Vegetarian Cleaning products for National Vegetarian Week
This week is National Vegetarian Week, a great chance to explore the exciting world of meat-free living. Lots of people choose to be vegetarian to limit their impact on the environment or to avoid unnecessary harm to animals. While veganism is seen as a whole lifestyle, many people consider being vegetarian only as a diet. However, those wanting to be kind to animals and the planet should think again.
Many cleaning products contain hidden animal ingredients that people who are new to being vegetarian might not know about. Even if animals aren’t killed specifically for the purpose of these products, the conditions they face to produce or test certain ingredients can mean they have a pretty horrible quality of life.
Here are some common ingredients that you might want to avoid, especially as their plant-based alternatives are just as effective…
Tallow
Tallow is a rendered form of beef fat that is found in fabric conditioners and some types of soap. It’s a by-product of meat, so it’s best avoided if you’re a new or long-time vegetarian. It might be on the ingredients list as tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride, which is basically animal fat mixed with ammonia. We think that’s pretty nasty, so all of our Fabric Conditioners are completely free from tallow and any other animal ingredients for that matter.
Caprylic Acid
This oily liquid comes from milk and is used in sanitisers, disinfectants, perfumes and dyes. Animals really do suffer because of industrial milk farming and, although dairy products are part of a vegetarian diet, the suffering of animals for this purpose when there are so many alternatives available just seems unnecessary. The good news is, plant sources such as coconut and palm oil also contain caprylic acid. Just check if it’s on the ingredients list of something you’re about to buy.
Beeswax
Although beeswax and honey don’t contain actual bees, vegetarians might want to think twice before using cleaning products that contain them, such as furniture and wood polish. Sadly, industrial beekeeping often involves culling entire hives as it is a cheaper option than having to feed them through the winter. Machines also crush many bees in the process of getting honey and wax from hives. Check out our Wood Furniture Polish for a vegetarian-friendly alternative.
Animal Lecithin
Lecithins are yellow-brownish fatty substances found in an animal’s nervous tissue. They’re often found in cleaning products as they’re good at smoothing, emulsifying and homogenising liquid mixtures. As they come from meat, they can’t be considered vegetarian, although there are plant-derived versions too. If you see a lecithin on the ingredients list, best to check where it’s from.
Oleyl Alcohol
This unsaturated fatty oil comes from a few different sources, though it is commonly taken from fish oil. It can be used as a non-ionic surfactant, emulsifier, emollient and thickener, so it’s a pretty useful ingredient to have in cleaning products. Since fish oils require fish to be cooked, products which contain oleyl alcohol can’t be considered vegetarian, so they’re best avoided.
Cruelty Free Cleaning Products
Using animals to test household products was banned in the UK in 2015, although this only applies to finished products. Loopholes in the law mean that some ingredients can still go through animal testing before a final product is produced. Because of this, knowing whether you’re buying something that’s cruelty free isn’t always as clear as it should be. Be wary of blanket claims such as “this company does not test on animals”, as this might just mean that testing is done by another company.
How to choose vegetarian cleaning products
The best way to know if your cleaning products are suitable for a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is to look out for specific endorsements. The Cruelty-Free International and Vegan Society logos are a good sign that a brand has been a clean conscience.
All of our products have these seals of approval, and we’re also recognised by PETA and the Naturewatch Foundation. This means you can be sure that all of our products are cruelty-free, vegan and vegetarian.
