22/07/2026
Plastic-Free July: Let’s Look Behind the Buzzwords
It’s Plastic-Free July, which means we are once again surrounded by claims such as:
“Our products are plastic-free.”
“We only use recycled plastic because we’re doing our bit for the environment.”
But what is actually hiding behind these buzzwords? In many cases, it is greenwashing.
Reusable pads cannot realistically be both completely plastic-free and vegan because they need a water-resistant barrier. That barrier is generally made from a synthetic waterproof material or felted wool. Wool is not vegan, and if you are paying less than £15 for a pad, it is extremely unlikely to contain a specialist felted-wool barrier.
In other words: it probably contains plastic.
When brands describe reusable products as “plastic-free,” they are often referring to the amount of single-use plastic the product could prevent from entering the waste stream. That is very different from claiming the reusable product itself contains no plastic, or it's a blanket advert for the whole website, but its the soap thats plastic free😭.
It is not quite the statement the advertising is trying to imply!
My next bugbear is recycled plastic.
I genuinely tried to source recycled plastic for our pads. In my head, I imagined plastic being removed from those enormous waste islands in our oceans and transformed into a useful waterproof PUL layer.
Unfortunately, the reality was very different.
Not all “recycled plastic” comes from ocean waste or discarded household plastic. Some recycling systems use bottles specifically manufactured to enter the recycling supply chain. That may still create recycled content, but it is certainly not the environmental rescue story many customers imagine when they see the words “made from recycled plastic.”
So, the next time you see a company advertising a reusable pad as “plastic-free” or proudly promoting “recycled plastic,” look beyond the headline.
Either the company has not properly researched its own product and supply chain, or it is using carefully chosen words to persuade you to part with your hard-earned cash.
At TCS-eco, we would rather be honest about the materials we use, why we use them and what they actually do.
No buzzwords. No misleading claims. No greenwashing, simply more than 75% plastic free!
www.tcs-eco.co.uk
