Tru Earth’s growth highlights the business potential of low-waste cleaning solutions. As consumers search for plastic-free packaging, companies are finding new opportunities for innovation.
Plastic pollution remains a significant environmental challenge, with Canadians sending more than three million tonnes of plastic to landfills annually. While recycling rates for plastic packaging have improved, increasing from 12% in 2019 to 20% in 2022, the threat of plastic pollution for Canada’s wildlife, rivers, lakes and oceans remains. Addressing plastic waste requires efforts across multiple industries, including those that rely heavily on plastic packaging.
The cleaning industry, for one, has long depended on plastic containers, particularly single-use jugs for liquid detergents and plastic boxes for pods. For decades, these containers have been a staple in households, but as the push to reduce plastic waste grows, some companies have introduced different approaches to packaging and product design. British Columbia-based Tru Earth is one example, offering household cleaning products designed to eliminate plastic packaging without compromising effectiveness.
“Our initial goal was simply to help a family member with an innovative approach to laundry,” says Brad Liski, CEO of Tru Earth. “That’s when we realized we had something powerful—a product that could disrupt a stagnant sector. What started with a laundry innovation has grown into a global organization.”
In just six years, Tru Earth has expanded from laundry detergent to a full range of household cleaning products, all designed to reduce single-use plastic. The company saw 577% growth over a three-year period, and placed 70th on the 2024 Report on Business list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies.
Reducing plastic pollution is core to Tru Earth’s business
Unlike traditional liquid or powder soaps that are often sold in plastic containers, Tru Earth’s Eco-Strips™ laundry detergent is cut into paper-thin strips of pre-measured detergent, packaged inside of small, recyclable cardboard sleeves which avoids single-use plastic. It’s an efficient alternative, and one that is helping Canadians make choices that reduce plastic waste, without compromising on cleaning power.
Since its founding in 2019, the company estimates that, as of December 2024, it has eliminated more than 188 million single-use laundry detergent jugs globally.
“People are waking up to the environmental impact of the products they use every day and the impact they have on their health,” says Liski.
Tru Earth is lowering its environmental impact beyond minimizing plastic waste. Its compact, recyclable packaging takes up less space than traditional laundry detergent jugs, helping to reduce shipping emissions by cutting down on freight weight. In refining its packaging and streamlining transportation, the company continues to find ways to improve efficiencies and generate less waste throughout its supply chain.
Creating demand in a growing market through consumer education and community engagement
Today, Tru Earth reaches millions of customers in over 80 countries. It has found that product education is equally as important as its plastic-free packaging. The company focuses on empowering consumers to make small, impactful changes.
“Changing peoples’ habits was one of our biggest challenges,” says Liski. “It takes education and a product that’s easy to use, and once we cracked that, the rest followed.”
Tru Earth measures success using two key metrics: The number of plastic containers it prevents from entering the market, and the number of donated laundry Eco-Strips™.
Tru Earth supports organizations like The Other Side Academy in the United States, by donating supplies to help students enrolled in their vocational and life skills training program with up to 3,300 loads of laundry. Since 2020, they’ve also donated 3 million laundry strips to Daily Bread Food Bank, which assists tens of thousands of individuals and families across Toronto, Ontario.
Product innovation that helps consumers everyday
“We’re laser-focused on reducing single-use plastic waste, starting with our patented Eco-Strip™, which has shaken up the laundry sector,” says Liski. “Our battle is against plastic and the big soap companies. But we haven’t stopped there—we’re driving behavior change in other parts of the home too, like the kitchen and bathroom.”
Tru Earth’s multi-purpose cleaners follow the same principles as its laundry Eco-Strips™, using concentrated strips that dissolve in water and are packaged in the same recyclable sleeves. These innovations simplify cleaning by offering easy-to-use, effective products that require no major changes in habit.
“Innovation requires risk—sometimes you have to jump off the ledge and take a big chance,” says Liski. “At Tru Earth, we’ve created an environment where it’s okay to take those leaps and push boundaries in the name of progress.”
What does the future hold for Tru Earth?
Tru Earth’s journey is a testament to Canadian innovation. As the company continues to grow, it reflects the increasing demand for products designed to reduce plastic waste in household cleaning. For Liski, he believes that a future free of single-use plastic in cleaning products is possible.
“Plastic pollution has a long and damaging legacy and we need to act now—and act fast,” he says. “I want to see a world where you can look under your kitchen sink or around your house and not find a single piece of plastic packaging”
For Canadians beginning to remove single-use plastic products at home, Liski has advice that’s easy to follow. “You don’t have to solve everything at once,” he says. “One small change can make a huge difference.”
