I recently found out you can get foaming soap refills as tablets. I hadn’t previously found a way to refill hand soap pump style dispensers without more plastic. These are from Meliora.
It does unfortunately use plastic, but I was lucky enough to get a gallon of Dr. Bronner’s liquid handsoap clearanced for 25 USD (regularly ~65 USD). To make foaming handsoap, I just mix somewhere between a 3:1 and 2:1 ratio of tap water to handsoap. (Foaming handsoap is just low-viscosity – and therefore highly diluted – liquid handsoap; the pump is what turns it into foam.)
It’s been over a year, and despite using it both in my kitchen and bathroom, I’d say I’ve used less than 1/3 of it. The soap feels amazing, but I’d wager you could get a large jug of cheaper liquid handsoap with similar results.
Unfortunate that it uses plastic (and I think mine has palm oil, which really sucks; I didn’t see it when I bought it), but it’s still really good harm reduction over regular handsoap; for a few years’ worth, I’m using less plastic than a gallon milk jug.
Thanks for sharing how you do it, that also sounds like a good deal.
I’ve been doing something similar, where I bought unscented soap refills and add some essentials oils to add a scent that others in the house prefer.
There is a little bit of adjustment to get the ratio right and but I just leave a little headspace so I can dilute down with water to the right consistency.
I feel like I’m the only person in the world who cares about avoiding it–no one but me ever seems to mention doing so. Got to spread the word! Save the orangutan! And forests, etc, of course.
I’d say avoiding palm oil is becoming a bigger thing in vegan circles. Most who are vegan for the animals, whether they’ve seen it or not, will be going by the Vegan Society’s definition: “a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals”. So for example, even if I never eat or purchase animal products, if I spend my Tuesdays going down to the dog park to kick puppies, fellow vegans are probably going to say I’m not actually vegan. That brings us to this frontier of veganism where you not only avoid products made from or by animals but also try to cut out other products that needlessly hurt animals – palm oil chief among them.
I teach my kids that palm oil is in the group that are particularly bad for our bodies and the planet. It really sucks how many things are on that list too.
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It does unfortunately use plastic, but I was lucky enough to get a gallon of Dr. Bronner’s liquid handsoap clearanced for 25 USD (regularly ~65 USD). To make foaming handsoap, I just mix somewhere between a 3:1 and 2:1 ratio of tap water to handsoap. (Foaming handsoap is just low-viscosity – and therefore highly diluted – liquid handsoap; the pump is what turns it into foam.)
It’s been over a year, and despite using it both in my kitchen and bathroom, I’d say I’ve used less than 1/3 of it. The soap feels amazing, but I’d wager you could get a large jug of cheaper liquid handsoap with similar results.
Unfortunate that it uses plastic (and I think mine has palm oil, which really sucks; I didn’t see it when I bought it), but it’s still really good harm reduction over regular handsoap; for a few years’ worth, I’m using less plastic than a gallon milk jug.
Thanks for sharing how you do it, that also sounds like a good deal.
I’ve been doing something similar, where I bought unscented soap refills and add some essentials oils to add a scent that others in the house prefer.
There is a little bit of adjustment to get the ratio right and but I just leave a little headspace so I can dilute down with water to the right consistency.
Plastic as in the wrapper around the puck?
Thank you for mentioning the palm oil.
I feel like I’m the only person in the world who cares about avoiding it–no one but me ever seems to mention doing so. Got to spread the word! Save the orangutan! And forests, etc, of course.
I’d say avoiding palm oil is becoming a bigger thing in vegan circles. Most who are vegan for the animals, whether they’ve seen it or not, will be going by the Vegan Society’s definition: “a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals”. So for example, even if I never eat or purchase animal products, if I spend my Tuesdays going down to the dog park to kick puppies, fellow vegans are probably going to say I’m not actually vegan. That brings us to this frontier of veganism where you not only avoid products made from or by animals but also try to cut out other products that needlessly hurt animals – palm oil chief among them.
I will cook and eat everyone who kicks a puppy.
Look, it’s my cheat day. I’m allowed to have this. Ten imperfect non-puppy-kickers are better than one perfect one.
I teach my kids that palm oil is in the group that are particularly bad for our bodies and the planet. It really sucks how many things are on that list too.