Tim Keaveney, Founder at Homethings: Refillable Household Cleaning Products

Homethings is reinventing household consumption by designing out waste. Our first products are a range of tiny effervescent tabs which, when mixed with tap water inside one of our reusable glass bottles, form powerful eco cleaning solutions. Extra tabs can be delivered on subscription so once the solution is used up, our products can be refilled and reused endlessly.

Five million tonnes of plastic waste produced each year – of which nearly half is derived from packaging. We started Homethings when we realised that the typical bottle of household cleaner was over 90% water and just 10% the stuff that actually cleans. By scaling back our products to their active ingredients and removing any unnecessary packaging, we are demonstrating why ditching single-use plastic is a matter of common sense. We are ultimately pioneering a shift to the circular economy in this category; one where we reuse and refill our packaging.
 
 

 

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

 
I came up with the idea for Homethings whilst living in a flatshare in London. Every person in the flat had a range of products clogging up space in the bathroom and kitchen – shampoos, shower gels, cleaning products, you name it – and each product came wrapped in single-use plastic. It is bonkers when you think about it. I was keen to find out if I could come up with an alternative that meant we could still use the everyday products we need without creating so much waste.

I was shocked to discover that most cleaning solutions on the market – including ones marketed as eco-friendly alternatives – are 90% water. Teaming up with an equally-passionate founding team, we poured our efforts into developing a unique product that could be activated using tap water. Over 100 formula tests later, our three Homethings’ products were invented!
 

What advice would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?

 
Start. If you have an idea that you’re passionate about, just start. Start researching, start talking to people about it, start taking some steps forward everyday. If you don’t it’ll always just remain an idea.

I’ve also found that having a clear set of values from the outset really helps to define your brand, and informs a lot of the decisions you go on to make as a founder. Staying true to them is always the next challenge, but remembering these values and why you started should keep you on track.
 

What can we hope to see from Homethings in the future?

 
Pioneering the shift away from single-use plastic and towards reusable and truly sustainable products is our overarching goal. We want our products to show people that you can make impactful swaps without compromising on the efficacy, price, or convenience that the big legacy brands are used to providing. We’re delighted by the response from our customers so far and are very excited by what’s yet to come.