12 sustainable cleaning and toiletries subscriptions that make life easier – and cut plastic waste

Whether it’s paraben-free detergent, refillable deodorant or sustainable toothbrush heads, try these simple swaps for a cleaner home and body

When it comes to cleaning products, both for our bodies and our homes, convenience is a bit of a dirty word. While you may have a sparkling loo, the environment won’t thank you for multiple single-use plastic bottles of cleaning fluid and ingredients that go down the sink despite the small print warning of the harm to marine life.

UK households use 13bn plastic bottles every year, which take at least 450 years to decompose, while more than 212m toothbrush heads or manual toothbrushes are thrown away across the country annually.

For this reason, I’ve been moving away from conventional, easy-to-pick-up-with-the-big-shop products for the past decade. Taking a more sustainable approach to washing and cleaning doesn’t have to be inconvenient, though, and it’s easier than it was when I first started doing it.

If – like me – you’ve ever had to resort to buying “emergency” shampoo in a plastic bottle because you didn’t have time to go to the refill shop; can’t easily find a family friendly plastic-free toothpaste; or are on a mission to be green when you clean, then I have the answer for you: subscriptions.

I’ve tried most of the sustainable subscriptions on this list (and where I haven’t, friends have, and have reported back). Most have plastic-free packaging, and many have the option to recycle empty vessels by sending them back in prepaid envelopes. Oh, and there’s the added advantage that many of these brands are B Corp certified and all use bags of natural ingredients, too. Whether you’re after a refillable deodorant that actually works or the most stylish tin of sustainable washing detergent, I’ve got you covered.

Disclaimer: I love my local refill shops and use them alongside these subscriptions. But not everyone has easy access to one.

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The best eco-friendly cleaning and toiletries subscriptions

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Sustainable dishwasher tablets

Smol dishwasher tablets, pack of 30

£6.50 at Smol

This is the first product I subscribed to, and these have been coming through my letterbox – because the plastic-free packaging is designed to be postable when you’re not in – for more than a decade. Once you get the subscription frequency right, it just arrives when you need it with the post. These effective lower-chemical tablets don’t require companion products such as salt, rinse aid or glass protector, and get everything as clean as regular tablets (even on short washes).

Smol also does: laundry capsules, fabric conditioner, multi-purpose cleaner, washing-up liquid and hand soap

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Eco-friendly shampoo

UpCircle shampoo creme, 100ml

£16.99 on subscription at UpCircle

I’ve used a lot of UpCircle products for many years, but my favourite is the shampoo creme. You need only the tiniest amount, so it lasts ages, and my hair likes it very much. The brand uses upcycled ingredients (hence the name), including coffee grounds collected from artisan cafes, oat husks from the oat milk industry, and, for this shampoo, leftover berries from the fragrance industry. It comes in a glass jar, which you can pop in with your kerbside recycling, or save to use for another product at your local refill shop.

Upcircle also does: facial oils, cleansers, moisturisers, deodorant, lip balm

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Vegan washing detergent

Eat Dirt laundry liquid

£13.95 on subscription at Eat Dirt

I’ve just started using this new washing detergent, and I’ve been impressed so far. It’s made using sustainably sourced vegan ingredients, and the recyclable tin has a cool design on it. It’s formulated specifically to work well at low temperatures (I can confirm that it does), and it smells divine, too.

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Recyclable toothbrush heads

Suri replacement toothbrush heads, two every six months

£8.98 at Suri

I bought my aluminium sonic toothbrush from Suri a few years ago, and I absolutely love it. It not only looks great in the bathroom (I went for the sage green colour), but also the heads are an environmental win. Made from cornstarch with castor oil bristles, they don’t rely on the usual petroleum-based plastics and come with a compostable prepaid mini post bag so you can return your used heads to Suri for recycling.

Suri also does: toothpaste

For more, read our Suri 2.0 electric toothbrush review

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Refillable toothpaste

Life Supplies sensitive toothpaste, three refill packs

£21 at Life Supplies

Toothpaste bottle

£16 at Life Supplies

I tried a LOT of sustainable toothpastes before I settled on this one, which I really like. The refillable bottle is a handsome addition to the bathroom, while the toothpaste tastes great and is made using natural ingredients (papaya extract and pure mint oils). The refills come in compostable packets, three at a time, and my subscription frequency of every three months is more than enough for my family of two. NB it’s worth running the bottle empty and putting it through the dishwasher to get it totally clean before you refill it.

Life Supplies also does: antiperspirant, handwash and bamboo toothbrushes

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Sustainable loo roll

Bazoo sustainable bamboo toilet paper, 48 rolls

£40 at Bazoo

I was glad to already be a subscriber to Bazoo before the great Covid loo roll shortage of 2020, although I confess I still can’t quite manage to get the frequency right. This is fine though: you get a warning by email a few days before your next batch is due to be sent out, so you can skip one or delay it if you, like me, still have plenty of rolls on the go. We have the FSC-certified unbleached paper; the colour (or lack thereof) is a bit weird at first, but you soon get used to it.

Bazoo also does: kitchen roll and tissues

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Refillable deodorant

Fussy deodorant, starter pack (case; one refill)

£12 on subscription at Fussy

These recycled plastic refillable cases are designed to last a lifetime; I’ve had mine for about three years, and it looks as good as it did on day one. The deodorant itself is effective (my personal favourite scent is coconut milk), is made using natural ingredients such as sunflower seed wax and essential oils, and the refills come in plastic-free packaging. If you take a while to figure out your subscription frequency, you don’t need to panic-buy a plastic alternative: the refills are widely available in supermarkets.

Fussy also does: body wash, hand wash

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Eco-friendly cleaning spray

Homethings cleaning spray, three refills

£7 at Homethings

When the founders of Homethings realised that cleaning sprays are often made up of 95% water in single-use plastic bottles, they set about making dilutable refill products (a starter kit plan costs £19). As a result of their light weight, they have 90% less CO2 emissions than regular cleaning products. The concentrated eco scents are vegan and cruelty free. I’m a particular fan of the glass and mirror cleaner, which is a dab hand at removing my whippet’s muddy paw prints from our patio doors.

Homethings also does: laundry sheets, dishwasher tablets, cleaning sprays, washing-up liquid, loo cleaner, plant-based sponges, toilet roll

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Essential oil loo drops

Purdy & Figg Oh! de Loo lime & lemongrass, every three months

£13.56 at Purdy & Figg

After staying with more than one friend who keeps this wonder product in the bathroom, I had to get some for myself. Put a few of the Oh! de Loo essential oil deodoriser down the loo after flushing, or pop some down the basin drain for a lovely waft of lemongrass in the bathroom.

Purdy & Figg also does: kitchen counter cleaners, bathroom cleaners

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Sustainable dish soap

Kinfill dish soap, starter kit

£14.40 on subscription at Kinfill

With no parabens, this natural washing-up liquid has five-star reviews across the board. It’s concentrated, so you don’t need much to get the job done. My friend uses this and says that she loves the stylish reusable aluminium Ever Bottle (£12), which is available in five colours.

Kinfill also does: hand wash, laundry detergent, multi-surface cleaners, body wash, shampoo bars

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Plant-based hand wash

Bower Collective hand wash

£9.99 on subscription at Bower Collective

Naturally derived formulas with essential oils for beautiful scents. The award-winning refill pouches get sent back to be reused, and by scanning the QR code on them, you can track their journey so far.

Bower Collective also does: household cleaning, laundry liquid, body wash, shampoo, conditioner

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Compostable sponge scourers

Seep sponge scourers, pack of four

£10.80 on subscription at Seep

I still have a good stash of plastic-free kitchen sponges from another brand that has stopped making them, but when I run out, these are the ones I’ll try. They apparently work just as well as those two-tone plastic sponges – one side is a natural loofah, and the other is a sponge – and last for months. You can wash them in the dishwasher to clean them, and when they finally wear out, just pop them out with the compost.

Seep also does: cloths, dish brushes, rubber gloves, copper scourers, bin liners

For more ways to cut waste with the Filter, read our easy plastic-free kitchen swaps and the best refillable beauty products

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Hannah Rochell is a features journalist who specialises in writing about – and experiencing – slow, comfortable style and living on her Substack Slowette. This involves everything from exclusively wearing flat shoes and investing heavily in elastic-waist linen trousers to advocating for dehumidifiers (instead of tumble dryers) and learning to sew

Do you use a subscription service that helps you reduce your waste, cut costs, and is kinder to the planet than the alternatives? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Please let us know by emailing thefilter@theguardian.com