The cleaning industry poses several significant damages that disrupt the Earth’s environment and its biodiversity, like Water Pollution, Air Pollution, Soil Contamination, Plastic Pollution, Biodiversity Loss, and Health Impacts. Each of these environmental detriments mentioned is caused by the increase in human activities and developments over many years. Harmful chemicals and the use of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) contaminate the world’s water sources. The use of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in cleaning products and the manufacture to distribution processes of products that increase greenhouse gas emissions pollute the air. The improper methods of waste disposal at landfills and non-biodegradable one-time-use plastics can pollute the land, water, and air. The loss of terrestrial and marine biodiversity to toxic cleaning chemicals and microplastics kills millions of lives and poses serious health issues for humans when directly and indirectly exposed. When overusing one-time-use plastics leads to more land spaces needed for landfill dumping grounds pollutes and contaminates the air and the soil. Direct or indirect exposures to harmful and hazardous chemicals and microplastics have negative effects on human and animal life giving rise to respiratory ailments, skin allergies, hormonal imbalances, and more. 

Now, learning how the use of plastics can pollute and contaminate the air, land, and water affecting everything in its path and reach, the adoption of sustainable choices by manufacturers, consumers, and policymakers must be carried out as soon as possible in efforts to reduce and wipe out the challenging and impending doom that we may face to the environmental impact of plastics. Therefore in this article, we will be sharing insights on Blueland – a retail and manufacturing company for cleaning essentials that manufactures and produces their very own proprietary tablet-based cleaners. The Co-Founder and CEO – Sarah Paiji Yoo, established Blueland in 2019, in New York, USA, to address the real-world problem that we are faced with single-use or one-time-use plastic packaging of cleaning products. Proving that “Going Eco Has Never Been Easier”, the products sold by Blueland are revolutionizing conventional cleaning. 

The Co-Founder and Pioneer in Sustainable Choices:

Sarah Paiji Yoo, who is Blueland’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer is a purpose-driven serial entrepreneur as described on her LinkedIn’s About Section. Being just another normal person who wanted to do something as opposed to just whining about it, Sarah took hold of the reins and began her journey towards making a difference in establishing a cleaner planet, but that starts at home. Sarah wanted to use less single-use plastics after the birth of her first child, as she realized at a vulnerable period of her life that all the plastic that her household used was contaminating her water supply. But it did not stop there as she further learned that the contaminated water supply generated hundreds of microplastics in the water and food that she was feeding her baby. She was hard-driven as a mother to protect her child in any way possible and started looking for household essentials that didn’t come in plastic packaging and which were just effective eco-friendly cleaning products. Unfortunately for Sarah, the world’s largest manufacturing and producing material used is plastic, and even cleaning products, toothpaste, soaps, lotions, water bottles, and baby-relayed items were not spared. Thus, in 2019, Sarah came up with a fantastic mission that helped her and happy consumers make Blueland what it is today.  

Recognizing The Problem:

The real-world problem and challenge that Sarah aimed to address was the plastic problem. “Plastic was meant to last forever, but most of it is only used once. Most of it enters our oceans, and that has toxic effects on everyone.” We people eat, drink, and breathe literal plastics. In the form of much smaller-sized microplastics, they get into our systems and wreak havoc on our health. Just imagine how much terrestrial and marine life are exposed to the tonnes of waste discarded in oceans, rivers, and seas, and die to it. Several species are completely wiped out, while many others are in serious cases of endangerment and extinction zones. Wanting to protect her family from the consequences of single-use plastic packaging, Sarah Paiji Yoo was even more determined than ever to produce Blueland cleaning products, to make a difference and leave a positive impact that influences the world and the human population to become more empathetic to this growing environmental concern. 

The Mission Plan:

In 2019, after a horrific revelation, Sarah put her mind to revolutionizing the cleaning game with products and ingredients that did not harm the environment’s ecosystem and biodiversity, as well as which proved to successfully eliminate single-use plastics in packaging. By beginning Blueland, Sarah Paiji Yoo made a simple mission for the brand and the consumers to be aware of their non-toxic cleaning products. “Make it easy to be eco with innovative products in reusable packaging that are convenient, effective, and affordable.” With this sustainable choice, the Co-Founder and CEO led the company in efforts to “clean up the planet.”

The Impact and Certifications:

With Blueland manufacturing and producing household essentials and cleaning products in smaller, convenient, affordable, and sustainable tablet-based forms, over 1,162,400,220 single-use plastic bottles have been eliminated from landfill dumpings and ocean disposals. Saving over 488,468,640 square feet of plastic packaging and over 7,479,030 pounds of CO2 emissions, Blueland’s products are innovated with a “clear conscience and no compromises.”

Seeing 1,000,000+ homes making the switch to sustainable cleaning by purchasing and using Blueland’s products of Forever Bottles, Shakers, and Tins, as well as Refillable Tablets, Facial and Body Wash Powder Cleansers, Single-Doze Tablets, and Power Dish Cleaners, is what makes it even more efficient in its ability for consumers to purchase the brand’s one-time packaging and only refillable thereafter. Powerfully effective, absolutely plastic-free paper-based packaging, and clean ingredients that are sold at affordable rates. Ranging from providing Starter Kits, Refills, Hand and Dish Soaps, Laundry and Toilet cleaning products, home cleaners, and personal care products, Blueland has done it all to see it all.  A “buy-once and refill forever” strategy that helps eliminate single-use plastics, Blueland is a B Corp Certified, B Corp Best for the World, Climate Neutral Certified, Cradle to Cradle Certified, 2023’s EPA Safer Choice, Leaping Bunny, Certified Vegan, EWG Verified, and a USDA Certified Bio-Based Product. 

Driving towards making “Products With Purpose”, Blueland and Sarah Paiji Yoo are successfully producing zero-waste cleaning products and essentials with a “Refills Not Landfills” mindset and sustainability goal, in achieving a cleaner planet for our children and future generations.