Latest news with #refillable
New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
We Pitted Swiffer vs. Bona in a Battle of the Spray Mops
Bona sells concentrated cleaning solution in small, cardboard packages, but you can also use any cleaning solution you prefer in the refillable tank. Swiffer's cleaning solution, on the other hand, comes in unrefillable plastic bottles that require replacing each time they run out. Caroline Mullen/NYT Wirecutter Although the Swiffer PowerMop came out ahead of the Bona Spray Mop Air in my tests, you still might opt for the Bona mop over the Swiffer model if you're more concerned about disposability, refillability, and lifetime cost. One of the major gripes of Swiffer WetJet users is the inability to refill the cleaning-solution tank; this forces you to keep buying the company's cleaning solution, which is packaged entirely in plastic containers. Unfortunately, the Swiffer PowerMop is no different, as the cleaning solution is sold in plastic bottles that aren't refillable, since security tabs on the inside of the cap prevent you from opening and closing it. (There is a workaround, though, for intrepid reusers and DIY-cleaning-solution makers.) In contrast, the Bona cleaning solution is less expensive (approximately 14 cents per ounce to the PowerMop solution's 21 cents), concentrated, and sold in 1-ounce cardboard packs. You mix the concentrate directly in the tank with 31 ounces of water to make 32 ounces of cleaning solution. In theory, you can refill the cleaning-solution tank using the concentrate an infinite number of times. (And unlike Swiffer's solution, Bona's is EPA Safer Choice–certified, which means it meets criteria set by the EPA regarding human and environmental health.) You can also refill the Bona mop's solution tank with the previous version of Bona's solution, should you have some left over. Plus, the Bona mop's tank is clear, so you can easily see when you need to refill. The Bona Spray Mop Air was designed for use on delicate flooring, such as my parquet wood floors. The minimal moisture and gentle mop pads prevent warping, peeling, and swelling. Caroline Mullen/NYT Wirecutter Because the Swiffer PowerMop pads are single-use, you need to break out a fresh one every time you clean — and at approximately $1.72 per pad, the cost and waste quickly add up. Meanwhile, Bona's pads are washable and reusable, though with enough time, they'll eventually need to be replaced. A workaround, if you already own the Swiffer PowerMop or WetJet but want to limit your single-use waste, is to purchase reusable microfiber pads, a recommendation from Wirecutter home improvement writer Liam McCabe, who found them in his mission to make his WetJet less wasteful. These pads are manufactured by various third-party companies, not Proctor & Gamble, but they clean similarly to the Bona mop pads. I've used these same reusable pads for at least five years, and I agree with Liam and a number of other colleagues that they're 'totally adequate,' especially when you take the waste and cost savings into account. Swiffer's PowerMop also periodically requires AA-battery replacement, which adds to its cost and environmental impact over time. Like anything else that isn't strictly analog, the PowerMop runs the risk of malfunctioning or breaking faster than the Bona Spray Mop Air, which doesn't use electricity in its spray mechanism and has no lights that might fail. If you don't mind doing some concentrated vacuuming or sweeping before you spray-mop, and if you prefer less waste and lifetime cost, you may like the Bona Spray Mop Air. I might reach for the Swiffer PowerMop more readily right now, but once I run out of pads and solution for it, I'll be keeping the Bona Spray Mop Air for the long haul.
RNZ News
11-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Havelock North boutique dairy company Origin Earth saved by last minute buyer
Origin Earth use refillable glass bottles and refillable milk kegs for cafes. Photo: Supplied / Origin Earth Havelock North-based boutique dairy company Origin Earth has been saved from the brink of closure by a last minute buyer who will keep the business operating as usual. In May the business told RNZ is was closing down after 15 years of providing customers with locally sourced sustainable products. But in a surprising turn of events, the much loved local company will now be keeping its doors open, just under new ownership. "The Company has been purchased from Joanie and Richard Williams. New owners Bruce and Kathy Wattie are preferring to stay in the background and will concentrate on relocation and expansion of the business." The business produces a range of milk, cheese and yoghurt products that it sells in local supermarkets, farmers markets and to cafes and consumers. Their refillable glass bottles and unique refillable milk kegs for cafes have proved popular - with the business reducing plastic in the region by 3500 plastic bottles a month. They've had a rocky year, as in August last year Origin Earth decided to close, due to rising lease costs, predatory pricing by larger companies and a struggling economy. But after a huge public response, they managed to stay open. Origin Earth produce a range of milk, cheese and yoghurt products. Photo: Supplied / Origin Earth In December 2024 Origin Earth terminated the lease on their Havelock North building with landlord Peak Vision Church, and said the catalyst was a 32 percent rent increase over three years. They continued on a month-by-month lease and were looking at selling the business, when in March the landlord sent a scanned letter saying the lease was ending and Origin Earth had to be out of the building by 31 May. However, the new owners have negotiated an extension of the lease so they can keep supplying customers while a new location is found. Origin Earth founders, Joanie and Richard Williams told RNZ they'll continue to have a role in the company and are excited at the prospect of the new structure. "We have always had the visions but like many small businesses, have lacked the capital. We are very keen to see our last 15 years' work recognised and expanded by new owners," Joanie said. She said nothing would change and there would be no interruption to supply chains. "Our local milk will still be on your supermarket or favourite store shelf or served at your favourite café. We will be expanding the availability of our cheeses. "Origin Earth's sheep milk cheeses which we have been producing for 15 years will also continue alongside our cows' milk offerings," she said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Forbes
17-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
A Parisian Beauty Brand Touts A Low-Waste Approach And Opts For B Corp
Paris-based Typology, a personal care and cosmetics company, has been a B Corp from day one. It's a big part of the DNA, says Ning Li, founder and seasoned entrepreneur. 'Sustainability has been in our bylaws and mission since the start. We're realistic about it, though. We know we cannot be perfect or claim to save the planet, as a consumer company. But we aim to do things better than before and help shift the industry in a positive direction.' Part of that has meant rethinking how beauty products are packaged and sold. Earlier this year, Typology released a refillable lipstick. While it's not the only company to have this design -- Kjaer Weis, La Bouche Rouge Paris, Zao, and Chanel, to name a few -- have also introduced similar refillable option, it's part of Typology's broader push to think about it how it can reduce the waste produced by personal care products. 'All of our packaging now is made from recycled materials,' Li says. 'So we no longer use any virgin glass, aluminum, or plastic in our production process. That's why when we launched our lip product, it was only natural that we would do a refillable option to be consistent with our founding ethos and the origin of the company.' This summer, they've brought out a new haircare range, also in its eco-friendly packaging, with no sulfates, silicones, and fragrances (and made 90% of natural ingredients). This is not Li's first foray into business, though -- and his intention with Typology is focused on impact. He'd established two businesses before, MyFab and For the first business, he sold his stake, and that was later acquired by PPR (or Kering) group. The second business, went to IPO in London. However, he did raise a $10 million seed round for the skincare brand as well. 'When I started Typology, the goal was not to just make another business for the sake of an exit or anything, but make something that actually we all feel good and feel proud about working for,' he says. But now, a few years in, he's realized why other companies haven't been as keen in the past to follow a similar path. 'It can be a pain, more expensive, and challenging at times. Yes, definitely.' Case in point, he says: recycled plastic and glass cost more than virgin plastic and glass. So, for a business, that means an added cost. And that's why, when they launched, Li admits that they couldn't afford it, even though they wanted to use it from the get-go. After about three years in business, they could transition over to recycled materials. But being a B Corp is not limited to just supply chains. Li says that the first 10 to 15 employees in the company all had equity in the business. Plus, they've kept the salary difference between the senior hires and the junior hires limited. 'There is no big spread.' Plus, he's not in a hurry to be everywhere. ' I want us to grow sustainability so we're not rushing into too many markets at once. We want to keep our standards high and maintain these values as we expand.' They started in France, then expanded to the UK, Germany, and now are focusing on the US market, which he notes, 'is a big opportunity and a big challenge.' But the cosmetics industry, he notes, is so unregulated that they've had to use their own judgment many times. 'The bar is not very high when it comes to testing.' As a result, he looked at the strictest standards globally, which he found in Japan, and has used those as an internal benchmark. 'Of course, if there is any doubt, we don't use the ingredient. In fact, we have a blacklist of ingredients we won't use, even if they are allowed by regulation.' All of this feeds into the kind of business Li wants to build this time around. He's part of a small community in France -- only about 150 businesses are B Corp certified in the country, but a growing number globally are B Corps. 'It was a big decision at the time when we started to be a B Corp, because it does come with constraints. But that's the path we've chosen and we're sticking to our values even when it would be easier not to,' Li iterates.
