Laundry, I call it the adult never ending story! Most laundry detergents come in big plastic jugs that although recyclable are not very Zero Waste. So the question is…

How do I Zero Waste Laundry?

A small step that can be taken is mentioned in the Fair Trade Organic All Natural Zero Waste Fashion post. By starting with all natural materials you reduce the amount of plastic micro fibers released into the water supply.  Although it is not very zero waste to go out and replace your entire wardrobe it is good to replace any items that are no longer usable with all natural organic fair trade options.

I started looking for a zero waste replacement for the big plastic jugs of laundry detergent. I came across many simple homemade recipes. The recipes mostly included taking a bar of soap shaving it down and adding borax and washing soda. Although this is relatively better than the commercial stuff it still leaves you with the packaging that the ingredients come in. It is not particularly time consuming or hard to make homemade laundry detergent. I have yet to try it as I am not all that into DIY.

Another zero waste option is something called soap berries or soap nuts. These also involved some DIY work to be turned into liquid detergent.  After looking at a few recipes it seems that once dissolved into a water and vinegar solution the soap seems to be effective. I have not yet tried this either. Most soap nuts come in eco-friedly packaging which is a huge plus!

My Green Fills Detergent

The next option I found was a relatively new laundry detergent made by Selestial Soaps called MyGreenFills.

This detergent comes in a plastic jug but it’s not like that ones you get at the store. The jug is cleverly marketed as ” The last jug you will ever own” the detergent comes as a powder in a rice paper envelope. The idea is that you continue ordering the refills and reuse the same jug. After seeing that they are a US based company I decided to give them a try.

I ordered only the detergent, the promotion on their website got me 2 refill packs and my first “last jug”with 1 refill of detergent already in it, for only shipping cost which was a little under $8. I mixed my first batch and put in a load of darks.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised, the clothes were clean. The Signature Scent is mild and gentle with slight citrus undertones. It is an enjoyable scent, especially for me because I am not particularly fond of very strong scents.
I have been using My Green Fills for 3 weeks now and I will be ordering my next refill soon! I will be order more of their laundry products and reviewing them here for you!

My Green Fills is the closest I have been able to come to zero waste laundry without DIY. I am sticking with it for now because I am not at the step in my journey where I feel comfortable making my own homemade detergent.

More research will be going into this topic and I will update you all as I find out new information about Zero Waste Laundry!