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Ecover, the ecological cleaning product company, has issued a warning to UK shoppers about the environmental impact of continuously purchasing washing-up liquid in plastic bottles.
Washing up liquid is typically sold in single-use plastic bottles and UK households go through millions of these each year.
In 2016, less than half of plastic bottles made for household items were collected for recycling and just seven per cent of those collected made it to being recycled. Meanwhile, 12.7 million plastic bottles end up in the sea each year, which has a detrimental impact on marine life.
Meanwhile, researchers from the University of Leeds found in 2024 that more than 52 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the environment each year globally.
Ecover is urging shoppers to rethink their usual buying habits and opt for buying refillable washing-up liquid products that are sold in recyclable packaging.
Ecover said: “In 2016, less than half of all plastic bottles were collected for recycling and only 7 per cent of those were turned into new bottles. The resulting impact on waterways and marine life is, to put it bluntly, horrifying – with an estimated 12.7 million tonnes ending up in oceans each year.”
The company has created more than 700 refill stations across the UK, where consumers can stock up on washing up liquid, laundry detergent or toilet cleaner without the concern of contributing to plastic waste.
Ecover has also pledged to stop using virgin plastic in its packaging altogether.
The company’s Long Term Innovation Manager, Tom Domen, said in a statement on its site: “Ecover needs to totally rethink plastic. Today we are making public our long-term ambition to stop using virgin plastic. It may take us several years, but it is an important goal for us and the planet.”
Other cleaning product companies such as Fairy sell refill cartons for its plastic bottles, which allows you to refill a typical Fairy liquid bottle more than twice, which helps you to reduce plastic waste.
Fairy said: “Fairy Max Power antibacterial washing up liquid refill carton allows you to refill your 370ml upside-down bottle more than twice and helps you to save up to 85 per cent of the plastic. The refill is recyclable.”
“The Max Power bottle with no flip cap gives you Fairy’s ultimately convenient cleaning experience. It helps you get out of the kitchen faster by making washing dishes fast and easy.”
