🛒 The Check-Out: Laura Harnett, Seep
+ good news + catch up on our tips for impact report writing
When it comes to household cleaning, most of us reach for whatever’s on the supermarket shelf - often without thinking twice about what it’s made from or where it ends up. But Laura Harnett, founder of Seep, wants to change that.
Launched with a mission to "clean up the way we clean up," Seep is challenging the status quo of everyday cleaning accessories. From home compostable sponges to plastic-free cloths and brushes, their products are not only designed to work brilliantly and look great on your sink side - they’re also made without plastic. At the heart of it all is a drive to reduce the environmental impact of an industry that sees Brits spend over £5 billion a year on products that often end up in landfill.
We chatted with Laura to learn more about her journey in founding the certified B Corp company, why she believes cleaning products are long overdue for a rethink, and how the brand is contributing to a cleaner future - one sponge at a time.
Read on for the full interview…
8 questions with Laura Harnett, Founder of Seep
Let’s start with the basics - why are non-plastic cleaning products better for us and our planet?
The materials in most plastic cleaning tools like sponges, cloths and brushes are made to last hundreds of years but we often throw them away after just a few weeks [as they disintegrate/get increasingly soiled]. That disconnect was always really jarring to me. These plastic cleaning tools don’t just sit in landfills or end up in incineration, they release microplastics each time they’re used that end up in our waterways, soil and even our bodies. At Seep, we’re focused on simple swaps that perform just as well as the traditional products (goodbye green and yellow plastic washing up sponge), but they don’t release microplastics. They’re designed with end-of-life in mind so that they can be endlessly recycled or composted and they’re designed to look great next to your sink.
You recently recertified as a B Corp - congrats! Was there anything you learnt from the process this time around?
Thank you. The first time you certify, it’s exciting. The second time, it’s more sobering - because you’re not starting from scratch, you’re being asked, “Have you improved?” especially while you’re trying to scale the business. This time around, it pushed us to think more deeply about our supply chain - not just in terms of materials, but the people behind them. It also made us think about how we were giving back to the community and country we all live in, beyond just selling products which is why we partnered with Foodcycle.
Can you take us behind the scenes of a product decision that didn’t make the cut - and what that taught you about staying true to your values?
We spent a really long time developing a cloth that was a great alternative to the commonly-used microfibre cloth which are all made of polyester. We wanted all-natural materials that performed just as well as microfibres and that were easily recycled. We really struggled to find one that hit the brief and were seriously tempted by a viscose (made of plant fibres) and bio-plastic blend that performed really well, was cost-effective and great for printing on. But we felt that it was a serious compromise. The addition of bioplastic makes it difficult to recycle compared to a pure blend and we felt it was greenwashing. It took us a further 12 months to launch our bamboo fibre cloth.
Your latest Impact Report leans into community and partnerships as much as data - what have you learnt about collaboration in sustainability, especially as a growing brand?
Collaboration is the only way this has worked for us. In the scheme of things, we’re still tiny - we couldn’t have gotten this far alone. We’ve teamed up with other brands, NGOs, suppliers, partners and customers who care right from the start and that’s what’s helped us to build momentum. The best part? It also feels less lonely. Sustainability work can be overwhelming and depressing. Challenges are often complicated to navigate to do the right thing and nearly always much more expensive, but shared knowledge and shared energy go a long way. We’ve learnt loads from other B Corps, and our customers who hold us to account. That push and pull makes us better.
Sustainability reporting can be quite technical - how do you keep your storytelling clear and relatable, especially for customers who aren’t deep in the climate space?
We talk like humans, one of our values is to be “straight up”. We speak to our community like we’re speaking to a friend over coffee and avoid corporate or technical speak wherever we can. We’re honest about where we’re making progress and where we’re stuck or have had to compromise. I think people respond to transparency and us explaining the rationale behind our decision-making. This often means us holding our hands up to say that we haven’t always got the perfect sustainable solution but it’s a better solution and we’ll hopefully get better over time. We’ve also realised that not everyone is that interested in climate and sustainability topics. They want to do the right thing for the planet, but they mostly want a great-looking product that really works. Our products then have the extra bonus that they’re plastic-free and thoughtfully produced.
⏲️Quickfire Round
One sustainability myth you’d love to bust:
That “eco” has to mean compromise [on price and quality]. If your sustainable choice doesn’t work - no one sticks with it. We put performance first, always and have recently got Good Housekeeping Institute approval on our best-selling sponge scourers which we’re really proud of.One tool or framework that helped shape your sustainability work:
The B Impact Assessment. It’s rigorous, practical, and free. It’s like therapy for your business - uncomfortable, but necessary.A brand you admire right now:
Wild. They’re a B Corp and have a genuinely more sustainable solution but have made a product that is really desirable and Insta-worthy across multiple generations. They’ve also shown that you can grow a sustainable brand really quickly even when up against the big boys like Unilever [NB: Unilever acquired Wild earlier this year]. Hats off to them, they have blazed a trail for the rest of us.
A huge thanks to Laura for her insights and time! Which brands would you like us to chat to next?
Looking to try some plastic-free cleaning products yourself? Seep has kindly gifted Following the Footprints readers with a 15% discount code* -FOOTPRINTS15
(*Disclaimer: This interview was not sponsored).
> The Good(s) News
🎯 Perfectfit, a 100% organic, super-soft, biodegradable bamboo pads from Bali, are now available to purchase to celebrate Plastic Free July in 99 Ranch Market stores in Indonesia. Their mission is to provide effective period care for women and to design products that takes care of the planet.
🎯 Trakke Ltd announced that they are now B Corp certified, continuing their commitment to ensure their sourcing of materials and where they make their products, to their REMADE and Lifetime Guarantee schemes.
🎯 The Happy Pear announced that they are now B Corp Certified, marking their milestones of over 20 years of journey trying to build a healthier, happier world through food, community, and connection.
🎯 Shellworks announced that they have developed the world’s first fully home-compostable pipette dropper for products in the beauty and wellness sectors. Its solution is to manufacture droppers with its Vivomer material, in which plants and other waste biomass are fermented into a ‘plastic-like’ material. Vivomer is believed to be free of plastics, petroleum, and toxic additives.
⭐️ Reckitt, GSK and EDEKA announced that they have joined a new initiative designed to accelerate the restoration and protection of the world’s freshwater ecosystems, providing a framework for businesses to reduce water-related risks, support restoration projects and align with national water strategies. The programme aims to restore 300,000 kilometres of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of wetlands by 2030.
⚡️Urban Ocean Network announced seven new city projects tackling plastic pollution and building urban resilience—from upstream strategies, such as behavior change and refill systems, to downstream solutions, including recycling infrastructure and the cleanup of polluted waterways, and more. This project is implemented in cities across Asia and Latin America, where Resilient Cities Network Ocean Conservancy and The Circulate Initiative jointly implement the programme.
Follow us on LinkedIn for a fresh digest of Good News every Friday. Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!
> Finally, in case you missed it…
🌱 How to write an impact report that people will actually read
Not only are we approaching the end of April, but for many companies we are also approaching the end of the financial year. For sustainability consultants (and maybe accountants too, lol) this can be a busy time. I’m thinking annual carbon footprinting, taking stock of the annual sustainability targets, updating scorecards and, of course, impact reporti…
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Until next time!
Team FTF
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