SMOL are a pretty big name in the eco world. Their range is ever expanding and they seem to be proving popular with consumers looking to be more eco conscious. But are they as eco as they seem?
Here's what you need to know…
There’s a lot to like about SMOL - plastic free packaging, products that fit through the letter box for convenience, vegan formulations ...however they often get criticised for their ingredients used.
Firstly, SMOL are by no means a small business. They received a whopping £24million in 2021 from investors including Google Ventures, Eight Roads Ventures, Jam Jar Investments, Latitude and Balderton. These are large, global investors, with very lengthy lists of investments. Biotechs and pharmaceuticals seem to be a popular area for these investors, as is controversial gene editing. The plan for SMOL is clear - they want to expand rapidly across different countries, and they have the big bucks behind them to do just that.
SMOL products are made in the EU. Where in the EU I hear you ask? Well that's a bit of a mystery because SMOL don’t disclose exactly where they make their products. This also means we know absolutely nothing about workers rights in their factories, as it simply doesn’t give any information in this area. It also means we don't know how their products are transported to the UK or how far they travel to reach us here.
However, they are Leaping Bunny certified, which means all their products are vegan and free from cruelty, which is a big plus point for them.
What is their take on palm oil?
SMOL do use palm oil in their personal care products. They state they only use “palm oil derivatives” in their household cleaning products. All the palm oil they use is sourced from RSPO certified sources, meaning they are trying to use the most sustainable sources available to them.
Palm oil is a very devisive subject. Some people believe that using RSPO certified palm oil is ok whilst some consumers like to avoid palm oil altogether (an extremely difficult task in todays world)
Now lets talk ingredients…
This is where SMOL lets its green mask slide a little. SMOLS mission is to offer a better option than the big names we are used to seeing: think Persil, Ariel etc. They want to create products that match the performance of these big names by using less chemicals. but not no chemicals. They are very careful to not call their products “eco friendly” on their website - they use terms like “better for the planet”. Clever. However, also a tad misleading!
They have to be super careful with their wording because they still use chemicals which are not eco friendly. In particular liquid polymers, optical whiteners, undisclosed artificial fragrances etc.
For example, they list “acrylic copolymer” as an ingredient in their dishwasher capsules. They use sodium laureth sulphate and Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer in their stain gel. Perfumes and colourants are used in nearly all of their products without any clarification. Their ingredient lists are lengthy and definitely not the greenest you will find around.
When it comes to their ingredient list, petroleum derivitives and synthetic ingredients are still prominant, even if they are in smaller %’s than the big, non eco brands. When asked about their use of synthetic ingredients, this is what SMOL say:
“We do include some synthetic ingredients - however these are at a vastly reduced level compared to the leading brands. We want to provide an option that is eco-friendly but still gives people the performance they are used to with Persil and Ariel - which we are pleased to say is the case having been independently tested against industry standards. In this way we can provide an eco-conscious alternative to the Ecovers, Methods etc but with superior cleaning results and at a cost point that is accessible to so many who would otherwise never be able to afford a more sustainable option.”
So to summarise…
things SMOL does well:
- vegan friendly
- affordable
- plastic free packaging
- performance - from reading through their reviews, most consumers seem happy with their products
- transparency - at least they arent technically trying to convince us all they are really fab for the planet. (Although i would argue a fairly large % of their customers probably think they are free from chemicals which are harmful to aquatic life and kind to the planet, which is not the case!
Things SMOL doesnt do well
- Its ingredient list really isn’t ideal. Its hard to argue they are “eco friendly” when they are using ingredients often called liquid microbeads.
- With such a huge amount of money behind them, it would have been nice to see them improve their ingredient list - instead they’ve dramatically increased their product range and have their eyes on expanding rapidly across multiple countries.
- Very little information about where their products are made and how they are transported. Just stating the EU is very vague. We're really big on transparency with businesses and it would be nice to have more information on their factories and work conditions.
I think the really important thing to remember about SMOL is...they are definitely better than the worst, but better options are out there. Usually with a very similar price tag too and from genuine small UK businesses.
They aren’t free from the ingredients we’d ideally like to avoid - they just use less of them. I say this all the time, but they are a BETTER option, but not the BEST.
So if SMOL is all you can afford on your budget, then absolutely they are better than buying ariel, persil, surf etc and most supermarket own brands. But if you’re using them believing they are kind to the planet, they are only 50% of the way there.
There are definitely much more environmentally friendly options out there. We personally love FILL and Miniml, who we very proudly stock amongst our Rescued Refill range. Particularly for Laundry solutions, FILL are rated the most ethical by Ethical Consumer and they are really reasonably priced too. For dishwasher tablets, we love the Ocean Saver new formular tablets, with bulk options available too.
Do you use SMOL products? Did you believe their products were completely eco friendly? Let me know!
(All information sourced from the SMOL website and Ethical Consumer Magazine and website. If you are interested in the Ethics behind companies, I highly recommend having a look or subscribing to their magazine!)