Triple threat

Have you used the eco laundry detergent sheets from your welcome box? This product is actually an initiative from a current Bath student, Kieran Chauhan.

Kieran is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of The Green Company, which makes a range of products that offer an alternative to single use plastic. 

We caught up with him for a quick chat about why the company began and the sustainable products on offer. 

What are you studying here?

I am studying Politics and International Relations, and I am going into year 4 after doing a placement year working in the House of Commons for an Member of Parliament.

How and why did your business start? 

My business partner and I started the business as part of Young Enterprise. We knew that plastic pollution was a significant problem that is faced all over world and there weren’t many single-use plastic alternatives available to everyday products like plastic straws, cutlery and cling film.

We won several awards at regional competitions and decided to continue the business on after school. We exhibited at country shows all around the country at the age of 16 on our summer holidays and they were a great success. However when Covid hit, this avenue of sales stopped so we had to move fully online. Ever since then our online presence has grown and we have continued to develop and bring out new products.

What makes your products different to others?

Laundry Detergent Sheets are our current feature product, and they are doing extremely well. They are an alternative to ‘normal’ laundry detergent, as they are condensed laundry detergent in a fully dissolving sheet. As a company, we are Carbon Negative, as we offset more carbon emissions than we produce, which is something we are really proud of. With regards to our laundry sheets, we use less harsh chemicals in our product in comparison to others, which is both better for the environment and for the longevity of the clothing washed.

Why should people buy them?

Our Laundry Detergent Sheets bring simplicity to your washing. With the sheets suitable to wash all types of clothes, in both hot or cold water they are extremely convenient to use. You simply put the laundry sheet straight into the drum and it will lather and clean your clothes, which saves you the unnecessary mess and weight of liquids, pods and powders. We offer our laundry sheets on a subscription basis too, so our customers can tailor a plan to them so they can receive their detergent as and when they need, which arrives straight through their letterbox, free of charge.

What advice would you give to other Bath students looking to start their own business?

I would say to simply give any idea you have a try. My business partner and I had run several businesses before this one, selling a range of products, however not all of them were as successful, but we learnt an immense amount along the way and brought us vital experience. If we hadn’t run our previous businesses then we may not have been in the same position we are in today, as we can learn from our previous experiences and mistakes.

Love your laundry sheets? You can find them in the student enterprise area in The Market now if you'd like to buy some more.

See more of The Green Company's products on their online shop.