Ditch The Chemicals

Boost biodiversity and protect our waterways

Chemicals in everyday products can find their way into rivers and ponds, even after passing through water treatment plants. From personal care and pet products to gardening and household cleaners, many of the things we use routinely can impact the natural world without us even realising it 

Choosing eco-friendly products helps protect nature and encourages companies to make things in more sustainable ways. It’s worth checking labels, understanding what’s in the products we use, and switching to gentler solutions where possible.

• Download the Yuka app to scan product labels and assess the health impact of foods and cosmetics.
• Natural pest control and organic gardening are well worth exploring if you grow your own food. They help reduce harmful chemicals in our soils and food chain, while creating a healthier garden ecosystem for pollinators and other wildlife. Planting strong-smelling herbs alongside veg, encouraging aphid-eating ladybirds by letting nettles grow, or using copper tape to deter slugs are all simple ways to grow food more naturally. Some good advice from the Wildlife Trust here.
• If you have a pet and use spot-on treatments as a preventative measure for fleas, consider discussing this with your vet. Some of these treatments contain chemicals that can have a big impact on songbirds, who use dog and cat hair when making their nests, as well as on aquatic life and river health. Find out more here.
• Have a go at making your own cleaning products with ingredients you may already have at home – they’re easy to make, cost-effective and usually more eco-friendly than store-bought cleaning supplies. And importantly, they work very well!

Melody’s Story

Melody, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School pupil

Melody has taken the Ditch The Chemicals pledge.

“Stopping the chemicals is important to me because the animals in the river and sea deserve to live as much as we do. It’s easy for us all to change what we use for washing and cleaning – we’ve just got to do it.

“I’m on my school council and will talk to the teachers about what we use and if it’s good for the river. Same thing at home – my parents already try quite hard but maybe not hard enough.

“It makes me feel like a better person. I think I can make things different.”