Detergents

Great for the dishes and the clothes and the hair, then down the drain and away, out of mind, but in fact into the great Victorian sewers and in due course into the sewage treatment plant. As an amateur surfer (no pun intended) I have found it hard to find good technical information on the effect of washing-up liquids and other cleaners on sewage treatment, but it does seem that Ecover, while just as toxic as other products to organisms such as water fleas or green algae that are not at all accustomed to it, is much better tolerated by the kind of bacteria whose business in life is munching their way through sewage. So two cheers for Ecover.

Here in Camberwell, Basic on Denmark Hill refills Ecover washing-up liquid, laundry liquid and multi-surface cleaner bottles. This is cheaper than buying new bottles and of course saves all that plastic being chucked.