EcoWarehouse: How I Use SoapNuts + Compostable Baking Paper + Veggie Bags
When I first ‘e-met’ EcoWarehouse, we talked about soap nuts; little berry looking nuts that you throw into your washing machine instead of laundry detergent! The founder, Dunja, had seen online that I was a SoapNut-virgin. How embarrassing for an eco blogger! So, Dunja kindly sent me some to trial… I figured out pretty quickly that they’re a great eco solution to washing your clothes, and later discovered EcoWarehouse stock so many of the products I have bought for years. My toilet paper, dog poo compost starter, the deodorant I prefer, stacked bento boxes I use for my takeaways… they can all be found on EcoWarehouse. They’ve obviously got great taste.
Now, we’ve become partners, because I love what they have to offer this chemical filled, waste cluttered world.
EcoWarehouse is exactly what it sounds: a warehouse (online of course) filled with eco goodies for all sorts of occasions.
Home & Garden
Beauty & Health
Gifts & Gadgets
Eco Baby & Kids
Camping & Outdoors
Office & School
Because EcoWarehouse have such a huge range of products, they have strict policies around what comes into their store.
Made from recycled materials or is recyclable
The product must be made from recycled materials, or at least be recyclable at the end of its life time. Reducing and reusing come first, but recycling is a great way to conserve resources.
Contain no toxins or harmful ingredients
EcoWarehouse try to source products that are natural and never harmful to us or our environments. With the amount of harsh chemical based cleaning products that fill our homes today, it’s no wonder we all have so many allergies! EcoWarehouse work on stocking healthy alternatives, so our bodies stay safe.
Be compostable or biodegradable
The product must be able to compost at the end of its life time, providing the earth with nutrients once it’s completely broken down. Alternatively, it must biodegrade, which means break up and return to nature- but don’t worry, this doesn’t include plastic (as that’s another selection criteria high on their list to avoid).
Fairly traded or Fairtrade certified
Throughout every stage of the production process, EcoWarehouse care that the workers were treated and paid fairly. Workers at the beginning of a supply chain are frequently exploited, but EcoWarehouse ensure this is not the case with their products.
Reduce the dependence on oil
Plastic doesn’t break down or decay, it is made from fossil fuels, and can be found everywhere in our mainstream stores! EcoWarehouse try to avoid plastic at all costs.
Cruelty free
All products found at EcoWarehouse are cruelty free and have not been tested on animals or harm animals in their production. They firmly believe testing on animals needs to stop.
I use EcoWarehouse products daily. Please enjoy a brief review of my baking paper, veggie bags, scrubbing brush, and SoapNuts…
I love to cook! Every week you will find me in the kitchen for 4+ hours baking snacks, bread, and all sorts of treats for the week ahead. I use my compostable baking paper every time I bake, and even though it’s compostable, I use it as much as I can before throwing in my home compost bin. It works just as well as your standard baking paper, promise! I honestly cannot tell the difference.
SoapNuts are a foreign concept; but I gave them a go! Here’s how they work:
When you wash your clothes, instead of pouring in laundry detergent or a scoop of powder, pop 6-8 SoapNuts into the little cotton bag, and throw it in with all your clothes. This amount of SoapNuts lasts around 4 washes. I also add a few drops of peppermint essential oil to the bag to add a lovely scent.
The SoapNuts worked well for me, but I haven’t yet had to wash anything that is soiled and really dirty. I’ve heard from friends that they are not good for washing things like reusable nappies, but I’ll keep you updated as I continue to use them.
I asked Dunja where the SoapNuts come from…
We import our SoapNuts from Northern India (they are native to India and the Himalayas). They grow wild around villages. This means at harvest time, any villager may collect SoapNuts and receive an income for them. This also reduces the number of trees chopped down for firewood sales. We believe this has a greater good for local people and the planet than buying from any farmed sources (there is no commercial production).
More on their production…
Our supplier gets audited by several Fair Trade sellers as well as some major super market chains. They generate employment for more than 300 people at most rural areas of India. The plant, machinery and warehouse runs on 100% solar energy with no grid connection. They have a complete quality check team where each and every SoapNut passes the human eyes, then sorting and then packing. All these efforts are working towards keeping the process ecological.
A good veggie bag has to be light. Some bags weigh up to 30 grams, which adds cost to my vegetables when I’m at the super market or farmers market. Even though it’s not much, it all adds up. These mesh bags are super light and do the trick for grains, vegetables, or other bulk bin store yummies like my chocolate jaffas above!
If there is something in your life that you need, chances are, EcoWarehouse stock it.
Shop here at EcoWarehouse.
Use code ETHICALLYKATE for 10% off.
As a rule, I only work with brands I love, use, and can whole heartedly back. I send the brand a large list of questions to answer first, and trial the product properly before saying yes to anything. This is a sponsored blog (I can't pay my electricity bill with free products), but 100% my own words, photos, and opinion.
Main image by Nectar Photography.