ourselves into such a state. All the small, simple consumables that we import from the Far East could easily be made here if only there was concerted political will to give SMEs a break. As a solution, why not make stuff here and do away with the crazy global supply chains on items that do not require specialist know-how?

Instead, Politicians go for headlines rather than having a joined-up approach. SMB’s make up 99% of UK companies and employ 61% of the workforce, accounting for 52% of the UK’s turnover. They love this kind of stuff and are happy to take risks but unless you are a huge company with a massive lobby budget, you’re invisible to politicians.

For example, on the green front, the recent announcements of Nissan’s decision to base future battery production for new electric models in Sunderland is undoubtably great news. But the 1,600 direct jobs it secures – plus 4,500 more in the firm’s supply chain – is just a drop in the ocean compared to what the wider business community could offer.

From an environmental perspective, people have to see the bigger picture. As a nation we’re signed up to a legal pledge to cut emissions drastically, yet the issue of carbon miles is overlooked and rarely articulated.

Offering SMEs tax incentives to invest in the UK would bring back huge amounts of manufacturing to these shores and create millions of worthwhile jobs, while simultaneously doing away with the need for wasteful, high-emissions imports. I can’t help wonder that if the government gave some kind of incentive to SMEs to invest in machine manufactured goods, we would see a huge lift in locally made products, creating jobs, supporting local communities and cutting C02 units.

It would also spark innovation, meaning businesses like ours could find someone here to make our new washing detergent and triggers for our bottles.

Unfortunately, calls such as this can often be viewed through a distorted Brexit lens. This isn’t about being ‘Little Englanders’, but more about understanding that global commerce in its current form definitely doesn’t work for the planet.

How can we achieve net-zero carbon and halt the climate crisis? By working together to drive widescale, meaningful change.

To this end, Delphis CEO Mark Jankovich meets fellow eco-entrepreneurs to swap insights and inspiration. This week, we’re honoured to welcome Laura Harnett, founder of sustainable cleaning retailer, Seep.

Mark Jankovich: A big welcome, and thank you for being our second in the series after Toast Ale!

Laura Harnett: Toast was actually one of my inspirations, so this was clearly meant to be.

MJ: Excellent. Please start by telling us about your background and the story of Seep.

LH: I was a buyer, a consultant, and then I went into Selfridges as the chief of staff, but my corporate life was at odds with how I was living, the products I was using, alongside being very aware of things going on in the world, and at some point you can't live this kind of separate life. Then I was diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer, and that puts a fire in your belly. I’d had the idea for Seep for quite some time and at the beginning of lockdown I decided to finally go for it.

MJ: What is the idea, in a nutshell?

LH: I believe it should be easier for people to make sustainable choices. I was in my local Waitrose and I had my recycled toilet paper and my organic food in the trolley, but then I went down the cleaning aisle – bin liners, sponges, cloths, washing-up brushes, mops, all of that bumpf – and it looked like the 1950s. There wasn't a sustainable product anywhere to be seen. I wanted to put in some innovation, to give people an alternative.

MJ: I think you've succeeded in that for sure, Laura. And as you say it should be easier to make better choices. What do you think businesses should be doing to drive this impact at scale?

LH: You have to keep peeling back the layers of what you've got in your supply chain, because it’s not ingrained. The guys doing our packaging and our printing, they don’t automatically think of sustainability unless you ask questions. And if they come back with a crappy answer or say, "oh, it’s biodegradable", that’s not good enough.

MJ: I hear you work with On A Mission. How are they different from the 55 million others doing carbon offsetting?

LH: They are scientists and engineers who work in reforestation. They’re very data-driven, there’s no ego, no flashy branding, just great decision-making and backup for how they choose their projects. If I feel that somebody has the same sort of ethics as me, that goes a long way.

MJ: Did they help you with your LCA, the Life-Cycle Assessment?

LH: Yeah, we’re at the early stages of doing that as part of our B Corp certification. They look at what your products are made of, how they’re made, how you're shipping them, the mileage, and then they give you a carbon footprint based on the way that you're currently sourcing. We offset three times our footprint, but the idea is that you keep the money the same, even though your footprint – hopefully – comes down, so you’re offsetting more and more over time. How have you done it? Any tips?

MJ: For us, scope one and two was easy, the hard piece is scope three. It's auditing our factories at a real deep detail. They are moving in the right direction, but I'm almost at the point of panicking about scope three and how we can draw that baseline. Because you can't say you’re going to race to zero and not know where you started.

LH: Exactly. I mean, it's really great to hear, because that's the stuff I endlessly beat myself up about, you know? How far back can we go? But knowing that even someone like you, Mark, is still worrying about that sort of thing, actually makes me feel better. If I can just chip away at it and understand where I'm at, anything that I can move forwards is a little victory.

MJ: And the whole point of this session is that it’s 100% our responsibility – 100% our responsibility! – and it winds me up that you have massive corporates that are putting their heads in the sand and saying, it’s not me! We are talking about such systemic change and you're not seeing it on a massive scale. The only one is Tesla where, at a binary level, they’ve redesigned the entire infrastructure and that's what we need. We need somebody to blow a billion dollars and be broke and be crying on the floor because he's got cars that nobody wants to buy and be within seconds of shutting down and then… make it! Everybody's now copying him, and governments are going we need to stop combustion engines!

LH: I couldn't agree more, it's the big disruptors that are prepared to challenge their industry. I'm biased, but I think Selfridges has done some really good stuff in that space. They did the ‘No More Fish in The Sea’ campaign years before it was the thing that caught on. It really comes from the top, so Alannah Western, the chairman, and the MD Anne Pitcher, they baked it into the strategy.

MJ: Alannah is a real stand-up leader.

LH: And brave. Because she said, "Look, it's going to impact our bottom line, but I believe so much in this".

MJ: What's so important about case studies and telling stories is we need to tell people that stuff is happening, things are changing, and this is the way you can behave, and they'll follow. If we can keep telling great stories and can collaborate on how we can work together, we will move the needle.

LH: If you can get people to love a brand, and an ethos, and a great looking product, and it also just happens to be sustainable, I'm good with that. A great example is Stella McCartney who, when she became a designer, said, I'm not using any animal products. Another example is Good Club. Are you listed with them?

MJ: Yes.

LH: Okay, so they’ve really thought it through from beginning to end. You get the crate that you can decant when you’re buying it loose, and they’ve made it super easy for the customer. The ethos they have on the buying side, being really clear about what they think is okay and what is not, I think that’s a real challenge to other grocery retailers.

MJ: The more I learn about them, the more I like their passion. What about your journey to getting B Corp certified? How’s that going?

LH: We are very early days, but I wanted to build Seep from the ground up in a way that was right, and I knew that B Corp was kind of a North Star that would guide me in the decision making. What works really well with me is, if I make a public statement about something, by God am I going to make sure that it happens!

MJ: I remember doing my B Corp submission. Oh, my God, that was hard yards! You know, Laura, it's amazing the overlap, because my ethos has also been, we’ve just got to do it, we've got to keep going and we've got to be true to ourselves. We have to think through all of our procurement, we have to make those better choices.

LH: Yeah, and it's tough when you're a new business, because those choices add cost. And you don't have the budget sometimes, so they're not choices that you make lightly. I think that's the hardest thing actually, how do you tread the balance of being as sustainable as you can be without killing your margin along the way?

MJ: I mean, that’s the reality of being an entrepreneur and a disrupter and delivering something completely new. I've got long-suffering shareholders who have been around for three times longer than they'd hoped, but you've just got to keep going and hope that it will come right. Last question. Where did the name come from?

LH: My husband's an orthopaedic surgeon and he loves an acronym. He came up with Sustainable Eco Everyday Products or something, and I thought, God, that’s naff! But then I thought, hang on a minute, it spells Seep, it’s got a lovely sound and a graphic designer would get quite excited about it. And it stuck.

MJ: That’s pretty cool. Well, thank you for taking time to talk.

LH: I mean, I have a ton more questions but they're all really practical, like plastic bottles and inks and, you know, no end of it. I’ll have to set up another time to pick your brains!

MJ: That is the point of Collaborate to Zero. I want to share what I know, my suppliers and so on, and get tips from others and kind of help push the whole thing. So, watch this space…

I keep hearing that it’s the Government’s responsibility to fix the environment - false. Ikea didn’t wait for approval to mandate that they wouldn’t sell non-LED light bulbs. Yes they were more expensive and yes they had to take a huge hit on margin to make them more affordable for homeowners but their buying power drove manufacturers’ prices down and everybody, including the environment, is a winner.

There may now be around 5.25 trillion macro and microplastic pieces floating in the open ocean, weighing up to 269,000 tonnes. The toxic cycle of plastic-filled oceans, animal ingestion and human consumption at the top of the food chain means the effects are potentially catastrophic. We cannot wait until we face irreversible damage and the collapse of society.

It’s in our power to tell shops to have free water fountains, to tell supermarkets to relinquish fruit and vegetable packaging or to tell schools to reduce waste in kitchens. Systemic change is essential to create movements.

Our entire business model is predicated on being as environmentally friendly as possible. This means that my suppliers need to understand and live our beliefs or lose our business. It’s inspiring to know our main factory has installed a massive rainwater capture system to use in the manufacturing of our products.  Our box suppliers have worked really hard to not only provide a 100% recycled cardboard box but also to ensure that the inner liner, which is normally virgin paper for rigidity, is also 100% recycled. 

If we don’t ask, we won’t get and it’s 100% down to us.