Ditch the plastic in your life with some ingenious pill power
Despite the country’s household eco-sensibilities improving markedly over the last decade, there is no getting away from the fact that the UK still uses 13 billion plastic bottles every year. Of these, only 7.5 billion are recycled. The remaining 5.5 billion are landfilled, littered or incinerated. You can do more, though. Here we have selected pilled products that free you from relying on buying cleaning potions in plastic containers, as well as a reusable water bottle for popping your own pills.
Blueland
Many have tried, but few brands have found a successful formula for concentrated household cleaning products. But with $3 million in seed funding, the key hiring of Method’s formulation director Syed Naqvi, and unavoidable statistics about plastic waste, Blueland’s stylish dissolvable capsules (pictured, above) and glass refill bottles could have come at the perfect time. Its foaming hand soap, and bathroom, glass and multi-purpose cleaners are sold in tablet form, contain no volatile organic compounds, phthalates or parabens, and are 300 times lighter and 200 times smaller than traditional packaging, while also helping to eliminate the need for single-use plastic bottles.
Price: $39 | Blueland
Brushd Toothbrushes and Tablets
This British-designed brush is made from biodegradable bamboo – just pop it in your composter when it’s worn out, and have Brushd mail you a fresh one, along with its toothpaste tablets. Made in the UK from vegan-friendly ingredients and available with or without fluoride, just give one a quick chew and get cleaning – without the need to add more plastic tubes to landfill. You get 120 tablets in a recyclable glass jar, which works out at just around 8p per brush.
Price: toothpaste £4.99; brush £3.90 | Brushd
Prospector Co Tablet Towels
Harking back to childhood bath-times, these compressed flannels remain just as much fun as ever, even if the dinosaur motifs of our youth have been replaced by white towels and a prospector-style glass jar. Each tablet-sized fibre towel – there’s six per jar – measures around 20cm square once fully soaked, and provides a convenient addition to your travel kit.
Price: $4.99 | Prospector Co.
ByHumankind Mouthwash
Available in lemon mint, ginger, and peppermint, these Instagram-worthy mouthwash tablets are made of all-natural ingredients including grape-based tartaric acid that naturally balances your mouth’s pH. The smartly designed glass cup (that’s thankfully more hip than hippy) holds just enough (warm) water for the tablet, while the silicone tablet-holder nestles in the top, making it ideal for travel. The brand estimates each refill saves around 80g of single-use plastic from your life, and the tablets themselves are shipped in a 100 per cent compostable pouch.
Price: $10 for 60 | By Humankind
Nuun Rest
Most electrolyte formulas concentrate simply on post-workout recovery, but this dissolvable formula from Nuun has been designed to help you recover and unwind after a busy day. Each tablet releases potassium bicarbonate – which has the potential to reduce blood pressure and boost cardiovascular health – and tart cherry extract, which has been shown to decrease muscle soreness and improve sleep.
Price: $7 | Nuun
Asobu PB55 Pill Bottle
Whether you suffer from dysphagia or just have a lot of multivitamins and pills to pop throughout the day, this practical bottle organiser makes for a suitably stylish solution. The 560ml BPA-free, dishwasher-safe bottle features a spill-proof lid and slide-out seven-day pill box – removing it from the bottle makes it much easier to fill – with enough room per compartment for three large tablets.
Price: $12.99 | Asobu
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