In a world that is increasingly facing the challenges of environmental protection, sustainable alternatives are becoming increasingly important in everyday life. One area that is very dominated by plastic is the shower. Two German entrepreneurs are taking on shower gels and shampoos that are wrapped in plastic and want to implement environmentally friendly showering with their so-called shower chunks. In this article you will learn what shower chunks are and where the idea comes from.
Shower chunks are solid, compressed shower products that do not require packaging and are therefore an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional liquid shower gels in plastic bottles. The idea comes from the forge of Johannes Lutz and Christoph Lung from Stuttgart. The two had to travel long distances for this idea.
Lutz and Lung met in Myanmar during their year-long trip around the world in 2017. The two adventurers then traveled together to Mexico and Colombia. As they walked through the Amazon rainforest at the end of their trip, the backpackers asked themselves a question that led to the idea: Shampoo and shower gel in liquid form and plastic packaging are annoying for both travelers and the environment – so why isn’t there a good solution for this yet? ? Driven by their ambition and without any prior knowledge of chemistry, the two decided to develop their own recipe for solid shower products.
They worked on the so-called shower chunks for six months until they presented their idea as a crowdfunding campaign on Startnext in mid-2018. There was great interest: they reached their funding goal within an hour, and almost 2,000 people donated around 50,000 euros. The result made their crowdfunding campaign one of the most successful on Startnext in 2018. Two years later, the two inventors impressed with “The Lions’ Den”. Investor Ralf Dümmel, the dream lion of the two Stuttgarters, offered 250,000 euros for 25 percent of the company shares – Lutz and Lung accepted. Since then they have been successful with their product on the market.
The main advantage of shower blocks is their environmental friendliness. By avoiding plastic packaging, the company reduces mountains of waste. Most conventional shower gels are sold in single-use plastic bottles, which are often used only once and then thrown away. Shower chunks, on the other hand, do not require packaging and therefore minimize the ecological footprint. Shower chunks also promise a long shelf life. The 100 gram chunk should last for two months.
The trend towards sustainable products is gaining momentum worldwide and shower chunks are an example of how sustainable choices can be integrated into everyday life. Initially, however, there was criticism of the product. In an eco-test from 2021, two solid shower gels scored “satisfactory” and one even failed the test with “unsatisfactory”. What was worrying was the detection of organohalogen compounds, some of which are considered allergenic and even carcinogenic. According to the manufacturer, the Öko-Test verdict was taken very seriously and the ingredients have now been replaced. There are now not only shower gels and shampoos from Shower Chunks, but also deodorants and toothpastes.
A well-known alternative to shower bars are the solid shampoos and shower gels from Foamie. The brand was also founded with the aim of reducing the consumption of plastic packaging while offering high-quality care products. The company relies on solid shampoo and shower gel in the form of handy, slightly foaming bars.
The products are not only free from plastic packaging, but also from parabens, silicones, sulfates and microplastics. The solid care products are packaged in recyclable cardboard and contain only natural ingredients. In addition, the company is actively involved in environmental protection projects and strives to keep its ecological footprint as small as possible.
Tip: You can save on your purchase with an Otto voucher.
Sources: “Shower chunks”, “Öko-Test”
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