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With so many options, finding the best laundry detergent in the UK can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve researched and reviewed the top eco-friendly laundry detergents, considering performance, skin sensitivity, and sustainability. Whether you're debating plastic free laundry sheets or a gentle non-bio formula for sensitive skin, we’ll help you choose the best option so you can say goodbye to harsh chemicals and wasteful packaging.
Ideally it needs to be zero waste, plastic free, or 100% recyclable. Did you know you could save up to 40 bottles of plastic each year if you switched from liquid detergent and fabric conditioner to a plastic free option.
We only rate laundry detergents with ingredients that are not tested or derived from animals, and companies with a clear cruelty free policy. Washing our clothes shouldn't be at the expense of animal welfare.
All the detergents below are non toxic, and free from phosphates, formaldehyde, parabens, triclosan or phthalates. We've also listed whether they are bio or non-bio and contain other ingredients such as fragrance, enzymes, SLS, bleaching agents and more.
The difference between bio and non-bio washing powers (or detergents) is that bio contains enzymes (to help break down common stains like grass, chocolate, burger grease) whereas non-bio does not contain them. Here's a quick comparison:
Bio Detergents | Non-bio Detergents |
---|---|
Enzymes effectively remove stains | No enzymes to lend a hand in stain removal |
Can wash at lower temperatures or quick cycles | May have to wash at higher temperatures for deeper stains |
Can sometimes cause irritation for super sensitive skin | Suitable for babies and sensitive skin |
Can reduce colour over the long-term | Maintains colour for longer in clothing |
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is a common chemical that can be made from coconut oil, palm kernel oil or petroleum used in products from toothpaste to soaps, shampoos and laundry detergents. It works as a surfactant, trapping oil-based dirt with a soapy lather so it can be rinsed away with water. It's low cost to produce and biodegradable, however it can cause irritation for those with sensitive skin due to its oil stripping qualities.
Optical brighteners or optical brightening agents (OBAs) are chemicals that absorb ultraviolet light and reflect back blue light. Their purpose to help whiten the normal yellowing or greying of clothes and make them appear brighter. Essentially they do this by adding a coating of microscopic fluorescent particles to your clothes rather than removing the yellowing or stains. Optical brighteners aren't readily biodegradable and may bioaccumulate, so could pose a threat to aquatic life. They can also cause irritation and phototoxic reactions if they rub off onto skin and then skin is exposed to the sun.
Years ago people used to add a small amount of blue dye to fabric to make it appear whiter which was known as 'bluing'. An easy alternative to optical brighteners is to soak clothes in lemon juice and water (the citric acid in lemon works as a bleaching agent) or add a cup of lemon juice to your rinse cycle then hang to dry in the sun. It's also safe to use on coloured clothes.
In detergents stains are removed by oxidation (bleaching). This can be done in one of 2 ways, oxygen-based bleaching agents or chlorine-based bleaching agents. The differences of these are below:
Oxygen-based Bleaching Agent | Chlorine-based Bleaching Agent |
---|---|
Hydrogen-peroxide with sodium or sodium carbonate (washing soda) | Sodium hypochlorite most commonly known as chlorine bleach |
During a wash the peroxide is consumed and the carbonate remains | During a wash it decomposes to form water and sodium chloride (kitchen salt) |
Gentler on skin and lungs and less toxic | Respiratory and skin irritant and corrosive |
Can be used on all sorts of fabrics, colours, wool, silk and more | Can weaken and damage fabrics |
May not be as powerful as chlorine bleach for removing stains, disinfecting and deodorising | Powerful at removing stains, is a disinfectant and deodoriser |
It's a complex issue as boycotting palm altogether could have some drastic unintended consequences. For example, producing an alternative oil like soy, coconut or sunflower would need between 4 and 10 times more land and/or shift the problem to other parts of the world, along with threatening other habitats, communities and livelihoods. I wrote about this topic more on the Best Zero Waste Shampoo & Conditioner shopping guide, or you can take a look at OpenMind's article: Boycotting Palm Oil May Worsen the Situation. We support brands that are considerately sourcing their ingredients and not using palm oil as a direct ingredient itself. However, we advocate the use of ingredients derived from RSPO certified palm oil if this is the best option comparative to other oils.
Earth Breeze go to extraordinary efforts to donate and give back. Their 'Buy One Give Ten' program donates 10 loads of laundry detergent for every sale to a non-profit of your choosing such as women's shelters, animal care shelters and disaster relief. They participate in ocean clean-ups, native tree-plantings and offsetting their carbon emissions. All orders ship from UK warehouse that runs on 100% renewable energy. Each sheet weighs 3-4g
Standard load: 1 sheet /
Full load: 2 sheets
🧺 22p per wash | 🐰 Cruelty free |
---|---|
🌱 Vegan | 🥤 Plastic free |
🧼 Non-bio | 🛁 SLS (from coconut) |
🌴 Palm free | ☑️ Preservative free |
🕶️ Optical brightener free | ☑️ Bleach free |
🌿 Natural + synthetic fragrance | ☑️ Fragrance free option |
♻️ Cardboard mailer | 🇨🇳 Made in China |
Smol are so confident you'll love them they offer a free trial for their concentrated laundry capsules. They also do vegan fabric conditioner, for softness without animal fat which is commonly used in traditional fabric conditioners and is also known as 'Tallow'.
Standard load: 1 capsule /
Full load: 2 capsules
🧺 22p / 26p per wash* | 🐰 Cruelty free |
---|---|
🌱 Vegan | 🥤 Plastic free |
🧼 Bio or Non-Bio | 🛁 Contains SLS |
🌴 RSPO palm (derivative) | ☑️ Preservative in bio |
🕶️ Biodegradable optical brighteners | ☑️ Bleach free |
🌿 Natural + synthetic fragrance | ☑️ Fragrance free option |
♻️ Cardboard box | 🇪🇺 Made in Europe |
*fragrance / fragrance free
Try your first box of 9 capsules FREE
Homethings are all about delivering great performance cleaning with a low environmental footprint by being water free and plastic free. The ingredients in their Laundry Sheets are made with super eco /mild detergents so they should be great even for the most sensitive skin types. They are made in a factory run from 100% renewable energy sources and they're also a Certified Ⓑ Corp!
Standard load: 1 sheet /
Full load: 2 sheets
🧺 25p per wash | 🐰 Cruelty free |
---|---|
🌱 Vegan | 🥤 Plastic free |
🧼 Bio | 🛁 SLS free |
🌴 Palm Free | ☑️ Gentle preservative |
🕶️ Optical brightener free | ☑️ Bleach free |
🌿 Natural + synthetic fragrance | ☑️ Fragrance free option |
♻️ Cardboard box | 🇪🇺 Made in Europe |
10% off code:
ZEROWASTED10
100% plant-based fragrance free non-bio laundry liquid or naturally scented with Sandalwood & Cedarwood, Juniper or Lavender. Packaged in an innovative paper bottle which is made in the UK from pulp waste that is created during sugar cane production with bamboo for the neck and cap, it is lined with natural seaweed extract and a plant latex sap which is 100% organic. 20% of profits go to three marine conservation charities: Plastic Oceans UK, Just One Ocean and Sea Changers which are working to remove plastic from our oceans and protect marine life.
Standard load: 30ml / Full load: 50ml
🧺 24p per wash | 🐰 Cruelty free |
---|---|
🌱 Vegan | 🥤 Plastic free |
🧼 Non-bio | 🛁 SLS free |
🌴 Palm free | ☑️ Preservative free |
🕶️ Optical brightener free | ☑️ Bleach free |
🌿 Natural fragrance | ☑️ Fragrance free option |
♻️ Paper bottle | 🇬🇧 Made in UK |
10% off code: ZEROWASTED
(Code not valid on subscriptions)
Serious Tissues / Serious Soaps are a UK brand founded by 3 fathers who want to do all they can to make the world a better place. For every soap bar or laundry detergent sold, they recover 1kg of ocean-bound plastic (equivalent to 50 plastic bottles or 500 crisp packets). Each sheet weighs approx 3-4g. They offset all their shipping and production emissions, and are looking to bring production to the UK.
Standard load: 1 sheet / Full load: 2 sheets
🧺 32p per wash | 🐰 Cruelty free |
---|---|
🌱 Vegan | 🥤 Plastic free |
🧼 Non-bio | 🛁 SLS free |
🌴 Palm free | ☑️ Preservative free |
🕶️ Optical brightener free | ☑️ Bleach free |
🌿 Natural fragrance | ☑️ Fragrance free option |
♻️ Cardboard mailer | 🇨🇳 Made in China |
MOAM Organics are an award-winning, eco-friendly cleaning, laundry and body care brand with a focus on aromatherapy, wellness and sustainability. All their all-natural scents are themed around European Destinations and will start with Monte Carlo, Santorini and the Amalfi Coast, all curated to boost your wellness. All the refill pouches can be returned for free to be properly recycled.
Standard load:
15ml /
Full load: 25ml
🧺 22.3p per wash | 🐰 Cruelty free |
---|---|
🌱 Vegan | ✗ Plastic free |
🧼 Non-bio | 🛁 SLS free |
🌴 Palm free | ☑️ Gentle preservative |
🕶️ Optical brightener free | ☑️ Bleach free |
🌿 Natural fragrance | ✖️ Fragrance free option |
🔄 Refill pouches | 🇬🇧 Made in UK |
20% off code:
ZEROWASTED
Plastic free laundry sheets with FSC certified cardboard packaging and long-lasting scent. Choose from All-In-One which contains natural enzymes (the only biological laundry sheets on our list) for the deepest clean with a refreshing Spring Florals scent, Coloured with a Very Berry scent, and Sensitive which is unscented. WABLU was founded by chemists with over 50 years combined experience in the homecare industry, with a family who has been been in the soap/cleaning market for over 180 years, which means they can adapt formulations to ensure their sheets are not just eco-friendly but incredibly effective. Each sheet weighs approx 4g. All orders ship from UK from a warehouse run on 100% renewable energy and production is moving to Europe in April 2023. The most cost-effective option is to buy a 96 sheet bundle with free postage.
Standard load: 1 sheet /
Full load: 2 sheets
🧺 26p per wash | 🐰 Cruelty free |
---|---|
🌱 Vegan | 🥤 Plastic free |
🧼 Bio + non-bio | 🛁 SLS free |
🌴 Palm free | ☑️ Preservative free |
🕶️ Optical brightener free | ☑️ Bleach free |
🌿 Natural + synthetic fragrance | ☑️ Fragrance free option |
♻️ Cardboard mailer | 🇨🇳 Made in China |
10% off first order code:
WELCOME 10
Raw materials are sourced from Netherlands, Germany, India and Japan. Simple Living Eco are in the process of bringing production to the UK. Fresh Linen scent is made up of lemon essential oil, lavender essential oil and rosemary essential oil. Each laundry sheet weighs approx 2g.
Standard load: 1 sheet /
Full load: 2 sheets
🧺 20p per wash | 🐰 Cruelty free |
---|---|
🌱 Vegan | 🥤 Plastic free |
🧼 Non-bio | 🛁 SLS free |
🌴 Palm free | ☑️ Preservative free |
🕶️ Optical brightener free | ☑️ Bleach free |
🌿 Natural fragrance | ☑️ Fragrance free option |
♻️ Cardboard mailerx | 🇬🇧 Made in UK |
10% off code: REGN10OFF
Bower Collective have launched a new reusable packaging with unique digital tracking and impact measurement built in! You can send them back for free to reused up to 10 times, after which they responsibly recycle them. They are also a Certified Ⓑ Corp and 20p from every purchase goes toward the Marine Conservation Society. The scented laundry detergent uses lavender essential oil.
Standard load: 40ml /
Full load: 60ml
🧺 21p per wash | 🐰 Cruelty free |
---|---|
🌱 Vegan | ✖️ Plastic free |
🧼 Non-bio | 🛁 SLS free |
🌴 RSPO palm (derivative) | ☑️ Preservative free |
🕶️ Optical brightener free | ☑️ Bleach free |
🌿 Natural fragrance | ☑️ Fragrance free option |
🔄 Refill pouches | 🇬🇧 Made in UK |
17% off code: ZEROWASTED
Clothes Doctor Basil & Mandarin Leaf Eco Liquid Detergent
£16 for 1L (50 washes)
p&p £3.95 / free £40+
100% infinitely recyclable aluminium, with a compostable label, so you can save the planet while you save your clothes. Clothes Doctor offer a range of specialist washes for your whole wardrobe including knitwear, sportswear and delicates. Their mission is to help you to extend the life of your clothes so you can reduce their carbon, water, and landfill footprint by up to 30%! The Basil & Mandarin Eco Liquid Detergent is their bestseller and the perfect all-rounder for everyday laundry.
Standard load:
20ml /
Full load: 40ml
🧺 32p per wash | 🐰 Cruelty free |
---|---|
🌱 Vegan | 🥤 Plastic free |
🧼 Non-bio | 🛁 SLS free |
🌴 Palm free | ☑️ Gentle preservative |
🕶️ Optical brightener free | ☑️ Bleach free |
🌿 Natural + synthetic fragrance* | ✖️ Fragrance free option |
♻️ Aluminium bottle | 🇬🇧 Made in UK |
*mostly essential oils
15% off code:
ZEROWASTED15
Each sheet weighs approx 3 grams equivalent to 40g of liquid or powder. Made in Canada, these sheets use food-grade preservative potassium sorbate.
Standard load: 1 sheet /
Full load: 2 sheets
🧺 40p per wash | 🐰 Cruelty free |
---|---|
🌱 Vegan | 🥤 Plastic free |
🧼 Non-bio | 🛁 SLS free |
🌴 Palm free | ☑️ Gentle preservative |
🕶️ Optical brightener free | ☑️ Bleach free |
🌿 Natural + synthetic fragrance | ☑️ Fragrance free option |
♻️ Cardboard mailer | 🇨🇦 Made in Canada |
5% off code: ANDKEEP5
Made in a family run factory in Northamptonshire UK, and available in unscented or neroli (essential oil) which has a sparking, bright and fresh scent. It comes in a bag in a box and free postage box to send back the bag to get refilled making it a completely closed-loop and zero waste system.
Standard load: 40ml /
Full load: 60ml
🧺 22p per wash | 🐰 Cruelty free |
---|---|
🌱 Vegan | 🥤 Plastic free |
🧼 Non-bio | 🛁 SLS free |
🌴 RSPO palm (derivative) | ☑️ Gentle preservative |
🕶️ Optical brightener free | ☑️ Bleach free |
🌿 Natural fragrance | ☑️ Fragrance free option |
🔄 Refillable bag in a box | 🇬🇧 Made in UK |
Mineral pellets replaces laundry detergent and fabric conditioner. Ecoegg refills are £4.45 and last 50 washes. The pellets don't dissolve entirely after maxium suggested washes. They go in your main bin and Ecoegg say they break down within 18 months. Ensure to air your egg between uses. The egg case is BPA free and recyclable and refills bags are type 5 plastic so you'll need to check with your local council on how to recycle.
Standard load: up to 70 washes /
Full load:
up to 50 washes
🧺 8p per wash | 🐰 Cruelty free |
---|---|
🌱 Vegan | ✖️ Plastic free |
🧼 Non-bio | 🛁 SLS free |
🌴 Palm free | ☑️ Preservative free |
🕶️ Optical brightener free | ☑️ Bleach free |
🌿 Natural fragrance | ☑️ Fragrance free option |
🔄 Refillable egg | 🇬🇧 Made in UK |
5% off code: ANDKEEP5
Sourced from India, soap nuts are a natural surfactant that grow on the sapindus genus tree. They come with a pouch that you fill (dosage chart provided) and can be reused up to four times. Packaged in a muslin bag with minigrip biodegradable water clear polybag (add to your food waste collection to ensure it is industrially composted for a quicker breakdown).
Standard load: 4 nuts /
Full load: 6 nuts
🧺 4p per wash | 🐰 Cruelty free |
---|---|
🌱 Vegan | ✖️ Plastic free |
🧼 Non-bio | 🛁 SLS free |
🌴 Palm free | ☑️ Preservative free |
🕶️ Optical brightener free | ☑️ Bleach free |
🌿 Natural fragrance | ☑️ Fragrance free |
🧵 Muslin + polybag | 🇬🇧 Made in UK |
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