Grove Collaborative isn’t a single product, it’s an online marketplace curating “cleaner” home and personal-care goods, plus its own Grove Co. line. So “is Grove sustainable?” has two answers: the company itself, and the things it sells. On the company, the credentials are strong.
- Certified B Corp (100.9 score), recertified and certified 10+ years, the top 5% of B Corps
- Public Benefit Corporation, legally bound to balance profit with human and environmental health
- The first plastic-neutral retailer; every order is carbon neutral and funds plastic cleanup
- Its own Grove Co. line is plastic-light and third-party tested
- Curates and vets the brands it carries for ingredient safety
- It’s a retailer, the sustainability of third-party brands it sells still varies
- The subscription/auto-ship model can nudge you toward buying more than you need
- Some products it carries still ship in plastic
Related: see the truth about PVA in cleaning products and how to reduce plastic waste at home.
What Is Grove Collaborative?
Grove Collaborative is a publicly traded online retailer (and Public Benefit Corporation) that sells home cleaning, personal care, and household goods with a focus on lower-tox, lower-plastic options. It carries both outside brands and its own private label, Grove Co.
The B Corp and Plastic-Neutral Credentials
Grove first certified as a B Corp in 2014 and has recertified since, scoring 100.9, placing it among the small share of B Corps that have held certification for over a decade. It’s also the first “plastic neutral” retailer: for the plastic it does ship, it funds the collection and processing of an equivalent amount of ocean-bound plastic, and every order is carbon neutral.
The Marketplace Problem
Here’s the tension: Grove the company is highly credible, but Grove the store sells hundreds of products from other brands, and not all are equally sustainable. Grove’s own line (Grove Co.) is the most reliably plastic-light choice; for third-party items, it still pays to check the individual product.
How the subscription actually works
Most of the one-star reviews you will find for Grove are not about the products. They are about the cart. Grove runs on an auto-ship model: when you buy, you are typically enrolled in recurring shipments, and a VIP membership with a fee can ride along after a trial. Everything is pausable and cancelable from the account page, but the defaults favor the company, not you.
If you shop there, take thirty seconds at checkout to review what is set to recur. Done deliberately, the subscription is convenient. Done accidentally, it is a surprise box of cleaning supplies and an annoyed credit card statement.
A retailer first, a brand second
Grove is really two things wearing one name: the Grove Co. house line, and a marketplace carrying dozens of other brands, including ones we have reviewed like Blueland and Meliora. That mix is why a single sustainability verdict is tricky. The house line is thoughtfully built, but the storefront still sells plenty of plastic-packaged products.
The company’s answer is its plastic-neutral commitment, funding the collection of as much plastic as it ships, plus a longer-term push it calls Beyond Plastic. Offsets are not the same as elimination, but pairing them with a decade of B Corp certification puts Grove ahead of most retailers its size.
The Verdict: Is Grove Collaborative Sustainable?
Grove Collaborative is one of the most sustainability-driven retailers out there, a decade-long Certified B Corp, Public Benefit Corporation, and the first plastic-neutral retailer, though because it’s a marketplace, the eco-credentials of individual products it carries still vary.
Related: our best non-toxic cleaning products ranks the brands we trust most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Grove Collaborative a B Corp?
Yes. Grove Collaborative is a Certified B Corporation (score 100.9) and has held certification for more than 10 years, placing it in the top tier of B Corps. It is also a Public Benefit Corporation.
Is Grove Collaborative actually plastic-free?
Not entirely, but it’s the first ‘plastic neutral’ retailer, it funds the recovery of as much plastic as it ships. Its own Grove Co. line is plastic-light, while some third-party products it sells still use plastic.
Is the Grove subscription worth it?
It can be if you’ll use the products, since orders are carbon neutral and the catalog is pre-vetted for cleaner ingredients. Watch the auto-ship cadence so you don’t accumulate more than you need.
Are Grove Collaborative products non-toxic?
Grove screens its catalog for ingredient safety and its Grove Co. line avoids many common harsh chemicals. As with any marketplace, check individual third-party products for their specific ingredient lists.
Do you need a subscription to shop Grove Collaborative?
No. You can place one-time orders, but recurring shipments are the default path through checkout, so double-check your cart settings before you pay if you don’t want auto-ship.
Want to try Grove Collaborative?
Shop Grove Collaborative →
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Sources & Further Reading
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