Producer Spotlight — Bio-D & FILL cleaning products
Re-use your own bottles to buy cleaning products and reduce plastic waste.
At Get Loose we stock ready made bulk cleaning products from Bio-D and FILL. If you don’t have your own bottle with you, check our “Bottle Bank” and you might be lucky. These are pre-weighed, and free for customers. Remember to weigh your own bottle before filling. You don’t have to fill it to the top.
Cleaning products come to us in huge containers. Once finished they are all sent back to be cleaned and refilled. The FILL ones are returned by their partner Planet Minimal in electric vehicles.
There is 10% off all FILL and Bio-D products from Wednesday 1st September until Sunday 3rd October 2021.
We also stock a range of ingredients for you to make your own cleaning products. See recipes below.
What we stock
Ready-made cleaning products:
Toilet cleaner
Laundry liquid - fragrance free non bio
Fabric softener
Washing up Liquid
Multi surface sanitiser
Floor cleaner
Glass cleaner
Rinse Aid
Ingredients to make your own:
Lemon Juice
Bicarbonate of soda
White vinegar
Who are Bio-D?
Back in the 1980s, founder Michael Barwell’s job was to clean and maintain commercial ships. It was tough work using industrial cleaning products for which heavy-duty safety equipment, including a respirator, had to be worn.
Michael was shocked to discover that many of the ingredients in the products he used at work could also be found in everyday household cleaners. It prompted him to look for naturally-derived alternatives that would clean safely and effectively without harming people or the environment, and in 1989 Bio-D was born.
Values
Bio-D make all their own products in the UK in Hull. With complete traceability on all the ingredients used so they know they are ethically and sustainably sourced.
They are also the only green cleaning company whose products meet the standards for commercial food preparation otherwise known as BSEN1276. So if you know any restaurant/café owners, please recommend their products!
Bio-D have introduced 100% recycled plastic bottles into their consumer range (up to 5Ltr). The recycled material is made from used plastic bottles that might otherwise have gone to landfill. This means that sometimes their packaging varies in colour, due to the different plastics in the mix. They collect their larger drums through their wholesale partners and recycle them. Investigations are underway to offer a refill service for these large containers.
If everyone in the UK used Bio-D laundry products, 67% less water would be required to purify the water through sewage treatment plants, due to the natural ingredients they use.
Read Bio-D’s Sustainability report 2021 here.
Bio-D’s Awards & Accreditations
Vegan Trade Mark — Free from animal products and animal testing.
Cruelty free international (Leaping Bunny) — A company which adheres to a fixed cut-off date (as required by the Humane Standards) does not allow animal tests for any of its finished products, ingredients or formulations after a set date.
Allergy UK — Gives a clear indication that the product has been scientifically tested to a protocol developed by a panel of international allergists and scientists. It is therefore proven to reduce/remove the allergens shown or that the product has significantly reduced allergen content.
BRC consumer products — Set the benchmark for good manufacturing practice, and help provide assurance to customers that products are safe, legal and of high quality. They have been awarded Global Standard for Consumer Products.
ISO 14001 — Putting environmental management at the heart of operations to achieve sustainable success. This international standard helps [organisations] reduce environmental impact as well as grow business.
The Ethical Consumer Magazine Best Buy Label — Only awarded to those products whose environmental and ethical record meet certain standards.
Great Place to Work certification — A company's employees are surveyed, their culture analysed and only those with a “Trust index” of 65+% are certified.
One of the Top 10 UK small businesses to work for women.
B-corp application is in progress.
Who are FILL Refill?
Made in a small family run factory in Northamptonshire, UK. The brand started in 2012 and has been growing steadily since. FILL are on a mission to make refilling cleaning products look good and work well without harsh chemicals and unnecessary dyes.
Their products are
Effective
No harsh chemicals
Natural scents or unscented
PH Neutral
Dye free
Biodegradable
Cruelty Free
Vega
FILL have the following accreditations
1% for the Planet — Giving 1% of their profits to environmental nonprofit organisations.
Plastic free certification mark — Empowering shoppers to confidently choose plastic free.
ISO 14001 — Putting environmental management at the heart of operations to achieve sustainable success. This international standard helps [organisations] reduce environmental impact as well as grow business.
The Ethical Consumer Magazine Best Buy Label — Only awarded to those products whose environmental and ethical record meet certain standards.
Allergy UK — Gives a clear indication that the product has been scientifically tested to a protocol developed by a panel of international allergists and scientists. It is therefore proven to reduce/remove the allergens shown or that the product has significantly reduced allergen content.
Vegan Trade Mark — Free from animal products and animal testing.
Sedex — A membership organisation that provides one of the world’s leading online platforms for companies to manage and improve working conditions in global supply chains.
Living Wage Employer — Based on the cost of living and is voluntarily paid by over 7,000 UK employers who believe a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay.
Their non-profit partner is The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridge & Northamptonshire.
Cleaning products recipes — Make your own
You can also make your own cleaning products with a few simple Get Loose ingredients. Thanks to FILL Refill and the Get Loose volunteers for providing the recipes.
Bathroom cleaner for bath, showers and tiles
Amounts depend how big an area you are cleaning, just make up what you need as you need it.
In a small dish or ramekin mix the following until you get a paste:
2 tbsp of bicarbonate
squirt of washing-up liquid
1 tsp of lemon juice
little water to get the desired consistency
If it is too runny add more bicarbonate.
Apply with a scouring pad, or cloth, and leave for at least 20 mins, rinse off.
Unblocking your sink
Plug your sink and pour down some boiling water.
And a tbsp of bicarbonate and 250ml of white vinegar, it will fizz.
Replace the plug and wait 10-15 mins.
Pour down more boiling water.
Remove limescale from your washing machine
Mix together 50ml white vinegar and 50ml water
Take a damp cloth and use this mixture to clean the drum, door, seal and tray.
Add 450ml white vinegar to the drum.
Put the machine on a hot wash.
Open the door and leave the machine to cool and air out. Your room will smell a bit vinegary but it will be worth it for a more efficient washing machine!
Descale your kettle
Fill your kettle with 500ml water and 30ml of lemon juice.
Boil the kettle.
Empty the kettle and rub the inside with a damp cloth dipped in bicarbonate.
Rinse the kettle
Boil water in kettle and discard.
Fabric softener
Fill a bottle with 50% cleaning vinegar and 50% water, add essential oils if desired.
Add a good splash to your washing machine in the normal compartment.
If you want softer washing, or live in a very hard water area, increase the ratio of vinegar to water.
Some more ideas here.
See you at the shop! 👋 And shout out to John who so beautifully updated our shop sign! 👏