GreenSheets laundry sheets

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, one million plastic bottles are purchased every single minute.

While many plastic bottles are recyclable, the sad fact is that most aren't recycled. In fact, around 80% of plastic bottles across the world end up in landfill.

Once in landfill, plastic bottles can take up to 500 years to 'decompose'. But even then, they don't break down into natural, organic matter (in the way that discarded vegetables, for example, do). Instead, plastic items break up into smaller and smaller pieces, eventually becoming micro-plastics.  These tiny particles of plastic pollute our rivers and seas, and are ingested by marine animals – and they even end up in the food that humans eat. It's estimated that humans ingest around a credit card's worth of plastic each week.

Bottles and tubs containing laundry liquid and pods are contributing to this plastic pile-up. So choosing a plastic-free laundry product is one way to reduce use of single-plastics and avoid adding to global plastic pollution.

GreenSheets laundry sheets from The Green Co. are a good choice. They're 100% plastic free, and are packed in a biodegradable cardboard pouch which is ideal for travelling.

We were sent trial packs of laundry detergent GreenSheets and fabric conditioner GreenSheets to try.

The first thing we noticed was the lovely smell. There are two fragrances available – lavender and fresh linen – as well as an unscented version. The fragranced versions left clothes smelling fresh, but without an overpowering scent – this is good for people with sensory issues who may not cope with strong scents on clothes and bedlinen.

The laundry sheets are really easy to use. Just pop one in the washing machine drum and add clothes. Then wash using your normal programme. The sheets were effective at 30 degrees, and worked equally well on the 15-minute quick-wash setting. After washing, our clothes were just as clean and fresh as if we'd used one of the big brand liquid laundry detergents.

When using the fabric conditioner, the sheet is added to the dispensing drawer of the washing machine. The fabric conditioner sheets – also available in lavender or fresh linen – left clothes soft and lightly scented.

One thing we really liked about these sheets is how versatile they are – the sheets can be torn into smaller pieces, so you can use exactly the amount you need, with no wastage. Smaller loads can be washed with half a sheet, and if you have a particularly large or dirty load of washing to tackle, you can add an extra sheet or half-sheet.

We also found you could tear of a small amount and dissolve it in a basin of warm water to hand-wash delicate items.

Because there are no bulky bottles or tubs, the sheets are compact and space-saving. They can be packed in a suitcase for taking on holiday (the trial-sized packs, which contain four sheets, are ideal for this) – taking up hardly any space and adding very little weight. There's no liquid, so no chance of spills.

Their compact nature also means less space and fewer resources are needed for transport – this reduces carbon emissions compared to bulkier traditional alternatives.

GreenSheets laundry sheets are vegan and cruelty free. They're made with 100% natural ingredients, so are kind on the skin – especially important if washing clothes for babies, children, or anyone with sensitive skin.

GreenSheets are a money-saving option too. Trial-sized packs, containing four laundry sheets, cost just 95p – and shipping is free-of-charge to UK addresses. A full-sized pack containing enough sheets for 128 washes works out at 22p per wash – cheaper per wash than most branded laundry pods. Or save even more money by subscribing and having laundry sheets delivered at a frequency to suit you.

To buy GreenSheets, visit The Green Co. website.

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