Covid threw us all for a loop last year, what with coming out of cold and flu season straight into a quarantine and not knowing who was carrying what illnesses, or even (for a while) what illnesses were all over what surfaces. People panic bought toilet paper and cleaning supplies in record numbers and supply couldn’t keep up with demand for a while. Another unfortunate side effect of all of that was the overwhelming increase in litter and single use items. Tiny hand sanitizer bottles littered parking lots along with used gloves and masks like some sort of post apocalyptic wasteland.
Even before a global pandemic the oceans were getting filled with waste plastic and other garbage. Sanikind recognized the need for convenient and portable sanitizing options, as well as the need to reduce the amount of waste involved in the process. Their mission has been to collect and divert as much useable plastic away from oceans and landfills as possible and I knew immediately when I first saw them on Kickstarter that I needed to be a part of this journey as well.
Let me tell you that I was not at all disappointed when I finally got my supplies. Well, I wasn’t a big fan of the scent of their branded sanitizer, but knowing that I could use any liquid sanitizer I tried it out with my Cult+King 70%, which I love the smell of but have a hard time bringing a glass bottle with me for sanitizing on the go, and I. Am. In. Love.
What’s in the box? How do I use it?
Inside the box you get a dispenser in your choice of color, a funnel for easier filling, and a tiny carabiner to clip it onto pretty much whatever you want. The silicone funnel will last you a long time, and so will your dispenser.
The dispenser comes apart and goes back together easily, but what’s more important is that it doesn’t feel like it’s going to just fall right apart while you’re using it. Unscrew the cap from the canister, use your funnel (or don’t) to fill up the canister, reassemble, attach back to whatever you want!
Pictured above is my own personal dispenser. I chose the teal one because, well, one does want a hint of color. You can see some marks on the outer case, but I’ve been using it for months floating between my keys, wallet, jacket, whatever I was bringing with me at the time and it’s as solid and sturdy as the day I first got it.
I’ve found that I don’t really need the funnel when I’m refilling with my 70%, which is good because I set it down on my counter after using it once and haven’t seen it since. It’s TSA compliant and went with me on the one plane trip I’ve taken at the time of publishing.
A little about the company:
Sanikind was founded by Aman Khan, Martica Wakeman, Miles Pepper, and Jim Winett after seeing the growing need for reusable sanitizing options during the Covid-19 pandemic. They started by partnering with distilleries to provide sanitizer to nursing homes, hospitals, and nonprofits all at no cost.
How does it work?
Plastic is collected from streets, river ways, and coastlines in Haiti and Mexico. That plastic is sorted, cleaned, shredded, and processed into smaller pellets that are then turned into these mini dispensers.
Update September 2021:
3 new colors have been added! The unscented option has been updated and is actually unscented once it dries!!! The new lavender and fresh citrus options are amazing!! There’s an option to add a spray cap onto your refill making it easier than ever to use at home!
Wondering where to buy this awesome stuff?