Can I refill SESI detergents in any container I want?
Taking into account Health and Safety, we don’t encourage people to refill our detergents in milk or drink bottles. If customers insist in refilling SESI detergents in milk bottles, they do so at their own risk. We ask that all reusable containers are stripped off of food and/or drink labels and that you stick a SESI label on your reusable container. Your reusable bottles must be clean and dried when refilling. Do not use drink bottles to refill SESI detergents, there is a risk that children and people who don’t read English could reach out for the bottle thinking it is a drink.
How do I become a SESI stockist?
Write to
Do you take my empty 20L containers back?
Yes, we do. We reuse our 5L and 20L drums. We take our drums back every time we deliver your orders. We clean the drums and put them back in circulation. The circular economy defines the way we operate at SESI; we have a proactive approach to reusing and reducing resources.
How do I order SESI dispensers?
Queue. There’s a currently a queue for the refill dispensers but we make sure work is swiftly on the way to build and install them.
Do you supply 100L and 200L barrel dispensers?
Yes, you can rent or altenratively purchase our SESI dispensers.
Can I refill other products with SESI dispensers?
No, you can only use our dispenser to refill our products or our partners products from them.
Do I have to use SESI dispensers?
No, it is not required to rent SESI dispensers. Some stockists use stainless steel vats or other dispensing devices to refill our products.
Does SESI supply taps and pumps?
Yes, you can find 5L and 20L taps and pumps listed in the SESI Product list.
Who builds SESI dispensers?
SESI team. Our directors design warehouse, delivery, decanting and refilling equipment inhouse, and our brilliant Maintenance Manager builds the equipment with support from the team.
What are SESI dispenser and tub dimensions?
| Height(cm) | Width(cm) | Depth(cm) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dispensers | 100 | 30 | 35 |
| 20L/15L Tubs | 40 | 24 | 29 |
| 5L Tubs | 29 | 18 | 14 |
| Height including the pump clearance: 45cm. | |||
Location Policy for Stockists
SESI seeks to maintain an optimal distance between stockists. We aim that traders aren’t so far apart that consumers don't have a nearby refill station, but not too close that they could undermine one another's businesses. These are the factors:
- Are you located in a village, town or the centre or outskirts of a city
- Distance between residents and their shopping areas (this has a direct link to what means of transport people are likely to use)
- Demographics
- CO2…. If people end up burning fossil fuels (by driving long distances) in order to reduce plastic pollution, we wish to be part of an ongoing solution to that.
In busy urban areas, we will supply to traders more distant than 15 minutes walking from each other. For small towns and villages (< 10,000 population approximately) it would be unusual to support two refill stations in the same settlement.
So far this is working well and so far all our traders have upped their refilling activity even when other refill stations open in the area.
Please let us know if instead of supporting the network, a trader is jeopardising decent trading standards and the spirit of solidarity.
Find your local SESI Stockist HERE
Where are SESI products made?
SESI detergents are made in Oxfordshire (18 miles) miles from SESI Headquarters. Our formulas are mild, harmless, vegan and cruelty free. We go to great lengths to ensure our products whilst eco-friendly, are also affordable and easy to refill. We use fragrances which can be sourced locally. We opt out from exotic essential oils which would need to be imported from far out, thus reducing carbon footprint where possible.
Do your products contain harmful ingredients?
No, SESI products don't contain harmful ingredients such as Parabens, Chlorine Bleaches, Optical Brightener, Sulphites, Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) and Methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT), Gluten, Alcohol, SLS, ALS, ALES, Phosphates and benzisothiazolinone.
Our formulas are designed to be harmless and free of those ingredients.
Sesi products are free from
Gluten, wheat, milk and soy
SESI Detergents are not skin tested
People with specific skin care conditions or allergies should take their normal level of care in reviewing the ingredients list. This information is in the stick over labels we supply to our stockists.
Are your Bicarbonate of Soda and Vinegar food graded?
They are not. These products are handled in an environment where detergents are made. If having done a thorough research, you wish to use them as ingredients to make your own cleaning products, that is fine too. One of the roots of our work is founded in preventing food waste, and in the spirit of preserving precious resources which should be produced and directed to feed people, we take the view that using edible resources for cleaning is a terrible missuse of the products, unless these are stricktly from your home surplus.
Does SESI supply Antibacterial products?
Yes, we do supply Antibacterial products for Business to Business, covering immportant needs in the face of coronavirus, for sectors such as hospitality, care homes, catering, offices, gymnasiums, beauty salons, schools, and more. This line of products (SESI PRO) are graded BS EN 1276 or BS EN 13697.
The Long Answer (important)
We see a conflict between having a product labelled as antibacterial whilst at the same time making claims that it is ‘eco’. Also, as our manufacturer's [doctor] chemist says, with 99% anti-bacterial it is the 1% that can kill you. Claims to being “antibacterial tested” can be misleading as this may not mean a product has passed the test.
We can understand that in health, care and commercial sectors, antibacterial products would be necessary, but we fundamentally separate ourselves from the notion that we need zero tolerance or life killing products in the domestic day to day cleaning cycles.
We keep SESI PRO to the Business to Business sector and discourage members of the public to use antibacterial products in the home, as SESI does not wish to contribute to a germophobic culture, leading us to use products which tragically, also kill good bacteria.
Apart from other cleaning products, two that can be used as antibacterial *for home surface* are:
Vinegar “Acetic acid (a.k.a. white vinegar) is a great disinfectant. It also acts as a deodorizer and cuts grease. You can tackle salmonella, E. coli and other “gram-negative” bacteria with vinegar” Does Vinegar Kill Germs?
Bicarbonate of Soda “It also has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that can help fight harmful bacteria” We like this old guide which even tells you how not to use this product The marvels of Bicarbonate of Soda
How can I access information regarding SESI ingredients, usage and dosage?
Since we set up SESI back in 2006, we created our own label to provide information for all our producs.
In 2013 when SESI Household Detergents were born, we created our own stick over label to:
- Ensure the Health and Safety of the public
- Provide stockists with material and key information on ingredients, dosage and usage
- To highlight the *REFILL* aspect of our campaign - people can use ANY detergent container [not food or drink bottles]
- To comply with regulations and trading standards
Our labels are available online for all relevant information here Refill Label Ingredients
Are SESI products harmful in septic tanks?
NO. SESI Refill do not contain bleach, phosphates or nonylphenol ethoxylate, which are harmful to septic tanks and the environment.
Do SESI products contain enzymes?
There are vegan enzymes in our Biological Laundry Liquid; none of the other SESI products contain enzymes.
Do SESI products contain palm oil?
Some SESI products are made with a coconut blend containing RSPO certified palm oil. (see table provided here)
We are not complacent about RSPO certified palm oil, neither do we think Coconut Oil is ‘the solution’ like the expensive eco market would have us believe.
It is vitally important to campaign for sustainable production of all crops. There has been lots of media attention about boycotting palm oil but in the usual SESI way, we have of course dug deeper to find out what the best course of action would be. In summary, we realise it is not that simple. Oil palm produces 41% of all global vegetable oil, in only 10% of the land used for oil crops. Rather than boycotting a crop, which could end up with that crop being ripped out in favour of a less productive oil crop that needs more land to produce the same quantity, we understand the need to support local palm oil growers who are sustainably producing palm oil. We can do this by ensuring that when palm oil is the best ingredient for our products, we use 100% RSPO certified palm oil.
To add to the complexity of these issues it is clear from the situation in Indonesia that even some RSPO palm oil is inherently damaging because it is grown on low lying peat soils needing artificial drainage leading to the huge dry season fires which extend down into the dry peat itself. Governmental policies to allow palm oil to be diverted towards the biofuel industry ramps up demand to unsustainable levels.
We can see that palm oil is a bit like plastic, a victim of its own success. Rather than boycotting it with a risk of raising our carbon footprint and creating different problems, let's make sure we make proper use of it. Only use what we need, don't waste, and make sure it is sustainably sourced.
"Palm oil is not only extremely versatile - it's also very productive, with a yield far greater than that of other vegetable oils, from a far smaller land area. The industry has also helped to create a huge number of jobs, and is an important contribution to many local and national economies. The problems associated with palm oil are therefore not with the crop itself, but with the way it is produced." WWF
SESI continues to campaign against destructive Palm and any other mono-culture endangering local and global ecosystems. Let’s ask these questions on Coconut Oil. We are currently sourcing and researching the use of UK grown oil crops. We believe that it should be possible for oils – whether used for fragrance, moisturisers or surfactants – to be extracted from affordable local crops, so long as these DO NOT use neonicotinoids, chemicals contributing to the extinction of bees, which in turn damage pollination and puts our land, crops and our capacity to produce food, in great danger.
You can read more about palm oil here: https://palmoilscorecard.panda.org
SLS or SLES?
Sodium Laureth Sulfate or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate? Sodium Laureth Sulphate:
- Is a benign and gentle surfactant not to be confused with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Is present in small quantities in SESI: Hand Soap, Washing-Up (ginger scent), Bio Laundry Liquid and the Non Bio Laundry Liquid
- Is derived from the blend of coconut oil