Greenscents Interview (organic cleaning & laundry brand)

Greenscents is a wonderful eco-cleaning company, everything is vegan-friendly with no palm oil, made with natural ingredients, not tested on animals and sold in refillable bottles, which also saves you money! Everything is also made in Somerset with Exmoor water.

Also in bulk form, there is also a Nonscents range, ideal for pregnancy/nursing, cleaning near babies/pets (or for their bedding and bowls) and for allergies. All scents are naturally derived, and items are also certified organic. 

Use code GSENGLANDNATURALLY for 15% off entire order (minimum purchase £20)

• Castile soap (everything!)
• Multi-surface spray
• Glass cleaner
• Laundry liquid
• Organic loo cleaner
• Organic washing-up liquid
• Organic dishwasher powder
• Fruit and Veg Wash

Interview with Greenscents!

Question 1

You’re one of the few companies that avoid plastic to produce cleaning and laundry products in glass bottles, that people can reuse and send back for washing and refilling. This is obviously a great idea. It would be interesting to know what your take is on the stalled deposit return scheme.

Apparently the English government has delayed it, saying that glass should not be included, while other countries want to include it, as as happened for decades abroad.

As experts in reusable glass, why do you think glass is not being included for England, and what is your take on this

Answer

We’ve always believed that reuse is the gold standard – not recycling. Glass is one of the few materials that can be reused repeatedly without degrading. That’s why we chose it, despite the higher cost and complexity. Our customers already operate a simple version of a return system – reusing bottles at home and refilling them with our larger containers.

The hesitation around including glass in England’s deposit return scheme is largely about cost, weight and logistics. Glass is heavier to transport and more complex to handle at scale. But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done – many countries have successfully included glass for decades.

From our perspective, the UK risks being overly cautious and short-term in its thinking. If we are serious about reducing waste, we need to prioritise systems that support reuse, not just recycling. Glass has a clear and proven role to play in that.

Question 2

Greenpeace

Again, you’re one of the only certified organic cleaning and laundry brands in England. How come conventional brands don’t have to list the ingredients like say beauty brands? And give us your take on why you avoid palm oil completely, rather than using the so-called ‘sustainable palm oil’, used in many brands?

Answer

It’s a gap that very few people are aware of. Unlike cosmetics, cleaning products are not required to fully disclose their ingredients, which allows brands to hide behind terms like ‘fragrance’ – a label that can represent dozens of undisclosed chemicals. We don’t believe that’s acceptable.

These products are used every day, on clothes, surfaces, and around families. Transparency should not be optional. Our Soil Association certification goes further and requires full ingredient disclosure. Every ingredient must be clearly listed – no vague terms, no hidden elements. That level of transparency is still highly unusual in household cleaning.

On palm oil, we are certified palm oil free by POFCAP (Palm Oil Free Certification Accreditation Programme). While ‘sustainable’ palm oil is often presented as the answer, the reality is more complex. Certification schemes have improved, but they do not fully eliminate the risks of deforestation and habitat loss.

By being completely palm oil free – and independently certified – we remove that ambiguity entirely. For us, it’s not about doing less harm – it’s about avoiding the problem altogether.

Question 3

You make your products in Somerset with Exmoor water. Tell us a few fun facts about your beautiful county, and why people should visit aside from enjoying a pint of scrumpy!

Answer

Greenscents is based on the edge of Exmoor, one of the most unspoilt landscapes in the UK. A few lesser-known facts:

• Exmoor is an official Dark Sky Reserve, with some of the clearest night skies in Europe.
• It is home to the native Exmoor pony, one of the oldest horse breeds in the world.
• The nearby coastline includes some of the highest sea cliffs in England.
• In 2020, a family of beavers (supervised by experts) was released into the River Aller on the Holnicote Estate to restore landscapes and manage water naturally.

Somerset itself has a long tradition of independent producers and craftsmanship. It’s not just about scenery – it’s about doing things more carefully and with greater integrity. That ethos feeds directly into how we formulate and manufacture our products.

But if you fancy a drink there is always Woods in Dulverton or the newly reopened White Hart in Wiveliscombe.

Question 4

You have a wonderful Nonscents collection. This is ideal for pregnancy/nursing, allergies, babies and pets. Tell us more about this, so people who can’t use scents can enjoy eco-friendly cleaning and laundry products.

You say on your social media that some laundry detergents can weaken the skin barrier. Can you please expand more on this, as so many people these days have sensitive skin and eczema.

Answer

Nonscents is the heart of the Greenscents range – and always has been. From the beginning, we took the view that cleaning products should not add unnecessary chemicals into the home, particularly through fragrance. Over time, we found that a growing number of customers simply couldn’t tolerate scented products at all – whether due to pregnancy, allergies, sensitive skin, or concerns around long-term exposure.

Fragrance is one of the most common triggers for sensitivity, yet it remains a default ingredient in most cleaning and laundry products. It is often listed simply as ‘parfum’, which can represent a complex, undisclosed blend of ingredients.

Nonscents removes the fragrance variable entirely and allows people to clean effectively without adding anything unnecessary to their environment.

Laundry is where this becomes particularly important: many conventional detergents are designed not just to clean, but to leave functional residues on fabric – including synthetic fragrance compounds, optical brighteners, and enzymes. These substances are not always fully rinsed away and are intended to remain after the wash cycle.

Clothing sits in continuous contact with the skin, so this creates a form of low- level, repeated exposure. From a skin science perspective, the outer layer of the skin – the stratum corneum – acts as a protective barrier. It relies on a balance of oils and proteins to maintain hydration and prevent irritation.

Repeated exposure to certain detergent residues, particularly surfactants and fragrance compounds, can disrupt this balance by:

• Altering lipid structures within the barrier
• Increasing trans epidermal water loss
• Making the skin more permeable to irritants

For individuals with eczema or sensitive skin, where the barrier may already be compromised, this effect can be more pronounced. The Greenscents approach is different. We focus on effective cleaning that rinses cleanly, without leaving residues that don’t need to be there.

For many customers, the benefit isn’t what we’ve added – it’s what we’ve chosen to leave out.

Question 5

Some people believe that eco cleaning and laundry products cost more. But presumably as your service is refillable, they end up costing less. Can you give a little maths, to persuade people to switch over?!

And also give details for zero waste and other indie shops, on how they could order wholesale for you, and can they offer refill stations?

Answer

There’s a perception that eco products should always be cheaper, but that depends entirely on what sits behind them. Fully certified organic ingredients – including essential oils – are significantly more expensive to source than their conventional counterparts. Certification adds another layer of cost, but it also provides assurance around provenance, processing, and integrity.

Greenscents has always chosen to work at that level. That inevitably places us in a premium category, and we are open about that. The question is really one of value. Our products are highly concentrated, so the meaningful comparison is cost per use – not cost per bottle.

For example, a 5L refill of our laundry liquid delivers approximately 220 washes. When viewed this way, the cost per wash is highly competitive – often comparable to premium conventional brands.

Refilling also changes the economics over time. Once customers stop repeatedly buying small units, the savings, both financial and environmental become much clearer.

However, we recognise that price may still be a consideration for some. Our view is that customers are not just buying a cleaning product – they are choosing ingredient integrity, environmental responsibility, and a more
considered way of living. For many, that – combined with the performance and the experience of using the products – makes the switch worthwhile.

For independent and zero-waste retailers, we offer a straightforward wholesale
model:

• Minimum order value of £150
• Retail-ready glass bottles alongside 5L and 20L refill formats
• Many partners operate refill stations, allowing customers to bring their
  own containers

We’re particularly keen to work with retailers who want to offer something
genuinely different – not just ‘eco’ in name, but in substance.