Green brands: Method

Household cleaning brand Method was rated as a sustainable brand by 77% of Which? members who had recently bought from it, in our survey asking customers what they make of companies' sustainability.

We carried out a survey in February 2023 into our members' perceptions of sustainable brands. We asked them to rate how sustainable they thought a brand they'd recently used was, and then asked them to tell us why. We then took a further look at some of the top-scoring brands to see whether the reality lives up to the high expectations.* 

The top reasons people gave us for considering Method to be sustainable were its natural/non-toxic ingredients (69%), low environmental impact products (60%) and recyclable or minimal packaging (35%). 

We looked into these aspects and others to dig into whether these reasons given are based in reality, so read on to find out more.

We looked in more detail at the sustainability initiatives and actions of cleaning brands Bio-D, Ecover, Method and Smol as these were the brands that members viewed as sustainable in our survey.

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Why should we be worried about cleaning products' impact on the environment?

Chemicals often used in cleaning products can have an impact on water and aquatic organisms, soil health and indoor air pollution, as well as animal and human health.

Products that go down your drain should be treated at sewage treatment works. Most of the chemicals found in the product should biodegrade or be removed to prevent harmful amounts entering rivers and waterways. 

But this assumes that water companies are dealing with wastewater responsibly. Given that over recent years they’ve been found to be regularly discharging untreated sewage and wastewater into waterways, waste chemicals are increasingly ending up in our rivers and seas.

Studies have also found that these chemicals can be found in sewage sludge, which is sometimes used as fertiliser on farms. And the reality is that not everything fully breaks down.

Some of the potentially problematic chemicals that brands often declare themselves free from are:

• Parabens Used as a preservative and antimicrobial. They have been linked to endocrine disruption, but negative impacts of regular exposure at low levels have not been proven.
• Phosphates Were once widely used in laundry and dishwasher detergents, but their use has been severely limited to tiny amounts of no more than 0.3 grams per standard dose in the UK and the EU for some years now. Some brands have never used any phosphates.
• Phthalates Used for fragrance. Some have been linked to endocrine disruption and the risk of certain cancers, as well as developmental issues for humans and animals. Some phthalates have been banned in the EU. If you want to avoid phthalates, choosing fragrance-free is a good option.
• Triclosan Used as an antimicrobial or antibacterial. It can have negative impacts on aquatic environments, particularly algae. Studies have indicated that it is a potential endocrine disruptor in humans.

Other important issues to consider when buying cleaning products include the raw materials used to make them - are they grown and harvested sustainably? - as well as the packaging cleaning products come in. 

But how well the product does its primary job is also important – an ecological product starts to look less sustainable if you have to use more than is recommended for it to work, or the water needs to be at a higher temperature – or you end up replacing it altogether.

We've tested Method's cleaning products in our labs to find out whether they perform well alongside their eco credentials. 

We award Eco Buys to products that are great at their job and can back up their environmental claims. Head to our reviews of laundry detergents and powders, dishwasher tablets, and washing-up liquids to see how Method fares.

Method: In summary

Who owns Method?

Method is an American company which launched in the UK in 2005. It makes a range of cleaning products including laundry detergent and hand wash. In 2012 it merged with Belgian-based Ecover, a cleaning company with a similar green ethos.

But in 2018, both companies were bought by US household cleaning giant, SC Johnson, which also owns mainstream cleaning brands such as Mr Muscle, Toilet Duck and Pledge.

The only mention of this we could find on Method’s website was a small answer to an FAQ asking about Method and Ecover, which mentions that both brands are owned by SC Johnson.

While both Method and Ecover have retained their commitments to greener, cleaner products, they're still part of a larger brand that doesn’t share the same values, a factor which may be important to you.

You could view Method as a force for positive change within its parent company. But we think that both Ecover and Method should be more transparent about their relationship to SC Johnson.

Chemicals and ingredients in Method 

Method excludes parabens, phosphates, phthalates, triclosan, bleach and chlorine from its products.

Its ingredients are mostly naturally derived or plant-based, which means it avoids chemicals made using fossil fuels but it doesn’t exclude them wholly.

This plant-based focus doesn’t apply to some other SC Johnson brands.

Method is vegan-friendly and doesn’t test on animals – it is Leaping Bunny approved (a certification from Cruelty Free International).

This also doesn’t apply to some other SC Johnson brands and Ethical Consumer and Naturewatch have a boycott on all SC Johnson brands, including Ecover and Method, because of SC Johnson’s decision to keep testing products on animals when it views it as necessary.

Method’s palm oil is RSPO certified, as is all of the palm oil used by SC Johnson brands.

Method’s packaging

The (PET) plastic used in Method’s cleaning and handwash bottles is 100% recycled plastic. A percentage of the plastic used in its HDPE bottles (toilet cleaners and laundry detergent bottles, for example, is recycled.

It also sell concentrated cleaners and large refill bottles so you can reuse your original pump and spray bottles.

Unlike its sister brand, Ecover, it doesn't have any in-store refill stations.

Our past research has found that using dehydrated tablets that are diluted in water when you get them home can be a good way to reduce your cleaning products' carbon footprint, as removing the water dramatically reduces how much bulk and weight needs to be shipped.

To find out more about refills and packaging read our guide on refillable products.

Other sustainability information

Method says it invests its money into green science and planet-friendly packaging solutions, but it doesn’t give any further information about this on its website.

There isn't much information about its carbon, energy or water reduction goals on Method's own website. SC Johnson does publish some information on its website and has 2025 targets to reduce manufacturing greenhouse gas emissions by 90% (based on a 2000 baseline). 

It has targets for 100% of its waste to be diverted from landfill, and 100% of its packaging to be reusable or recyclable. 

Other household cleaning brands rated highly by members in our survey were Bio-D (80%), Ecover (87%) and Smol (93%).

*In November 2022 we asked a panel of Which? members which brands they had bought from or planned to buy from because they believed they were more sustainable than others in the market. The list of brands our members could choose from in this survey was based on the findings from this.

Interested in sustainable choices? Find out more about supermarkets and the environment, how to buy second-hand online or what makes a green energy supplier.