03 Jun 2026
Reduced packaging cheat sheet:
- We've redesigned our grouped deliveries to use less packaging.
- New box fitments help products travel safely with less cardboard.
- Compared to previous grouped delivery, packaging can save up to 10% carbon and up to 33% cardboard.
- Less cardboard means less recycling at home.
- Same cleaning products. Less packaging around them.
At smol, we're a bit obsessed with ditching the unnecessary stuff.
Unnecessary plastic. Unnecessary water. Unnecessary chemicals.
And now we've tackled another one: unnecessary cardboard.
Of course, packaging has an important job to do, but we'd rather only use what we need to.
That's why we've been redesigning how some orders are packed with a new reduced packaging system that helps products travel safely but uses less cardboard than before.
Why we looked at packaging again.
Many companies might stop once they'd swapped plastic tubs of laundry capsules for cardboard boxes.
Not smol. We wondered:
- Could we use fewer cardboard outers?
- Could different products fit together more efficiently?
- Could we cut down on empty space?
- Could we remove filler paper where it isn't needed?
The answer was yes.
So our packaging design team got to work.
What changed?
Instead of putting lots of separate smol product packs inside a larger box and then filling any gaps with extra packaging, our new system uses specially designed cardboard fitments to:
- Hold products safely in place
- Reduce movement during delivery
- Use less cardboard overall
- Reduce the need for filler materials
What difference does it make?
Compared with our previous grouped delivery system:
The average grouped order can save:
- Up to 10% carbon
- Up to 33% cardboard
Larger grouped deliveries can save:
- Up to 12% carbon
- Up to 36% cardboard
Which all means fewer packaging materials used overall and less cardboard heading straight into the recycling bin.
Let’s imagine…
If a smol customer usually orders:
Previously they might have been grouped together using our older packaging setup. But now they can travel in a reduced packaging box that fits them all in much more efficiently.
Which means less cardboard needed to get exactly the same products to your door.
And if you have an even bigger smol routine:
- Stain Gel
- Fabric Conditioner
- Foaming Handwash
- Multi Purpose Spray
- Bathroom Spray
- Laundry Liquid
- Cloths & Sponges
Larger grouped deliveries benefit the most from the new design. Orders like these can save up to 12% carbon emissions and up to 36% cardboard compared with our previous grouped delivery system.
Why less cardboard matters.
Cardboard is of course recyclable which is great. But using less in the first place is even better.
- Less material being made in the first place
- Less material being transported about
- Less material needing to be recycled
- Less clutter in your home overall
It's another smol change that quietly adds up.
Reduced packaging FAQs.
Catherine Green, Cleaning Expert
Catherine has been on a mission to revolutionise the way we tackle chores since the dawn of smol and is an advocate for making more sustainable living accessible to all, with a strong focus in cleaning that’s heavy on dirt, lighter on the planet. Catherine has tested hundreds of hacks to make tackling chores easier, safer, and better for the planet and our homes.
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