Seepje
Talking to co-founder Melvin Loggies
ImpactCity celebrates its tenth anniversary with an exhibition at the town hall, a poster campaign throughout the city, and, of course, a special anniversary edition of ImpactFest.
We have selected ten entrepreneurs who have made a significant contribution to the impact ecosystem in The Hague over the past ten years. Seepje is one of these ten companies, so we visited their sparkling clean office to interview one of the two founders, Melvin. The article below is based on that interview.
Seepje
What began as an idea in a student room in The Hague grew into a brand that is shaking up the soap market. Seepje, founded in 2014 by friends Melvin and Jasper, produces “soap without the junk”: laundry and cleaning products based on natural and renewable ingredients. No microplastics, no fossil raw materials.
“We started Seepje because the soap industry is dirty. We make soap without junk, which means soap without ingredients that are harmful to the user or nature. In this way, we want to create a clean soap industry,” says Melvin.
Cleaning with a clean consciousness
Seepje develops detergents, dishwashing liquids and care products that prove that effective cleaning is perfectly possible without petrochemical ingredients. It’s all about transparency and simplicity: every package lists exactly what’s in it, why it’s in it and where it comes from. The bottles are made from recycled plastic from the Netherlands, and refill packs are available so that one bottle can last a lifetime.
The company operates from The Hague with a team of ‘Soapies’, as Seepje employees are called, together with manufacturers throughout the Netherlands. Their mission is clear: to make fossil-free soap the norm, so that people and the planet benefit from healthier choices.
Nepalese soap nut shells
Seepje’s origins lie in a unique natural product: the shell of the Sapindus mukorossi, better known as the soap nut. In Nepal, women have been using these shells for centuries to wash their clothes and hair. Seepje purchases them from women’s farming cooperatives at fair prices and with volume guarantees.
To further support the local community, the brand supports tree nurseries that distribute around 5,000 young trees to farmers every year. After about seven years, Seepje collects the new shells again. This creates a sustainable, circular relationship that nourishes not only nature but also the local economy.
Innovation for everyone
Where traditional manufacturers often stick to synthetic formulas, Seepje seeks natural alternatives that work just as well. For example, the detergent combines six plant-based cleaners with five natural enzymes to remove as many different stains as possible.
The brand values transparency. Seepje shared its own recipe prominently in the newspaper, inviting large soap manufacturers to become more sustainable more quickly. ‘It doesn’t have to cost billions, and it doesn’t have to take ten years,’ Melvin explains passionately. ‘We already have it; here’s our recipe. You can use it right away.’
From startup to supermarket brand
After winning the Hague Innovation Award in 2014, Seepje not only received financial support but also the visibility it needed to continue growing. The real breakthrough came three years later when it was introduced at Albert Heijn and Etos. This marked the first time that sustainable soap was sold on a large scale.
In 2024, the brand took a step across the border: with thirteen products, Seepje is now also available at Delhaize in Belgium. Depending on the product category, its market share now varies between one and five per cent: a modest but growing share in a huge market.
While the first customers mainly chose Seepje because of its sustainability story, the brand also emphasises personal benefits: skin-friendliness, mild fragrance, and attractive design. Many users report fewer eczema symptoms and appreciate the natural fragrance experience. This shifts the message from “good for the world” to “better for you and also for the world”.
The future: clean soap as standard
According to Melvin, the success of sustainable businesses depends not only on passion, but also on perseverance: ‘Passion can get you through a sprint, but discipline gets you through a marathon.’ And that marathon is far from over.
Melvin looks ahead to the future of soap: ‘By 2035, clean soap will be the norm. Sustainable brands will have captured more than half of the market, inspiring traditional players to become more sustainable and ensuring that consumers and the planet benefit structurally from healthier, cleaner choices.’
Ten years of ImpactCity,
ten entrepreneurs in the spotlight
Seepje is a wonderful example of “doing good and doing business” and has therefore been selected as one of ten entrepreneurs to celebrate and showcase ten years of ImpactCity.
Campaign images of Seepje and the nine other entrepreneurs were displayed on digital screens throughout the city from October 21 to November 3, 2025. In addition, there was also an exhibition entitled “10 Years of ImpactCity” in the town hall from 29 October to 27 November.