Big Yacht Small Space
The season is well and truly here and most Yachts are fully stocked, charter uniform on and in Guest mode. Now is the time when all the hard work from the rest of the year pays off and all the systems that have been put in place kick in. If you have a refill system onboard for Toiletries/Cleaning Supplies / Laundry etc you don’t have to worry about provisioning these between trips which is a major relief.
Bulk Systems
I am a huge supporter of switching to Bulk systems onboard where you store 5/10/20L containers on the yacht to refill the cleaning stations from. If you have read my column before you will know this not only saves shopping time, money and a huge amount of plastic (up to 75%) but you have consistence with a reliable, tested and eco-friendly product all the time.
However we have to be realistic – a majority of Yachts are not 80+ and able to install a perfect fitted in 20L Refil station onboard. Happily there are options and now when the season is in full flow and every little space is taken onboard I thought it would be a good time to introduce some of the new products available.
TRU EARTH – LAUNDRY STRIPS
One of our most popular new products this season and with good reason. These little strips of concentrated Laundry Detergent are not only a HUGE space saver but they work brilliantly as well. Available in 32 and 64 load packs which are the same dimensions as a large envelope the real star here is the 384 Sheet Box which measures only 30 x 15 x 12 cm. For a size equivalent Tru Earth packaging is so efficient that, you can fit over 400 loads worth of Tru Earth Eco-Strips in the same space as a single 100 load container of traditional detergent.
Other benefits of Tru Earth Laundry strips are
- New zero-waste compostable packaging
- No measuring & no mess
- Dissolves completely in Hot or Cold Water.
- Huge space Savers
- Paraben-free, Phosphate-free, Hypoallergenic and Vegan
- Readily biodegradable in accordance with OECD 310D
These strips are a real hit with Sailing Yachts especially who are really tight on space but they are an amazing product to have onboard all vessels.
CONCENTRATED CLEANING – Eco store Antibacterial
Ecostore are always at the forefront on innovation when it comes to cleaning and the environment and this new 50ml concentrated cleaner is proof of this. Their award winning plant based antibacterial cleaner has been reduced down and packed in tiny glass bottles with recyclable lids (creating 90 percent less plastic waste), the formulas are 10-times concentrated and are designed to be combined with tap water in their reusable spray bottles.
Simply mix with water, they boast the exact same cleaning power as Ecostore’s regular 500ml spray cleaners. The small container is then easily recycled and the original spray bottles can be refilled up to 24 times.
POWDERED TOILETRIES – Ben and Anna
We have long been fans of the Ben and Anna brand natural deodorant in paper tubes which has just been re-released with an even better formula and packaging so we are super excited to hear about their new product on the market. Following the trend in concentrated toiletries they have made Shower Flakes and Foaming Hand Soap Tablets.
With the new ‘shower gel flakes’ you can now easily make your own shower gel onboard. You simply place the flakes in a dispenser, add 200ml of hot water, shake, wait for the liquid to develop and you will have created your shower gel. Each pack contains 2 sachets which will make 2 full 200ml bottles with nearly no waste and minimum storage.
OTHER BENEFITS OF DOWNSIZING
We know that smaller products are a brilliant space saver onboard which practically is a huge win. The above options also are nearly 100% plastic free which is a benefit for the planet but there are lots of other positives that come from making products smaller and lighter.
“From bathroom cleaner to laundry detergent to hand soap, pretty much any personal care or home cleaning product you purchase contains a secret ingredient you have no idea you’re paying for: water. In fact, most commercial cleaning products contain a whopping 90 to 95 percent water”
GreenMatters.com Sophie Hirsch 20.08.2020
When you begin to think about it shipping water all over the world seems pretty silly both in environmental and monetary terms. It is something that we have taken as the ‘norm’ for years but now that there are other alternatives arriving on the market maybe we need to change our shopping habits.
Small Packages
By making things smaller and lighter the knock on effect is that you dramatically reduce transportation fuel consumption and carbon emissions as you need less power to transport things.
Tru Earth Eco-Strips laundry detergent for example have smaller eco-footprint than liquid and powder detergents as they reduce carbon emissions by 94% compared to leading-brand liquid and powder detergent when being transported.
So are concentrated cleaners the future? There is no one size fits all solution to any environmental issue and there are many factors to consider when choosing a product onboard but as more and more brands and consumers begin to see the benefits in making their products concentrated both from a price and environmental viewpont there is definitely a place for these products in the market and from a space saving point of view these innovative items are fantastic to have onboard!
For more information about purchasing or if you have any questions about any products above please contact us directly. You can check out our full range on our new website.
Hannah
hannah@viveco.co
+34 634 326 981
Hannah is an ex-stewardess who now runs Viveco and Viveco Yachts, an Eco Yacht, Hotel and Home supply shop in Mallorca.
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