Washing-up liquid warning issued to UK households
The majority of UK households use washing-up liquid multiple times per day. It's a staple in most homes because of how quickly it rids our dishes of dirt. However, what many people don't know is how harmful the detergent can be for the planet, especially our seas.
Buying dishwasher detergent that is sold in plastic bottles has a major impact on the environment and shoppers are now being warned of the consequences. According to cleaning experts, both the ingredients in washing-up liquid and the bottle it comes in are harming the environment every time you wash up.
Every time you drain your sink, you are releasing fossil fuels and chemicals, potentially putting aquatic life at risk.
It was recently revealed that British households dispose of millions of plastic bottles of washing up liquid every year and only half are recycled.
Eco-friendly blogger Sustainably Lazy said dish soap has 'surfactants', which are the active ingredient which strips dirt off dishes and keeps it suspended in the water. But, warned: "Mainstream brands use fossil fuel-derived surfactants, many of which end up in rivers and harm aquatic life."
Ethical Superstore backs up the warning. It says: "Most conventional washing up liquids contain sodium lauryl sulphate or SLS. This acts as a surfactant, meaning it reduces the surface tension of the water and creates foam, leading to extra cleaning power. But it's not without its issues.
"SLS doesn't just dissolve away to nothing when it's used. After it goes down the plughole it can end up lingering in our waterways, endangering marine life and doing untold damage to the ecosystem."
A study in the Journal of Applied Microbiology revealed the extent to which surfactants can damage marine life.
It said: "The use of surfactants in households and industries is inevitable and so is their discharge into the environment, especially into the water bodies as effluents. Being surface-active agents, their utilisation is mostly seen in soaps, detergents, personal care products, emulsifiers, wetting agents, etc.
"Surfactants are capable of penetrating the cell membrane and thus cause toxicity to living organisms. Accumulation of these compounds has been known to cause significant gill damage and loss of sight in fish."
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
As well as the ingredients, the bottles themselves can cause harm to the environment. The UK produces more than 170 million tonnes of waste a year, but only one third of plastic packaging is recycled.
Burnham Coastguard Rescue Team said back in 2018 that it had found a bottle of washing-up liquid on the beach, which was 47 years old and had not broken down.
It urged people to "try and reduce our day-to-day plastic use, which is difficult with current manufacturing."
Sustainable washing up liquid alternatives
If you are ready to ditch plastic bottles, for £4.50 at Ocado, Fairy sells a refill carton for its plastic bottles which allows you to refill a typical Fairy liquid bottle 'more than twice".
Fairy says: 'Fairy Max Power antibacterial washing up liquid refill carton allows you to refill your 370ml upside-down bottle more than twice and helps you to save up to 85% of the plastic. The refill is recyclable.
'The Max Power bottle with no flip cap gives you Fairy's ultimately convenient cleaning experience. It helps you get out of the kitchen faster by making washing dishes fast and easy.'
Other options include solid washing up liquid bars, which tend to work better in soft water areas than hard water areas, and also, environmentally-friendly washing up liquids which are plant based and refillable.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
42 minutes ago
- STV News
Scots grandmother dies in Spanish airport on way back from 'best holiday'
An 'amazing' North Lanarkshire grandmother died in a Spanish airport while on her way back from holiday. Angela McTier, from Blantyre, was in a taxi heading to Alicante airport when she unknowingly suffered a ruptured varicose vein, causing significant blood loss. The 48-year-old lost consciousness after reaching the departure lounge, and despite resuscitation attempts, she died at the scene. Death from varicose veins is rare, but they can burst spontaneously or after minor trauma. Angela's daughter, Michelle Hilston, told STV News that her mother had been working to improve her health and was looking forward to watching her granddaughters grow up. 'My mum watched the grandkids at least two nights every week and always looked forward to them coming over', the 24-year-old said. 'I'm heartbroken for my two girls who have just lost that special relationship with her. Supplied 'If there's one thing my mum loved, it was going on holiday, she thrived over there and this particular holiday to La Mata she just kept saying how amazing it was, it was her best holiday and she'd felt so well and couldn't wait to bring the grandkids over. 'She was due to go away with me and my two toddlers next month as well.' Michelle believes that without the support of her mum, she wouldn't have been able to study her 'dream degree' to become a midwife. On the day of her death, Angela was sent a video of her 11-month-old granddaughter taking her first steps. Michelle added: 'She helped me out so much to pursue my dream degree after having my kids and always made sure I had all the childcare and financial support I needed. 'Her holidays were a special thing for her, she went multiple times a year, and it was one of the things she loved doing the most. 'But the thing she loved the most was her granddaughters and would ask for pictures of them multiple times a day. 'The day she died, I had sent her a video of my 11-month-old finally walking, and she was in tears over the video, phoning everyone to tell them, and I'm glad that's the last video she saw of the kids.' A GoFundMe has been set up to help with the costs of repatriating Angela and her funeral. A FCDO Spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in Spain.' To visit the GoFundMe click here. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
ITV News
2 hours ago
- ITV News
Israel says it will allow foreign countries to air drop aid into Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsens
Israel has said it will allow foreign countries to airdrop aid into Gaza, but has not given a timeframe, ITV News understands. The Jordanian government confirmed the information to ITV News on Friday. The news will bring relief amid the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where hunger is spreading and children have starved to death, causing alarm even among some of Israel's closest allies. At least nine Palestinians have died from starvation in the past 24 hours, according to the director general of Gaza's health ministry. Two of them were children. While the UN has said more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access food aid. An open letter published on Thursday from more than 100 international aid agencies warned of "mass starvation" across Gaza, because Israel had blocked access to tons of food and medical supplies. The letter stated that there were "tons" of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items and fuel sitting untouched within Gaza or just outside the region, but that organisations had been blocked from accessing or delivering the stock. "Humanitarian agencies have the capacity and supplies to respond at scale, but with access denied, we are blocked from reaching those in need, including our own exhausted and starved teams," the letter read. But Israel blamed UN agencies for failing to deliver food it had allowed in. It accused NGOs of 'echoing Hamas' propaganda' and said about 4,500 aid trucks had been allowed into Gaza since May, and that more than 700 trucks were waiting to be picked up and distributed by the UN. On Thursday, the UN's relief agency, Unwra, warned that parents in Gaza are "too hungry to care for their children," after the latest findings showed one in five children in Gaza City are now malnourished. Unwra Chief, Philippe Lazzarini, said the organisation has the equivalent of 6,000 loaded trucks of food and medical supplies waiting in Jordan and Egypt. The agency also said that 'people are being starved, while a few kilometres away supermarkets are loaded with food,' highlighting the stark reality between life in Israel and survival in Gaza. Air drops are not the most efficient way to get lifesaving supplies to those in need, as they provide far less aid than truck deliveries, and are usually reserved for remote crises or to help those trapped behind enemy lines. However, in Gaza, this method of delivery could overcome some of the extreme difficulties in getting aid, including political and security concerns. Aid agencies have previously warned against air drops, as they can have unintended deadly consequences. In 2024, a delivery killed five people in Gaza when a package's parachute failed to engage. In March 2024, ITV News was on board a British RAF plane that participated in an aid drop into Gaza, carrying tonnes of desperately needed supplies to Palestinians. Water, rice, cooking oil, flour, tinned food and baby formula were among the goods delivered via an A400M plane with a strategic airlift platform that was flown from Amman, Jordan. This was the first time a British plane had taken part in one of the Gaza airdrops. Those involved told ITV News it had taken weeks of work by 47 Air Despatch Squadron and 30 Squadron to get to this point. The UK has also given thousands of UK-funded blankets, tents and other relief items, as well as the establishment of a full UK-funded field hospital in Gaza run by British charity UK-Med. Gaza was already heavily dependent on aid and commercial shipments of food before Israel launched its war on Hamas. Earlier this week, the UK, along with 25 other nations, accused Israel of " drip feeding" aid into the Gaza Strip. The statement, signed by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, called on the Israeli government to lift restrictions on the flow of aid into the enclave. "The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law," it reads. "We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life-saving work safely and effectively."
Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
DWP can pay up to £749 a month if you are diagnosed with one of five conditions
The DWP has said demand for PIP has now reached "unprecedented levels of new claims in recent quarters" as 210,000 applications were received between January 31 and April 30 The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) could potentially provide individuals with up to £749 a month if they have one of five eligible conditions for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The value of a successful PIP award ranges between £116.80 and £749.80 every four weeks. PIP is a benefit designed to assist with additional living costs for those who have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, and struggle with certain daily tasks or mobility due to their condition. The DWP has reported that demand for PIP has hit "unprecedented levels of new claims in recent quarters", with 210,000 applications received between January 31 and April 30. This surge follows DWP data showing that over 3.7 million people across Great Britain are now receiving extra financial support through Personal Independence Payment - a 2% increase since January (80,127), the Daily Record reports. The DWP data also reveals that 37% of all claims entitled to PIP receive the highest level of award, with both daily living and mobility components received at the enhanced rate, maintaining the same proportion as January 2025. Number of PIP claimants - April 2025 England and Wales - 3,735,942 Living Abroad - 2, 235 Scotland - 2,969 (476,295 claiming ADP) Unknown - 3,521 Total - 3,744,671 As of the end of April, PIP and ADP - the disability benefit that has replaced PIP in Scotland - were providing financial support to 4,220,966 people. Of the 200,000 new claims processed over a three-month period, 7% were awarded for up to two years, 12% were longer term (over 2 years), and 7% were ongoing. The five most commonly claimed PIP health conditions The top five recorded disabling conditions for claims under standard rules are: Psychiatric disorders - 1,444,016 claimants Musculoskeletal disease (general) - 707,084 claimants Neurological disease - 476,659 Musculoskeletal disease (regional) - 447,794 claimants Respiratory disease - 138,428 claimants PIP and ADP offer weekly support ranging from £29.20 to £187.45, equating to £116.80 or £749.80 every four-week pay period. Both disability benefits aim to assist individuals with the extra costs associated with living with a disability, long-term illness, or physical or mental health condition. Many individuals may not realise that PIP and ADP can provide support for hundreds of health conditions. Both benefits could aid people with daily living tasks or mobility, or both. However, it wouldn't be beneficial to list all 536 conditions noted by DWP during the PIP application process as an award for the disability benefit is determined by how a person's health condition impacts their ability to perform daily living tasks such as cooking, washing, eating, dressing and interacting with others in a safe and timely manner. There are also awards available for those who have difficulty moving around. This means that each PIP claim is unique to the applicant, which could also assist individuals considering making a new claim to initiate the process. PIP cannot be backdated, but payments commence from the date the claim was lodged, to account for the processing time at the DWP. Disabilities recorded by DWP These are the primary disability categories, the overarching term under which more than 530 other conditions fall. This list is merely a snapshot of conditions, disorders and diseases and how the DWP categorises the main disabilities being claimed for. Haematological Disease Infectious disease Malignant disease Metabolic disease Psychiatric disorders Neurological disease Visual disease Hearing disorders Cardiovascular disease Gastrointestinal disease Diseases of the liver, gallbladder, biliary tract Skin disease Musculoskeletal disease (general) Musculoskeletal disease (regional) Autoimmune disease (connective tissue disorders) Genitourinary disease Endocrine disease Respiratory disease Multisystem and extremes of age Diseases of the immune system Unknown or missing Who could qualify for PIP? To qualify for PIP, you must have a health condition or disability where you: have had difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for 3 months expect these difficulties to continue for at least 9 months You typically need to have resided in the UK for at least two of the past three years and be in the country when you apply. In addition to what we've outlined above, if you receive or require assistance with any of the following due to your condition, you should contemplate applying for PIP: preparing, cooking or eating food managing your medication washing, bathing or using the toilet dressing and undressing engaging and communicating with other people reading and understanding written information making decisions about money planning a journey or following a route moving around There are different rules if you are terminally ill, these can be found on the website. DWP will evaluate how challenging you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they will examine: Whether you can do it safely How long it takes you How often your condition affects this activity Whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment You will require an assessment to determine the level of financial aid you will receive and your rate will be regularly reviewed to ensure you are receiving the appropriate support. Payments are made every four weeks. PIP consists of two components Daily living Mobility Whether you receive one or both of these and how much depends on how severely your condition affects you. You will be paid the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances. Daily Living: Standard rate: £73.90 Enhanced rate: £110.40 Mobility: Standard rate: £29.20 Enhanced rate: £77.05 Article continues below For more information or to make a claim, visit the website. PIP and Adult Disability Payment are currently providing financial assistance to over 3.7 million people across Great Britain.
