The next few pages detail our impact and everything we're doing to eliminate the rubbish parts of laundry and our business.
We've had an unwavering goal since Dirt was launched; Make the best products, that cause the least harm along the way.
It's a mission that acknowledges that if you have a business, you have an impact.
Our business is laundry. We focus on making our products the best through performance, ingredients and affordability.
The way we reduce impact is through concentrated formulas, a careful packaging selection, and a Refill, Return program.
The combination of a growing business and our focus on reduce, reuse and recycle has helped us prevent more than 45 tonnes of plastic from entering our system this year.
It's an amazing result. It also sounds like a relatively straight-forward one, but that's not the whole story.
This report is a look behind the curtain - a detailed breakdown of what we're doing now across the three main areas on which we focus our waste reduction effort; our packaging system, responsible supply chain and innovative products to help care for your clothes.
The next four pages have a high word count so they won't be for everyone.
If you've got this far, it might just be for you - and we truly hope you enjoy.
Record Refill, Return Program Numbers
In January this year, 95% of all Advanced Wash Bulk Refills sold were second life.
In our top month, 86% of all Original Laundry Bulk Refills, and 95% of all Advanced Wash Bulk Refills sold, were returned refills on their second life. This was possible because these products have both been in circulation for more than two years.
Great waste reduction numbers across the whole supply chain.
In the last 12 months we've cut our cardboard waste by 75% - from 16 wheelie bins per week, to less than four.
This year we have really focussed on implementing the most efficient and sustainable supply chain. We are starting to see results from this work absolutely everywhere.
Most excitingly, we've been able to reduce our cardboard waste by 75% year-on-year.
Last week, we ran out of cardboard waste to use, which was a great feeling.
Lower impact in the laundry with new product innovation.
After discovering that nearly 80% of the impact of an item of clothing comes from the laundering process - we started thinking about ways to lower the impact of your laundry as a whole.
This year we launched Fabric Spray, with first in market odour removing probiotics - enabling our customers to wash less.
In it’s short 6 month lifespan, to date it is estimated that Fabric Spray has prevented up to 230,000 loads of washing and 20 million litres of water.
Record Refill, Return Program Numbers
In January this year, 95% of all Advanced Wash Bulk Refills sold were second life.
In our top month, 86% of all Original Laundry Bulk Refills, and 95% of all Advanced Wash Bulk Refills sold, were returned refills on their second life. This was possible because these products have both been in circulation for more than two years.
Great waste reduction numbers across the whole supply chain.
In the last 12 months we've cut our cardboard waste by 75% - from 16 wheelie bins per week, to less than four.
This year we have really focussed on implementing the most efficient and sustainable supply chain. We are starting to see results from this work absolutely everywhere.
Most excitingly, we've been able to reduce our cardboard waste by 75% year-on-year.
Last week, we ran out of cardboard waste to use, which was a great feeling.
Lower impact in the laundry with new product innovation.
After discovering that nearly 80% of the impact of an item of clothing comes from the laundering process - we started thinking about ways to lower the impact of your laundry as a whole.
This year we launched Fabric Spray, with first in market odour removing probiotics - enabling our customers to wash less.
In it’s short 6 month lifespan, to date it is estimated that Fabric Spray has prevented up to 230,000 loads of washing and 20 million litres of water.
A Letter from Frankie
In the almost seven years since we have been in business, we've seen a big change in the collective attitude toward waste. We’ve lost the ability to export much of our waste, and we’re running out of space in landfills. As such, waste has gone from something that we probably should be doing, to an absolute necessity to manage.
It is my personal hope that as the pressure mounts, more and more businesses will be forced to take responsibility for their own waste.
I'd like to show the world that it is possible to run a good business, that is also completely responsible for what it produces too.
I love it when people look to us about what we have done, and ask us how when they come and visit us.
We can see the network of curious people growing and it fills me with pride.
One day, I hope to stand somewhere where government people are, and ask the rule makers to introduce a business tax that is proportional to the amount of waste companies produce. The outcry would be huge. But the motivation to start thinking about waste would be even bigger.
Right now, between my little family and my own business, I have a lot to focus on. So I'm going to hold my lobbying tongue, and try to tighten up our business until I can't think of a single improvement.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you so much for being on the journey with us. Without our customers, we couldn't have even started.
I'll always be truly grateful that you guys granted me the opportunity to find a less harmful way to do business.
Frankie
1. Nearly double the amount of orders fulfilled using second life packaging.
We're working on increasing the total percentage of Second-Life Refill Packs sold from 35% to 50%.
While some of our older products are running at 100% supply for second life refill packs - we haven't started processing some of the newer products, like Fabric Spray. It takes about a year to start having enough returned volume to start processing.
We don't expect that we'll ever reach 100% of orders fulfilled with second life packs (we'll always allow the option not to choose second-life), but across the board we are making great grounds.
2. Further Supply Chain Efficiencies
We're busy consolidating our warehouse set up, and then we're going to electrify everything.
We are so thrilled by what we have been able to achieve just by focussing on the cardboard use in our business and we're excited to push it even further.
There are two short-mid term goals we have committed to internally.
- Bring mixing in-house, so that we can have sharper quality control as well as reduce emissions and packaging waste between warehouses.
- Electrify our warehouse, so that the whole business is solar-charged. There are a couple of logistics to this one - so it will be a phased transition which we are aiming to complete by 2027.
3. Expand Recycling Process
We're working on expanding our capability beyond just scoops.
At the moment we make the cutest scoops with our end of life refill packs. But we can make different things, and we're so excited to explore how we're going to expand our plastic recycling to encompass a broader array of laundry products.
1. Nearly double the amount of orders fulfilled using second life packaging.
We're working on increasing the total percentage of Second-Life Refill Packs sold from 35% to 50%.
While some of our older products are running at 100% supply for second life refill packs - we haven't started processing some of the newer products, like Fabric Spray. It takes about a year to start having enough returned volume to start processing.
We don't expect that we'll ever reach 100% of orders fulfilled with second life packs (we'll always allow the option not to choose second-life), but across the board we are making great grounds.
2. Further Supply Chain Efficiencies
We're busy consolidating our warehouse set up, and then we're going to electrify everything.
We are so thrilled by what we have been able to achieve just by focussing on the cardboard use in our business and we're excited to push it even further.
There are two short-mid term goals we have committed to internally.
- Bring mixing in-house, so that we can have sharper quality control as well as reduce emissions and packaging waste between warehouses.
- Electrify our warehouse, so that the whole business is solar-charged. There are a couple of logistics to this one - so it will be a phased transition which we are aiming to complete by 2027.
3. Expand Recycling Process
We're working on expanding our capability beyond just scoops.
At the moment we make the cutest scoops with our end of life refill packs. But we can make different things, and we're so excited to explore how we're going to expand our plastic recycling to encompass a broader array of laundry products.