Green Cleaning That Helps Society’s Most Vulnerable People

What if your cleaning products could do good? Not just in the sense that they don’t harm the environment (which your supermarket faves are guilty of) – but by supporting your local community?

This is why we want to shine a spotlight on Bide, an eco cleaning brand with a truly radical way of operating. Bide’s cleaning products aren’t made in a factory, but on ordinary kitchen tables throughout the UK.

We’re going to explore the inspiring story of this social enterprise, from their super-sustainable supply chain and ‘home manufacturing network’, to their appearance on Dragon’s Den. Let’s take a look.

Supporting the marginalised

Founder Amelia Gammon started Bide to address two big issues: the climate crisis, and unemployment amongst the most vulnerable within society. This is why this Wiltshire-based B Corp employs local people to make their products – not in a factory, but in their own homes, on their own terms.

17% of Bide’s home manufacturer network are refugees, 8% are prison leavers and 3% are people with addictions. 98% identify as female. Bide works with organisations such as Working Chance and Breaking Barriers to give these historically marginalised individuals an opportunity to enter the workforce.

No prior experience or skills are necessary. Bide simply send out all the materials and training to their employees’ homes, and receive finished products back. By providing flexible work and a living wage, Bide are creating social change that’s inclusive, dignified and impactful. Look out for the name of the person who made your Bide products on the packaging!

Taking environmental responsibility

Bide take their environmental impact seriously too, minimising it as much as they can at every stage. Their aim is to create products that don’t harm the planet – or those who inhabit it. As a result, everything they make is vegan, non-toxic, plastic-free, palm oil free, cruelty-free and home compostable. Most of their raw materials are actually food-grade.

Bide products don’t require water to manufacture – and because their employees mix them by hand, very little energy is used to make them. By keeping their network of home manufacturers within a 30-mile radius (and with no employees having to commute), Bide drastically reduce their carbon footprint. 

And as for the packaging? It’s made of 100% pre-recycled and home compostable materials. The pouches we sell are made from recycled kraft paper, with an inner layer of plant cellulose and a zip seal made of 100% plant-based starch.

Powerful plant-based cleaning

This all sounds great, but are Bide’s products actually any good? You only need to read Bide’s rave reviews to be convinced of these eco products’ effectiveness. But the three top-rated Bide products we offer – the Toilet Cleaning Scrub, Fizzy Toilet Bombs and Dishwasher powder – have all been tested by our team too, and we can confirm they’re full of serious plant power.

Not only do Bide cleaners leave your plates (or your loo) sparkling, we love the delicious natural scents in these products. Fragrances of grapefruit, eucalyptus, peppermint or lavender are a welcome change from the synthetic chemical perfumes we’ve come to associate with cleanliness.

Bide products are refreshingly affordable, too. Bide founder Amelia wanted to make sure that high-quality, non-polluting cleaning products were accessible to ordinary people. That’s why she made sure to price her socially-conscious cleaning products competitively against supermarket brands.

A Dragon’s Den success

Wondering where you’ve heard of this company before? You may recognise Bide from their appearance on Dragon’s Den, where Amelia Gammon was offered a big investment from Deborah Meaden.

Known for her support for ethical, sustainable businesses, Deborah was impressed at Bide’s social credentials and how the product was made by local people. Peter Jones, although he didn’t invest, hailed the Bide business model as ‘the future of where we might be going’.

The Bide range on SaveMoneyCutCarbon

Our three fantastic Bide products are our absolute favourites from the range:

• Dishwasher Powder in Peppermint – Made with only 3 powerful plant-based ingredients, this non-toxic, plastic-free dishwasher powder contains enough for 25 washes at just £5.25. It’s lightly fragranced with peppermint essential oil, and leaves dishes sparkling and residue-free.
• Toilet Cleaning Scrub in Grapefruit & Eucalyptus – With natural ingredients that tackle limescale, this toilet scrub is easy to use. Simply sprinkle 1tpsb around the toilet bowl, leave for 15 minutes and then scrub with your toilet brush.
• Toilet Freshening Fizzy Bombs in Peppermint, Lavender & Eucalyptus – Fizz away dirt and limescale with these toilet bombs. The fragranced oils don’t just smell great, they have antibacterial properties to eradicate germs and keep your loo fresh.

Try out Bide, and make a small change towards a better world. See our range here.