The Bubbe Float eco soap
The Bubble Float
We can probably agree, basic hygiene is a necessity. It contributes to smelling good, keeping friends, perhaps even attracting romance in to our lives. But it is also quite important in order to maintain personal health, thus contributing to overall societal health.
The use of products such as soap, are therefore something of a bare necessity, in order to maintain optimal levels of cleanliness and contribute to a healthy way of living.
Liquid soap in plastic containers is now the mass way in which to consume soap. Many of us in the UK will agree that it need not be this way.
Most of us have been exposed to the idea of a re-use, recycle soaps, in those refill boxes at those niche little vegan shops squirrelled away down an alley way, in some obscure and trendy part of town, where patrons arrive in there colourful flowing garments, carrying their bags for life clattering with half a dozen containers ready for the refill.
But what about soap re-use refill recycle akin to the classic milk man service?
fillgood.co is the closest result a classic google search has retrieved, when the hunt was on to source a soap delivery service in the UK. This business, based in the San Francisco Bay area, USA, has cottoned on to a local demand for the products and services they offer (https://www.fillgood.co) However, this excellent service is limited to San Francisco.
“When I talk about plastic waste, I’m talking about single-use plastic waste especially because they are really the ones that don’t make sense anymore.”
“We have plenty of opportunities to consume less and to consume better. And I think this is something that we really need to think about and integrate” Stéphanie Regni, FillGood.
Convenience and the environment
We in the UK might find this sort of milk man soap service incredibly convenient – indeed, even preferable – to the practice of purchasing detergents from a supermarkets in wasteful, often plastic, containers.
As mentioned, the refill system is currently adopted in some niche stores. This custom is growing, along with our increasingly environmentally-conscious society. Most of us will have noted this trend spike, especially since 2017 Blue planet BBC series aired. Here is a recent Radio Times article, published yesterday, 11th of May 2018 http://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-05-11/blue-planet-2-plastic-waste-final-episode/
In the western hemisphere particularly, which many of us will have seen reflected social media. The effect on the public consciousness has been referred to as “the Blue-planet effect”.
Blue Planet 2, with state of the art camera technology, exposed us to the vast plastic pollution ravaging the natural world, in high definition, on our television sets, which meant many of us sat comfortably in our sitting rooms suddenly choked on our tea.
As it turns out, the convenience of disposable plastic has manifested a large environmental inconvenience. It is becoming increasingly plain to see that we, as the consumer, are inextricably linked to our environment.
This could present a somewhat cumbersome retail experience. It is probably not overly desirable to carry around containers, either when empty or when filled with detergents. Perhaps these are significant factors that contribute towards many of us feeling inclined to opt for the disposable plastic varieties. In fact, most of us are probably reminded of the need to actually buy some more soap, by perceiving the plastic soap bottles on shop shelves.
It is undoubtedly the option that requires less planning and less responsibly, than that of carrying around extra luggage on shopping trips.
Container reduction and a cultural shift (oh no, not change!)
Imagine a Bubble float delivery refill, reuse service, where each household could simply refill stainless steel containers of required detergents that we then decant into our own fancy little containers. You might be into those bottle green Jaegermeister bottles with a copper dispenser, each to their own. You might even start making them in your shed. That’s your call.
We are fast approaching a stage in history where most of us will more readily embrace and accept alternative ideas to consumption methods in necessary products, as close to zero waste as possible and easy on our pockets.
Brainstorming/idea pile
2x2litre Stainless steel containers seem to be a good option for containing your basic liquid hand wash or dish washing liquid. Stainless steel is a food-safe and rather sturdy material, it is a health-conscious, sustainable and reusable container.
The pattern of soap deliveries could be scheduled similar to refuse collection, according to approximate consumption. Perhaps twice a month collection/delivery max on set week days would suffice to cover many consumption patterns or anyone that forgot about the first collection/delivery to catch up. nevertheless 2 litres of soap is a lot to be honest, it ought to last a good 8 weeks if you have an average sized household and good hygiene habits.
We could leave the containers, (colour coded according to the desired detergent refill) in a designated “safe area” on our property.
Bottles could be colour coded to indicate whether they ought to be refilled with dish washing detergent, shower gel or hand wash.
Maybe some existing soap manufacturing giants might want to get involved. Spread the word by all means and add your thoughts in the comments.
Delivery specifications can be high-lighted. With the use of app technology on smart phones, it could be viable possibility for consumers to high light “safe places” on their properties for the products to be delivered/collected.
This scenario might be practicable, as the issues with violence from glass milk bottles in the milk float scheme, believe it or not (kids these days)
With that in mind, the “safe delivery” option could vastly reduce violence and theft risk with this sort of scheme and the use of glass or steel as a container.
Households could have 2 containers running on a perpetual cycle with another one ready for collection while the other is ready be filled on collection days when required and .
Basically, less than a handful of containers would serve their soap consumption over a lifetime in a perpetual reuse refill delivery collection system.
The products will contain all the base, necessary properties for each of these detergents, so as to be bulk produced at a minimal cost, but also ethically. Over the course of centuries, it is fair to conclude that the practice of soap making has established a thorough understanding as to what creates the foundation of optimal soap production, to allow the notion of a “bulk produced national soap” to be formulated safely and ecologically, as well as cruelty free and plant based at a low cost. It would most likely be your basic, scentless, bland but a product fit for purpose: to achieve optimal cleanliness and hygiene.
The blandness might be a tad disappointing, but you might be in for a treat when you’ve nearly finished reading this, because there might just be a fancy way to seriously jazz up your soap. Think along the lines of an alchemist or Willy Wonka. Hold that thought while we get back to business for a moment. So anyway, because of the envisaged bulk production of the “national soap”, the products could be stored in large containers where they are manufactured, before being decanted into their individual reusable household containers for delivery to us. In hybrid, eco-friendly delivery vehicles of course. Why not.
An introduction to this scheme could commence with an ice-cream van scenario. Steady now, this might get exciting.
We could start seeing a soap van, manned with a soap van man, appearing at fairs and festivals. This soap van could end up visiting residential areas once per month maybe.
We, the residents may hear the unusual approach, “what is that music entering our neighbourhood?” we might say. Curiosity might get the better of us and we might step outside to behold an unusual bubble blowing van down the road with some fancy lights (according to what is allowed depending on vehicle safety and insurance read the fine print etc etc fingers crossed fancy lights are allowed.)
The soap van man has an eclectic and colourful collection of soap bottles and tiny bottles of essential oils and talk to us about some refill, reuse delivery scheme. A sigh of relief as our thirst for wondrous fragrance and novelty is quenched once more!
The soap van, like a cocktail mixing but for your bathroom delights, involves the mixing essential oils into those otherwise bland soap concoctions. Suddenly, we might have a communal gathering as we go out to smell those wondrous fragrances carried by the summer breeze through our kitchen windows.
“Alright Sandra! I’m just getting some sandalwood and spice essential oils added into my little cloakroom soap bottle.” Soap van man adds the shots and mixes them up in a former marmite jar. Small, but ideal for the cloak room.
“How lovely! I’m having some aloe vera added to my kitchen soap!”
The van can have a few bottles of soap (incase we used up our refills) in recycled, novelty once-upon-a jam jars, with stainless steel pumps. The soap van man could talk to new comers about the delivery, collection refill and recycle scheme to curious visitors and deliver information, probably digitally (email, Facebook group/Instagram invitation)
Choice, preference, taste and luxury
If we were to enrol on such a scheme, on the monthly novelty soap van visits, we could bring out our plain mass delivered soaps to have them scented, glittered or whatever takes your fancy, or to purchase any extra top ups. We all like an element of luxury sometimes.
What would the cost of such a service be per month? Less than £5, fingers crossed. The more the merrier would keep the cost of delivery lower we can imagine.
Ideas that can lead to a better world for all
Why not make basic hygiene fun, ethical, cost-effective and non-wasteful? Why not at least attempt to eliminate more unnecessary plastic from our consumer habits. At least why not invite others to think about an idea and an alternative approach to soap consumption.
What ought to be ascertained is the level of interest in such schemes to reduce the production and disposal of single use plastic.
Photo credit Daniel Muller, from the article “Welcome to Ground Zero of the Ocean Plastic Pollution Crisis” https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/welcome-ground-zero-ocean-plastic-pollution-crisis/
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