Everyday essentials

Detergents, cleaning products, paper goods. High volume means small choices add up.

The compounding category

These are bought repeatedly and used in quantity, so a small per-unit difference becomes a large total. Refills, concentrates and solid formats all cut packaging directly.

For paper goods, the questions are feedstock — recycled content, FSC-certified fibre — and the bleaching method.

What to check

Whether refills or concentrates are sold
Recycled content and FSC certification on paper goods
Biodegradability of detergents
Fragrance strength, and whether an unscented option exists