The inspiration for Spruce first came ten years ago when both my husband and I were suffering from various health issues on and off. We re-evaluated our lifestyle and decided to cut out everything we classed as ‘toxins’ as part of a wider move towards ‘clean’ living. I was keen to purge our kitchen of all plastic products for the sake of the planet and our health. For instance, many people don’t realise that plastic containers leach chemicals when you put them in the microwave.

I went on to switch to an organic diet and only using ‘clean’ beauty products. When I had my son in 2016, I realised I had to look at our whole family’s lifestyle in a bid to become plastic-free. I fed him milk from a glass bottle when he was a baby and used bamboo bowls instead of plastic. Whenever we leave the house, he knows to take his aluminium water bottle and if we’re going to a farmer’s market, we’ll all bring our own cutlery from home.

Fighting plastic pollution

A sustainable alternative

People are becoming more aware of the plastic pollution pandemic and understand that throwing everything away isn’t the answer. For decades, our recycling waste has been sent to poorer countries, but they often don’t have enough capabilities to manage their own country’s plastic waste let alone ours too. In the UK we think we’re recycling but often the waste ends up being incinerated instead, causing air pollution and further climate damage.

The packaging for Spruce refills is made of paper and fully compostable. Everything has been validated by sustainable packaging experts, who confirmed our products are low-impact with a long lifespan. We only use safe food and cosmetic-grade ingredients, along with 100% natural, organic essential oils.

Putting people and planet first

We’re pending B-corporation status meaning we’ve made a legal commitment to put people and the planet over profit. That principle informs every decision we make. 

If you buy two of our products – e.g. the multi-purpose cleaner and the bathroom cleaner - plus 12 refill packs you would save yourself buying the equivalent of 24 bottles of cleaning products. For every order we receive, we match that by removing 1kg of ocean-bound plastic waste (roughly the equivalent of another 24-25 plastic bottles) via our partner Plastic Bank.

My whole family has become passionate about leading a sustainable lifestyle – even my four-year-old son gets upset now when he sees plastic bottles lying on the street because he understands that it's bad for the environment.

I avoid buying new clothes unless I really need something and always check the label, even for my kids’ clothing, to make sure it doesn’t contain any hidden plastics such as acrylic, nylon etc. I’ve stopped buying fast fashion because if that top costs £5 it means someone somewhere in the chain isn’t getting paid properly.

I’ve spent the past 10 years researching environmental issues and I’m still learning something new every day. My ultimate aim is for Spruce to inspire people to adopt a low-waste approach in all areas of their life.

3 changes I'd like to see

1. A REFILL REVOLUTION

For our society to move away from a convenience-driven, throw-away culture and for reusable and refillable products to become the norm.

2. A CARING MINDSET

For everyone to stop exploiting the world’s resources and treating them as our property, without giving anything back to the planet.

3. CONSCIOUS CHOICES

For everyone to become conscious consumers by reading the label and asking questions about the ethical standards of the brands they choose.