Filed under: Storage & Cleaning, Cleaning
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These green cleaning products are meant to be shown off.
Swapping out toxic phosphate-filled and non-biodegradable products for their more eco-friendly counterparts has morphed over the past decade from a hippie-inspired gesture to the mark of a cutting edge consumer.
Here on ShelterPop, we've taken looks at green cleaning guidelines and what to look for in these earth-inspired products, but we've spotted a new trend emerging: Green products aren't just getting better, they're getting prettier, with more compelling, eye-pleasing packaging than ever.
Most of the brands looking to reinvent their look aren't new - some have been around for generations -- but they've gotten smarter, sexier and more lust-worthy on kitchen counters, beside the toilet bowl, and in the dryer. Newer brands have begun to adopt this model as well, realizing performance and ingredients are only two parts to a successful product; the design also must be stellar.
"Design is always a very critical part," says Method's Katie Molinari. "We want to create products people want to leave on the counter -- they're almost an accessory they're so beautiful."
In other words, cleaning products are getting a major upgrade with designer branding. It seems that many of these companies are vying for the dollars of a new target consumer: the hip new breed of homemakers with an earth-savvy conscience.
We decided to talk to folks at some of our favorite green cleaning brands and find out why these products are suddenly paying so much attention to packaging.
Photo: Courtesy of TWIST
Twist Sponges
Originally designed as an alternative to the conventional, yellow-green scrubbing sponges, Twist brought the loofah out of the bathroom and into the kitchen in a big way. Combining all natural, plant-based products like non-dyed cellulose, agave fiber and hemp, Twist's Matt Bauman says their classier looking packaging is almost coincidental -- the byproduct of its natural earth tone ingredients in a world of "gross, industrial looking" spongeware. The sponges come wrapped in bright and fun retro packaging, and that alone got us to pick them up off the shelf. Here's a list of places to find Twist sponges near you, $4.99 for a package of two.
Photo: Courtesy of Bon Ami
Bon Ami Clean
Bon Ami, founded in 1886, was a pioneer in green cleaning. Carolyn West, Director of Sustainability, whose family has owned the company since the 1970s, says that even after the post-WWII influx of chemically saturated products, Bon Ami kept their formula grounded in all natural ingredients, altering only minor composites to reflect transformations in cleaning needs. Their iconic chick and slogan -- "hasn't scratched yet" -- are a throw back to their simple origins. "In 1886, it was very common for a family to have backyard chickens," West says, "and everyone knew when a baby chicken just hatches it's still being nourished from the egg; it doesn't need to scratch the ground for grain -- that's where our slogan comes from, 'hasn't scratched yet.'"
When it came to revamping its design, Bon Ami wanted to reach for a younger generation of homemakers while staying true to the company's heritage. Two key facets stood out immediately, West said: "Green cleaning and thriftiness." Bon Ami approached a Berkley-based green design firm to ensure that the new design complemented the product itself -- natural, with historical influence and a fresh, modern spin. They placed the baby chick front and center, giving it a voice to squeak "hasn't scratched yet," and kept the graphics clean and contemporary. Both the packaging and the label are made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic with no additives, which "sometimes gets a little foggy, but we wanted to keep it that way. It's 'recycled grey' -- the products are as green as we could make them," says West.
Join Bon Ami's Good Friends Group to be included in regular product giveaways; you can order directly off the site, $3 - $4 each.
Photo: Courtesy of Method
Method Clean
Even with Method's 10-year anniversary approaching, these products may still seem like new kids on the block. Fueled by their early vision to combine form and function, "we wanted products that were beautiful to look at," says Method's Katie Molinari, "but also functional in use." The product line is the brainchild of Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan who united their diverse backgrounds in chemistry and design to create shelf-popping products with enviro-friendly ingredients; they refused to sacrifice scent and smell like many products of the 1990s, while still adhering to strict standards of quality, earth-safe ingredients. "Many people don't know it's green until they get home and flip the label," Molinari says. "It's then that they see it's all non-toxic, natural ingredients."
Method also follows the Cradle to Cradle design philosophy, considering the past, present and future impact of every product and assessing every ingredient with these standards. Be on the lookout for their revolutionary new dish soap this fall (spoiler alert: it'll be the first with a pump on the market) and in the meantime, look to your closest Target, Loews, Whole Foods, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and Method's website for products and more information on their zero-tolerance for dirty ingredients.
Photo: Courtesy of Nellie's
Nellie's All-Natural Dryer Balls
These throw back, plastic-spiked creations are in line with Nellie's All-Natural Product's greater vision to use "non-toxic, hypo-allergenic and environmentally friendly cleaning products that reduce consumption and allow you to use only what you need." The PVC free dryer balls come with a new natural fragrance option and promise to reduce drying time by 25% -- cutting energy, time and costs. With the feel good fun of their nostalgic packaging, it may not actually make doing your laundry feel like a sock hop party, but it comes pretty close to looking like it. Use the site to find a retailer near you, $24.99.