Our Fails

& wins

Here, we’d like to tell you about the things that aren’t quite running as smoothly as we’d like them to. What we’re currently working on to become even better and more sustainable – and which problems we’ve already managed to solve!

Our cleaning starter sets have always struggled in the retail sector. Here on our website, in adverts or in influencer stories, it’s easy to explain a starter set consisting of an (empty) bottle and a sachet of powder – but on the shelves of a chemist’s, such a set isn’t as intuitive or immediately understandable. We’ve learnt this from many conversations with consumers and retail partners.

The solution: since early 2025, our bathroom, kitchen, all-purpose and toilet cleaners, as well as our washing-up liquid, have been available as ‘pre-fill’ products: the rPET bottle is pre-filled and can be taken away ready for immediate use. The refill concept is clearly explained on the reusable bottle. This allows us to reach a wider audience and makes it even easier for more people to switch to the sustainable refill system. In this way, we can achieve an even greater positive impact on the environment: even more single-use plastic bottles saved, and consequently less plastic waste and CO₂ emissions.

When we launched everdrop, many of our products were still a long way from meeting the quality standards that we and our customers had hoped for. A sustainable refill concept is all well and good – but the performance was often far too poor. Since then, we’ve done everything we can to improve.

Did you know that for the past three years we’ve had our own everdrop laboratory and an experienced research team with decades of expertise? Every day, they work to find the best possible balance between sustainability and the excellent quality of our products.

Here are a few achievements that show we’ve succeeded: Our bathroom cleaner was awarded top marks by Öko-Test and named test winner by the Süddeutsche Zeitung and the FAZ Kaufkompass. Our laundry detergents have been certified with the prestigious EU Ecolabel.

And in January 2024, we also secured a clear test victory with Stiftung Warentest for our plastic-free dishwasher tablets. They achieved top marks particularly in the key categories of “cleaning” (1.9) and (lower) “water pollution” (1.6). Such successes are important milestones on our mission: to produce top-quality everyday products that help people reduce their environmental footprint. And we’re still only just getting started!

In 2023, we calculated a life cycle assessment for our everdrop bathroom cleaner for the first time – and compared it with that of a conventional liquid cleaner. The aim: to establish once and for all whether tablet and powder products in refillable, reusable bottles really are a game-changer for greater sustainability in the home.

The result: from as early as the third refill, the everdrop bathroom cleaner tab is better for the environment than a liquid product in a single-use plastic bottle in all the sustainability categories assessed! And its positive impact grows over time: the tab can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 92 per cent and water consumption by up to 88 per cent over time. You can find out more about the life cycle assessment comparison here.

Since May 2023, we can call ourselves a B Corp. As a B Corp (which stands for ‘Benefit Corporation’), we are part of a global movement of companies actively committed to driving a sustainable, socially responsible and fair future. Every B Corp undertakes to regularly measure and disclose its social and environmental impact, and to continuously improve it.

So, B Corp certification is only awarded to those who have nothing to hide and are genuinely doing something good for the world.

There are over 7,500 certified B Corps worldwide, including companies such as Patagonia, The Guardian Media Group and Ben & Jerry’s. In Germany, there are currently around 130 certified B Corps.

everdrop specialises in vegan household and personal care products that are produced entirely without animal testing. Whilst this has always been the case, we are proud that both the Vegan Society and the animal welfare organisation PETA have now certified our entire range of household and personal care products. Find out more about our certifications here.

Since March 2022, we have been using 100 per cent certified green electricity at our office in Munich-Thalkirchen. Ever since spring 2021, when we moved in, we have had a heat pump there, which enables us to heat the premises using renewable energy (geothermal energy). As a result, our office has been operating completely emission-free since 2022.

Why we use AI

Time and again, people write to us on social media asking: “Why are YOU, of all people, using AI?” There’s no simple answer to that, but there is an honest one. We’ve broken it down into five points here. Buckle up – there might be some turbulence ahead!

1. AI is changing the world

Working without AI support is no longer realistic for a single company in the world – regardless of whether its focus is environmental or not. If young impact brands like us do without this technology, we’re handing the field over to established corporations without a fight. The result? Their competitive advantage grows, whilst the environmental problems facing our industry remain unresolved. We want to use AI as a tool for real change!

2. Yes, even an environmental purpose needs AI

To bring our purpose – reducing plastic waste and environmental impact generated in households – to life and fulfil our vision of a more sustainable everyday life, we rely on digital marketing. Marketing that reaches as many people as possible in a cost-effective way. And nowadays, that requires AI support.

3. Marketing, in any form, has an environmental impact – with or without AI
Marketing, whatever the medium, has always been carbon-intensive – long before AI-generated content existed. In the past, production crews would fly halfway around the world for a single TV advert. Printing print adverts was also incredibly resource-intensive. And digital marketing in any form has always consumed vast amounts of data and computing power, which is why it requires so much energy. Social media and search engines alone are major energy guzzlers.

And now, AI-generated content in particular raises a whole host of environmental (and, yes, ethical) questions – though these are not entirely new problems. We simply recognise them much more clearly than before. Fortunately! Our task for the future is to measure not only our operational emissions but also our marketing emissions with ever-greater precision, and to keep them as low as possible in the long term.

If we were to rely exclusively on marketing that had absolutely no environmental or climate impact, then there would be no more everdrop Marketing, and we would have to cease all operations shortly afterwards.

And once again: this applies to EVERY other company as well.

4. We’re experimenting with AI to get people excited about our mission
On Instagram and Facebook, we’re currently experimenting a lot with AI-generated content. You may have noticed this already, as sometimes it’s totally obvious (hello, talking dishwasher tablets!). But sometimes you might not have noticed at all.

Whether subtle or over the top: not everyone has to like the growing use of AI tools, but it’s the reality of today’s social media advertising world. We’re trying out different things to see how we can inspire as many people as possible to live a daily life free from unnecessary plastic waste and environmental impact.

5. Let’s use AI for good!
Above all, this new technology is so much more than just talking dishwasher tablets. At everdrop, we use AI in a wide variety of ways: for example, for automated internal processes that make life easier for our team. Or for copywriting and translations – after all, we’re now active in many European countries.

A daily life without AI has become unthinkable. Which brings us back to point 1…

Made in Europe – and sometimes elsewhere.

Our vision has been clear from the outset: we want to rid households of unnecessary plastic waste and environmental impact, whilst manufacturing our products as locally as possible. And the majority of our products do indeed come from Germany and Central Europe.

But not all of them. Unfortunately, regional production is often not possible – or simply not economically viable – particularly for new products. For example, because as a young company, our production volumes are (still) far too low, making the costs far too high. Our products would then be unaffordable for most consumers – which wouldn’t help anyone on the path to a more sustainable everyday life. That is why we are currently also manufacturing some products in Eastern Europe and Asia. This is not ideal – neither for our carbon footprint nor for the transparency of our supply chains.

Of course, we have a Code of Conduct through which we commit ourselves and our suppliers to upholding our values regarding environmental and social sustainability. We cannot check this down to the last detail, however, as structures are often complex, particularly in Asia.

Wherever possible, we rely on certification: our textile products are a good example. Some come from India – from a partner who processes locally grown cotton on site – fairly and GOTS-certified. We source our knitted dishcloths from Turkey – also from a certified partner we trust.

The past few years have been very challenging, and almost all of our competitors amongst the young sustainability start-ups have now given up. Fortunately, we are still here, and remain on track to make households in many European markets more sustainable, whilst also remaining economically stable and future-proof.

Our dishwasher tablets were named the clear test winner by Stiftung Warentest (02/2024)! We’re incredibly proud that we’ve managed to outperform the entire industry not only in terms of sustainability, but also – for the first time – in product quality.

So, everything’s perfect? Almost. Our Naked Tabs, which are completely free from plastic, microplastics and PVA film, are packed by hand for you with a lot of love and care. However, this also means they’re a bit more expensive than less effective and less sustainable products from other brands. But why do we rely on manual labour here at all? Because there’s no other way.

So far, we haven’t managed to find a manufacturer capable of packaging our plastic-free tabs automatically. The entire industry is geared towards tabs made with plastic! We’re therefore now working with a partner to develop a machine that can also process plastic-free tabs automatically. Our hope is that this will significantly reduce the production costs of the tabs, allowing us to lower the price.

An update on our laundry fragrance drops (as at 5 May 2026): After a year, we have temporarily ended our partnership with our deposit-return scheme partner for the collection of the laundry fragrance drops.

What does this mean for you? Please simply dispose of your empty laundry fragrance bottles in your nearest glass recycling bin. Although reusable packaging clearly offers even greater environmental benefits, glass recycling in Germany is a highly efficient and well-established cycle:

Established circular system:
According to the Federal Environment Agency, the recycling rate in Germany is at least 85 per cent, which is even higher than for all other recyclable materials.

Infinitely recyclable:
Glass can be recycled an unlimited number of times without any loss of quality.

Conserves resources:
By melting down waste glass (shards) instead of using primary raw materials (sand, lime, soda), energy is saved and raw materials are conserved compared to producing new glass

We have received feedback from some customers that the washing powder trickles out of the packaging. We do not yet have a solution to this problem. The cardboard packaging - made from at least 85% (38WL) or at least 95% (19WL) recycled cardboard - is fully recyclable, but not 100% sealable. There is currently only one alternative: plastic packaging. And that is no alternative for us.

Did you know that the everdrop team is almost 75 percent female? We love that. Which makes it a bit embarrassing that our four-person C-level is still 100 percent male. Promise: The future of the everdrop leadership level is more female and diverse.

Our brick cleaning paste is currently still something of an odd one out in our product range. It is, in fact, our only cleaner that isn’t yet refillable. That’s why we don’t offer the paste as part of a subscription service either. Why make such an exception? The paste is currently in a trial phase – we’re testing how such a product is actually received by our customers. The stone cleaning paste is extremely economical and therefore lasts a particularly long time. When it’s empty, we hope that you won’t throw away the glass jar and plastic lid, of course, but instead – ideally – reuse them as versatile, flexible storage containers.

Why does the paste come with a plastic lid in the first place? During the current trial phase, this material is the only way for us to seal the product properly and securely. If the paste has a future, we’ll also want to further develop the product design. We’ll keep you updated on this!