Plastic-free eco-business in Carlby, near Stamford, wins awards at Free From Living Awards

A small village business working to reduce plastic waste in our oceans has received major national recognition.

Eco-mate was founded almost four years ago in the village of Carlby, near Stamford, to produce 100 percent plastic-free cleaning products, all sold in paper bottles.

The company was founded by Stamford couple Rachel Owen and Scott Nicholas, avid divers who were shocked by the amount of plastic waste they encountered.

The fragrance-free hypoallergenic detergent Eco-mate has been awarded two prizes at this year’s Free From Living Awards.

It won gold in the Special Achievement Award and was awarded bronze in the Home Care and Cleaning category.

“It’s really exciting to be recognized nationally, especially for our popular fragrance-free laundry detergent,” said Sophia Lattimore, business development manager.

“While all of our products are vegan, hypoallergenic and toxin-free, this fragrance-free product is really great for customers with sensitive skin.

“Now that we are sticking to our core values, it is great that our products are being noticed and the brand awareness is reaching more customers.”

Although the company has remained small, it has grown and now employs a team of six. In keeping with its green ethos, the factory and warehouse are now off-grid, powered by its own solar panels.

Scott and Rachel are further committed to the environment by donating a fifth of their profits to ocean charities.

The products are toxin-free, biodegradable and vegan-approved and come in compostable paper bottles lined with a natural formula to hold liquids for up to a year. They believe the bottles are a first in the market.

Eco-mate products, which have seen record sales in recent months, are available to buy directly from the company, in Planet Organic stores and smaller eco-stores.

The company is exploring ways to get its products into more stores in the UK and is working on developing a new bottle liner to extend the shelf life of the bottles.

New projects in the pipeline include a pet shampoo, hand soap and new fragrances for laundry products.