Have you stood over your washing machine, pouring in glugs of detergent, and wondered if there could be a more sustainable way to do laundry? You are not alone.
Doing laundry hasn’t changed much for the last 50 years. The most recent evolution dates back to the 1980s when big boxes of powder were gradually replaced by equally-heavy bottles of liquid. And it hasn’t advanced much since. That is, until now.
In our zero-waste bathroom article we already went through solutions to have the lowest possible impact on the planet, but this product is so incredible that we decided to try it.
Tru Earth – A new eco-friendly laundry solution
In April 2019, Tru Earth unveiled a major eco-friendly innovation. The company took the traditional cup of thick blue gooey laundry detergent and sealed it in a small strip.
Measuring just 10cm by 15cm, Tru Earth laundry strips have eliminated over 2.3 billion bulky and wasteful single-use plastic containers from the planet.
Some plastic bottles are indeed recyclable, but it is estimated that only 20% of them get reused. The rest ends up in landfill, or worse, in the ocean.
At only three grams in weight, these eco-friendly laundry detergent strips have also saved gallons of truck fuel. This saving of fuel equals to fewer carbon emissions that the brand equates to the planting of nine million trees. Or in other terms, 27 million fewer cars on the road for a day.
Ok, so it is Eco-friendly, but does it work?
It is hard to imagine how a whole cup of liquid detergent can fit into such a small strip. But 80% of liquid laundry detergent is water. Your washing machine adds water, so all you need is the detergent.
We tested it for you too
At The Sustainable Mag, we decided to give it a try. We admit to being a little skeptical at first, but we were blown away! Our laundry was as clean and fresh as with any other laundry detergent.
A new eco-friendly recipe with safe ingredients
Where most laundry detergents are full of chemicals, Tru Earth has made the strips with as much attention to your skin and wellbeing as it has to the environment. They are:
- Paraben and Phosphate-free
- Free of added dyes and chlorine bleach
- Free of 1,4-dioxane, as certified by independent laboratory tests
- Readily biodegradable in accordance with OECD 310D
- Hypoallergenic, certified by independent dermatologists
- Vegan: no animal-based ingredients or testing on animals
How Tru Earth started
The Tru Earth story started in Canada with Ryan McKenzie, who would often sit and watch television with his young son. They loved watching YouTube together, and in particular the children’s toy reviews. McKenzie couldn’t help but notice just how much plastic there was in toys.
He shared his concerns with a friend, Brad Liski. Brad told him about a distant relative of his who was also against plastic and had invented an eco-friendly laundry detergent. So, together with another friend, Kevin Hinton, they decided to test it. The trio couldn’t believe how effective it was.
They set up a web page and decided to try and sell them. They told themselves if they could get 150 orders in 30 days, they had a viable eco-friendly business idea. Thirty days later and they had over 1,500 orders.
Today, the young company delivers to over 55 countries and has 165 employees. There is an inside company joke that each week they have to introduce new people on their Zoom calls as they are growing so fast!
Beyond the product
Tru Earth isn’t only about eco-friendly laundry detergent. The company is expanding its range of products to include fabric softener dryer balls, bee’s wax food wraps, reusable cotton mesh produce bags, and bamboo cutlery.
Their office also uses pre-loved furniture to further protect the environment. And they have various fundraising initiatives helping different worthy causes across the globe.
All in all, Tru Earth is a company doing things right. But don’t take our word for it, try their laundry detergent strips for yourself. With their money-back guarantee, you have nothing to lose.
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