In January 2020 Biome Stores reported that we have experienced a significant spike in soap bar sales as consumer concern increases about the global plastic waste crisis. The trend has continued to climb ever since.
In the last four years Biome’s sales of soap bars have increased by 1600 per cent, and in the last 12 months have doubled. Following a similar trend, research from market analyst experts, Kantar Worldpanel, reveals sales of soap bars in the United Kingdom have increased by nearly 3 per cent over the past year.
Founder of Biome, Tracey Bailey, said these recent sales statistics show the humble bar of soap is making a comeback from its 2.2 per cent sales decline during 2014 and 2015 when consumers favoured liquid soap for its perceived cleanliness and convenience.
“THESE SALES FIGURES REFLECT CONSUMERS’ GROWING CONCERNS ABOUT PLASTIC WASTE AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR EFFORTS TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE. SWAPPING BODY WASH IN PLASTIC DISPENSERS FOR SOAP BARS IN CARDBOARD OR NO PACKAGING IS THE EASIEST PLASTIC FREE SWAP CONSUMERS CAN IMPLEMENT INTO THEIR DAILY ROUTINES.
THIS CONSUMER TREND HAS LIKELY BEEN INFLUENCED BY INDIVIDUALS’ AND ORGANISATIONS’ ACTIONS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF AND REDUCE SINGLE USE PLASTIC WASTE SUCH AS THE RECENT PLASTIC BAG BAN, ABC’S WAR ON WASTE SERIES AND BBC’S BLUE PLANET SERIES.”
Biome’s sales report also reveals its annual soap bar sales comprise 50 per cent shampoo bars indicating consumers are further reducing plastic waste by swapping their conventional shampoo in a plastic bottle for a zero-waste shampoo bar.
A shampoo bar is much like a bar of soap, but for your hair. You wet your hair, lather up and rinse, just as you would use a bar of soap to wash your body. Many people don’t realise the soft plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles and tubes cannot be recycled through council kerbside recycling and therefore end up in landfill.
Biome offers its customers a TerraCycle recycling service for used shampoo and conditioner containers, but we really urge everyone to choose the completely waste free option in the first place.