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This article first appeared in our winter ’19 issue of MyGreenPod Magazine, The Love Revolution, distributed with the Guardian on 22 February 2018. Click here to subscribe to our digital edition and get each issue delivered straight to your inbox
In our spring ‘18 issue of My Green Pod Magazine, we interviewed Joni Graham King, founder of Green Goddess ‘Clean Living’ Products, to find out whether the world was ready to ditch chemicals and make the switch to green cleaning.
It turns out the demand for non-toxic, plant-based and cruelty-free cleaning products is surging – and fortunately, as shoppers grow wiser to the harmful effects of synthetic ingredients, pioneers like Joni have an eco-friendly range ready and waiting.
Joni launched Sussex-based Green Goddess as part of her switch to a toxin-free lifestyle. At the time, the ‘green’ cleaning sector was rife with greenwash; many products marketed as natural contained ingredients that were anything but – including sulphates and synthetic solvents and fragrances. Joni felt customers deserved clean products with no harmful ingredients, that would also be effective and luxurious to use.
In a bid to bring a touch of luxury and a sense of enjoyment to toxin-free cleaning, Joni created a range of natural household products that harness the mood-enhancing, anti-fungal and antibacterial properties of essential oils. They’re a pleasure to use and the natural fragrances last for hours, bringing harmony and a sense of wellbeing to your home.
Joni tried various natural DIY cleaning recipes – with different degrees of success – before working with a chemist to launch her own brand of products that are free from harmful chemicals, sulphates, parabens, synthetic solvents and fragrances. With the formulations nailed, she’s now supporting the zero waste movement with a view to reducing the impact of Green Goddess products even further.
Working with sustainability groups and local authorities, Joni is helping to support communities that want to cut down on their household waste – and Green Goddess provides a complete zero waste option for the stores it supplies.
Through a ‘swap and collect’ service, Joni’s customers purchase their containers along with their initial order. When the order is delivered, the customer’s empty containers are collected and reused, creating a circular service.
‘This has been a huge hit with our zero waste retail customers’, Joni says. ‘We’re getting enquiries from retailers across the UK who understand and support the message of refillable, non-toxic cleaning products and their up-and-coming place in society.’
Click here to find out why Green Goddess Multipurpose Spray is a MyGreenPod.com Hero
Green Goddess is transitioning to opaque bottles, which will make refills much easier. The lids, spray triggers and dispensers are also being switched from black to white plastic.
‘Through our work with recycling specialists, we have discovered that black plastic can’t be recycled because the recycling machine can’t register it or differentiate the lid from the conveyor belt’, Joni tells us. ‘When we found this out, the switch to white plastic – a more sustainable dispensing option – immediately became a top priority.’
Green Goddess only turned one in November 2018, but the company has already outgrown its original premises. With a number of new products hitting the market, it may not be long before the family-run business needs to expand again.
Joni launched a personal care range in January 2019, meaning Green Goddess now offers a full ‘Clean Living’ range for your home and body.
These new products – including Rosemary and Mint Shampoo and Conditioner, Lime Body Wash and Lemongrass Hand Wash and Hand Lotion – sit alongside three other new household products. The Minty Fresh Toilet Cleaner is a great all-round cleaner that removes limescale without bleach or harsh, harmful chemicals. The Dishwasher Liquid doesn’t contain chlorine bleach or sulfuric acid, and the all-round Glass Cleaner is great for mirrors, glass tables and windows. It contains essential oils that naturally repel insects, which is a great bonus for the spring and summer months when there are lots bugs and insects around.
When Joni launched Green Goddess, her first priorities were to support healthier homes and waterways and provide refill options in her local community, before moving on to other UK regions.
The goals are in sight, with a Green Goddess stand booked at the Natural & Organic Products Europe trade show on 07 April at London’s ExCel. Joni is also writing a Green Goddess guide to making your own natural products, which she hopes will be available on Amazon Kindle in March 2019.
‘Our big hope’, Joni reveals, ‘is to have a refill site in every town in the UK, providing non-toxic, ‘Clean Living’ home and body products for everyone to access through a refill service.’ Judging by her success so far, we suspect that day isn’t too far away.
Click here to view the full Green Goddess ‘Clean Living’ range.
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