ePantry, a convenient subscription service for environmentally-friendly supplies delivered to your home, has become more energy-efficient for customers living in the eastern United States by adding a distribution center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  They’ve also expanded the product line to include more of the products I recommend, and I’ve tried something new that I like a lot!

I previously explained how to decide whether a subscription service is right for you and described my experience with the ePantry service and 11 specific products they carry. Six months ago, I noted one of the downsides of ePantry:

They are located in California.  I live in Pennsylvania.  This means that my order is being shipped across the continent.  It would be more eco-friendly to order from a company closer to home.  (But if you live in or near California, this is a plus!)

I knew that ePantry staff read my post, because after seeing it they offered me an affiliate arrangement.  But I didn’t expect them to respond to my concern about shipping mileage by opening a second warehouse right here in my state!  Wow.

The Earthling’s Handbook does not carry advertising and rarely partners with businesses because we have very high standards for consumer products.  ePantry is selling things that are genuinely lower in environmental impact than equivalent mainstream products, at reasonable prices with occasional amazing deals, and shipping them as efficiently as they can.  Their user interface and customer service are excellent.  It’s not one of those tricksy clubs with a membership fee and minimum orders and subtle deadlines to trip you up–you’ll always get an email several days before they send you a box, and you can adjust what’s in your box as much as you like, and if you don’t need anything you can just opt out of buying anything that month, without penalty.

I still recommend buying by the case to save money and time on things you use a lot, and that’s not something you can do through ePantry.  But for those products you use at a more modest pace (say, toilet-bowl cleaner), ePantry is a convenient way to have just one spare bottle on hand when you need it.

Click here to save $10 on your first ePantry order! 

This is an affiliate link that will earn me a discount, too, at no cost to you. November’s special deal also gives you a FREE Grove Collaborative soy candle, and that’s not just a dinky little candle; it will give you 70 hours of light and scent!

What will you buy?  Well, here are some things they carry that I think are really great:

• Molly’s Suds All Sport Wash is a liquid laundry detergent intended to get out tough odors and stains, scented with natural orange oil.  I tried it because my basement (where I line-dry all my laundry) went through a muddy-smelling phase in the late summer, and I was tired of having my clean clothes smell muddy after being washed in unscented detergent and hung in the basement!  Now they have a pleasant orange smell, but it isn’t too strong.  I also used this detergent on my daughter’s cloth diapers, and it works really well.  (In my next order, I’m going to try Molly’s Suds powdered laundry detergent, which gives more loads for the money.)
• Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap has been a favorite of mine for years.  Just a few drops will wash a large area, applied to wet skin in the shower.  Dilute it in a foamer for affordable, effective hand soap.  Mix it with baking soda for a skin-smoothing facial or all-purpose creamy cleanser.  It’s made of natural, organic, fair-trade certified, GMO-free ingredients (fully listed on the label) and sold in a 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottle.  There’s an unscented version and 7 different scents made using pure essential oils.  I like peppermint for sparkly clean feeling, but almond also smells absolutely delicious!
• method foaming hand wash is a completely acceptable soap in a great reusable foamer that you can refill with any liquid soap.  (NOTE: As of yesterday, this product was out of stock at ePantry.  They told me they’ll have it again soon!)
• method antibacterial bathroom cleaner is a clean-smelling spray for disinfecting hard surfaces like bathroom fixtures or the diaper pail.  I found that it also kills the orange mildew on my polyester shower curtain!  Since writing my extensive review, I’ve also tried the bamboo scent; it’s pleasant.
• Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day tub & tile cleaner takes off soap scum, with minimal scrubbing, without destroying your grout.
• Yes To liquid hand soap smells delicious and leaves hands soft and smooth!  It’s in a pump bottle, and although it can be diluted in a foamer, we found that it doesn’t work especially well for that–so it’s best for situations where you want a more thorough soaping.  I’m trying it as a lather for shaving my legs, too.
• Seventh Generation dishwasher detergent powder works well, without harmful fumes or fragrance.  The dishes are just clean, instead of having that squeaky-dusty feeling I associate with dishwashers.
• Diva Cup is an amazingly effective, reusable alternative to tampons.  Read all about it here!
• Seventh Generation chlorine-free pantyliners are every bit as comfortable and effective as disposable liners from the drugstore, without the carcinogens!
• Grove Collaborative soy candle is a clean-burning, petroleum-free candle in a jar, so it won’t drip on your furniture.  Its lovely fragrance comes from natural plant oils that won’t bother most people who are allergic to perfumes.
• Seventh Generation baby wipes are great for situations where you want a ready-to-use wet wipe without hazardous chemicals.  (Personally, I hate the slimy feeling of wet wipes, so I just use washcloths moistened with tap water.  But we buy these wipes for Lydia’s babysitter to use on her.)  ePantry sells the bulk pack, which is a good value.

ePantry works for me!  Visit Waste Not Want Not Wednesday for more ways to save money and reduce environmental impact!  Visit the Healthy Living Link Party for more ways to improve your life!