Eco Shark's mission is to encourage everyone to replace their single-use plastics because plastic is huge contributor to the climate crisis at every phase in its incredibly long lifecycle. There is so much that needs to be done to help save the planet, and reducing our personal use of plastics is a really great way to start.
From my market research I found that everyone wanted to buy and use eco-friendly products, with the following caveats: they had to be convenient, they had to be affordable, and they had to work. Challenge accepted! I got you.
First, I carefully inspected each room of my own home, looking for consumable products that are packaged in plastic or other non-recyclable materials. The biggest culprits were the kitchen and the bathroom. Despite years of eco grief and mindful shopping I uncovered a lot of unintended plastic.
I wrote everything down and then hit the internet, looking for eco-friendly alternatives and reading all the reviews. I visited the library and read through books and magazines. I scoured YouTube to watch Ted Talks and mini-documentaries. I perused my local big box stores, visiting each aisle to see the products they carried, the types of packing they came in, and what eco-friendly alternatives they offered.
Once all this was identified, I diligently researched eco-friendly alternatives that are gentle to the environment in their production, intended usage, or disposal.
I looked up Ontario, Canadian, and North American based small businesses and artisans to see what products were being made locally, because aside from being plastic-free, having gentle ingredients, and using minimal packaging, we need to also think about the distance each product travels.
And then the best part - I ordered samples of everything. I tested them out myself and I shared them with family and friends to make sure the products worked as intended and as effectively as their conventional counterparts. Not everything passed the test - some products I found were not particularly effective or easy to use. Some I even felt were misleading as to how Green they actually were.
The products you now see on Eco Shark are those results, and it continues to be a work in progress. These are the products that I now personally use (as well as all the folks who were my helpful testers!) and that are beneficial swaps for products that you probably already use.
We are always on the lookout for other products, better products, and customer feedback on what you love and didn't love. Your feedback is monumentally important in our quest to have the best eco-friendly products available, and continuing to encourage everyone to live gently.
