Ecover Washing-Up Liquid Lemon 5 Litre Full Review
Posted: 10 January 2008 by Rikke Bruntse-Dahl
Having bought Ecover washing-up liquid for years, we've probably tested this eco product the longest. And there's a reason for that. Despite being warned by well-meaning colleagues and family that this 'eco soap' can't possibly clean properly, we were very pleased with its degreasing performance right from the beginning. Yes, we do have to use a teensy bit more than Fairy Liquid's infamous 'one drop', but Ecover is easy to make last for many plates as it lathers well and isn't sticky and difficult to spread like many ordinary, concentrated washing-up liquids.
The other reason we're fans is that Ecover was the first mainstream washing-up liquid that made us feel better about washing up: its eco credentials have made it easier for us to let the dirty dishwater disappear down the drain without fearing we're going to poison aquatic life in the process. Plus, it's nice to know that there aren't any nasty chemicals left on our cutlery and glasses next time we use them.
Like Ecover's other products, the washing-up liquid is biodegradable and designed to be mild to our skin. Most of the ingredients are plant- or mineral-derived and the company never uses colourings, chlorine and halogen. However, we are not too pleased to see the man-made antibacterial preservative 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol in the ingredients list, which is linked to toxicity on aquatic organisms in the EU Ecolabel Detergent Ingredients Database.
On the ethical side, we think Ecover does quite well by taking a stand against animal testing. But not everyone agrees with us. A little while ago Ecover was criticised by vegans because of its alleged testing on water fleas, and was even stripped of its Vegan Society logo. The EU's definition of animal testing doesn't include invertebrates like water fleas, and Ecover says the water flea testing is just to make sure there's no danger to aquatic life.
One of the aspects of Ecover that we like the most is the company's wholehearted approach to being sustainable from its production methods to its marketing messages. Ecover's two ecological production plants are a case in point. They're made predominantly from wood and other renewable materials, with only 17 per cent synthetic materials. Both plants have green roofs with wild flowers that naturally regulate the temperature inside the factory.
For this review we decided to test the five-litre drum. Ecover does have a well-established refill system, which allows you to refill your small washing-up liquid bottles at health stores -- absolutely brilliant as it saves loads of plastic. But not being close to a store that offers that service ourselves -- and realising that many Brits are in the same position -- we decided to give the five-litre option a go. It makes sense from both an environmental and economical point of view. By buying the washing-up liquid in five-litre batches rather than 500ml bottles you'll save around £2 for the same amount of washing-up liquid, and quite a bit of plastic. And with either an Ecover pump or a funnel and a helping hand, it's a piece of cake refilling the smaller bottles yourself.
Although we feel Ecover is everywhere, it actually represents less than two per cent of the UK market, which is a bit depressing considering most other products out there are far less green. Until the variety of eco-friendly washing-up liquids is substantial, we're more than happy to make Ecover washing-up liquid our kitchen staple.
Quality
Value
Ethics
Green
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