Archive for the ‘Science Anyone?’ Category

• Ecover Looks At The Benefits Of Sugarcane In Plant Based Packaging

  Date: 2012.04.13 | Category: Science Anyone? | Response: 0

  

  Exciting things are happening in the world of packaging! OK, we know what you’re thinking…really, package containers? More mundane than thrill-a-minute, right? But when you consider that scientists have figured out how to use the natural sugarcane plant to make plastic containers, you can see why Ecover is proud to be a part of ushering in this new era of sustainable packaging. As you’ve read here before, our award-winning 100% PlantPlastic packaging made entirely from sugarcane, is 100% renewable, reusable and recyclable.We think it’s pretty cool.

  

  Ecover spent three years working in the development to transition to this alternative packaging solution using sugarcane, bypassing the problematic alternative of corn products. After all, Ecover’s tradition of innovation has always been the intersection of science and nature, beginning over 30 years ago when we started producing phosphate-free dishwashing liquid and laundry detergent. Now today, dramatic changes are again afoot as companies seek more sustainable ways to deliver their products.

  We’re excited by the buzz and the interesting debate over what makes the most sense to use – corn or sugar cane. There are both important environmental and economic issues.  While corn is an option, Ecover believes sugarcane is a far better choice. The cultivation of corn requires heavy doses of nitrogen fertilizer, herbicides and insecticides, all which contribute to streams, rivers and ground water pollution. Sugarcane for Ecover’s PlantPlastic is grown in harmony with nature, without harming the nearby Amazonian rainforests. It’s the more sustainable choice. Corn used in packaging is more disruptive, also, to the global food supply as corn products are widely used in literally thousands of food products – as well as heavily used in ethanol production.

  It’s no wonder we can’t contain our excitement over the benefits of our 100% PlantPlastic bottles! Look for the logo on most Ecover products soon!

   

• Ecover Looks At Warnings To Consumers About Receipts

  Date: 2012.02.10 | Category: Science Anyone? | Response: 0

  

  Running our errands on any given day, we may take receipts from cashiers several times for things like iced coffee, groceries and gas. That’s fine, but now Ecover has seen that there are new studies out that draw attention to many of the receipt processes out there, reporting that some could be harmful.

  The Environmental Working Group found high levels of the cancer-causing compound bisphenol A (BPA) on two-fifths of papers receipts that they tested. BPA is a substance that acts like the hormones in the endocrine system, disrupting their normal function. We’ve known for quite some time that BPA can be found in some water bottles and food cans. But receipts?

  In some cases, the amount of BPA on a given receipt was 1,000 times the levels typically found in a can of food. The EPA collected the receipts from grocery stores, fast food restaurants, gas stations, postal offices and ATM’s; they conducting “wipe tests” which showed that the BPA coating of the paper receipts would likely affix to the skin of anyone who handled them. What’s more alarming; BPA can be absorbed into the skin and transferred to the digestive tract by touching the mouth.

  As a company who ensures our products are healthy and safe, and as consumers in the marketplace ourselves, this is certainly concerning.  Thankfully, the organization offers tips for consumers and employers who’d like to limit exposure:

  • Wash your hands after handling receipts but do not use alcohol-based hand cleaners. The study showed that these products can actually increase the skin’s BPA absorption.
  • Never allow a child to play with a receipt.
  • Do not recycle receipts as BPA residues from receipts will contaminate recycled paper.
  • Transfer to paperless options like emailed electronic receipts.

  We urge you to ask the stores where you shop to purchase BPA-free paper. And because we care about your health, we feel the best tip may be to simply decline any printed receipts, if possible!

  Image by Guerilla Futures / Jason Tester via www.flickr.com

• Ecover Watching Growth In Sustainable Construction Practices In Business And At Home

  Date: 2012.01.20 | Category: Science Anyone? | Response: 0

  A large part of being a manufacturer of products designed to make your home spotless (and your life easier) is assessing our own operations – evaluating the impact of our production facilities as well as the strength of our cleaners.  Our factory is a model of efficiency and efficacy, and we use our Diamond Model or Sustainable Cycle to analyze the lifecycle of our products. Ecover takes care of business so that you don’t need to worry about anything but a sparkling clean house for you and your family!  Such comprehensive building, manufacturing and waste guidelines drive our business, and you can rest assured you have some of the best cleaning agents on earth.

  
  We wish that our business model was followed in every industry. Today we’re looking at the case in the construction industry, where fluid economics and demanding schedules can conspire to make building a haphazard process. Commercial building projects can chew through raw materials, consume great amounts of our resources and waste energy and send a seemingly endless parade of waste to landfills.

  Fortunately it appears that there’s growth in some ecologically-sound building practices, thanks to the efforts of environmentally savvy (and LEED certified) architects and trade groups. Along with government incentives and education, developers now get greater input relating to the use of sustainable materials and practices.

   LEED Gold certification is a goal for projects seeking sustainable building.

  In addition, it’s consumers at home that may be fostering more change than trade groups or government regulations – because of the growth of home projects among DIY’rs.  Popular media outlets like HGTV and Planet Green, and other educational information  provides a wealth of integrated solutions for efficient remodeling in your home.  Big-box retailers like Home Depot and Lowes also help ecologically friendly remodeling and insulation construction more accessible to DIY.

  Perhaps this consumer driven effort at home will provide a “trickle-up” effect, with commercial construction following the buzz to less wasteful building practices, and more earth-friendly standards.

  Image via Wikimedia Commons: excess or damaged building materials often go straight to landfills.

   

• Take Your Cooking Up a Notch — Get Your Geek On in the Kitchen!

  Date: 2011.12.14 | Category: How Tos, Science Anyone? | Response: 0

  

  Remember the classic baking soda volcano experiment? Just add vinegar and – voila – erupting lava! Cool and fun to do with kids, yes, but also evidence that your kitchen is a culinary laboratory where a little scientific know-how comes in handy. Especially when the recipe leaves you hanging, or you just want to try something new with whatever’s on hand.

  At Ecover, we’re proud of the science behind our products, so we’re also intrigued by the idea of exploring scientifically based cooking tips. Hey, we love to eat, too! And when you think about it, every recipe is a controlled experiment involving a teaspoon of this and tablespoon of that….it’s a brave soul who goes rogue with hungry people waiting to eat. We say go for it, but be armed with information that many cookbooks don’t give you!

  

  For instance, have you ever wondered about the secrets to browning – getting that golden crust on freshly baked bread? We can thank the “Maillard Reaction.” When baking bread, sugars are reduced by heat and react with amino acids in the dough. Baked goods with sugar substitutes don’t participate in the Maillard Reaction and therefore won’t brown, so substitute at your own risk! Speaking of substitutions, check out this great comprehensive list that you can put to good use.

  Are you more curious? The Internet makes it easy to brush up on the “molecular art of grilling” or the “science of sugar,” as well as plenty of other kitchen science topics. Or generate fascinating dinner conversation with common kitchen myths! Who knew a box of baking soda in the fridge doesn’t absorb odors after all?

  Have fun testing your newfound knowledge, and may all your kitchen experiments be deliciously successful!

  Image 1 by rittyrats, via www.flickr.com
  Image 2 by Minimalist Photography, via www.flickr.com 

• Ecover Studies The Ultimate Natural Cleaner

  Date: 2011.12.02 | Category: Science Anyone? | Response: 0

  

  In our research at Ecover we are always pleased to see examples of the sustainable relationship between humans and nature. Like in our ability to coexist with plants: it’s fascinating that we breathe in oxygen and exhale CO² – and plants do the opposite.  It’s the perfect marriage, except perhaps for excesses of the industrial age, driving our constant pursuit of bigger, better and faster, separating us from nature. We build better bubbles to insulate ourselves, but in the process we’ve trapped ourselves in some rather unhealthy environments, thanks to gasses from building materials, poor ventilation and lack of sunlight.

  Ironically, it was in the pursuit of an even bigger environment – the expanses of space travel – that yielded a simple solution to our compromised lifestyles. NASA’s work on human–plant cohabitation is led by renowned environmental scientist B.C. “Bill” Wolverton. They’ve found that houseplants were actually capable of healing so-called “sick buildings,” by transforming the airborne irritants of sealed spaces into nutrients.  And they say that the placement of plants around any room starts the process.

  

  Sustainable Ecosystem, designed by Wolverton Environmental Services: the building’s rooftop garden works to help clean indoor air 

  During B.C. “Bill” Wolverton’s 30-year career with the U.S. Military and NASA, he has pioneered bio-hazard remediation using plant life. He continues to work in the field and is continually developing new “living” buildings – use plants – to filter HVAC air flows.

  Of course at Ecover we have been resourcing plants as raw materials for our highly effective products, and mitigating the environmental impact, for over 30 years. Even our factory has a turf roof, giving new meaning to “returning to your roots!” Break out the Peace Lilies, Bamboo Palms, Gerber Daisies and potted Mums, the cache of “bio-remediation” will now trump even feng shui for our living spaces and lifestyles!

  Photo (top) is the Peace Lily: the plant can be highly effective in removing indoor air pollutants a NASA study shows. Image via Wikimedia Commons
  Image (bottom) via www.sti.nasa.gov

   

• Going Back to Basics: Ecover’s Thoughts on Organic Farming

  Date: 2011.06.08 | Category: Science Anyone? | Response: 0

  

  Zero impact on the environment. That has been the mantra of organic farmers around the world for years. Organic farming was about getting back to basics in producing food naturally. This meant that absolutely no synthetic chemical fertilizers, harmful pesticides or genetically modified organisms would be used to grow crops. It also meant that livestock be raised free of drugs or animal hormones. The objective of organic farmers has been to produce safe, nutritious food while protecting the earth’s resources. At Ecover, we truly admire and support these important efforts, just as preserving and sustaining our planet’s natural resources is central to our own company’s mission.

  Because the definition of “organic” can be nebulous, most developed countries put certification programs in place to ensure that uniform quality assurance standards were met, and consumers could know with certainty that a product that’s certified organic truly is organic. Today in the United States, when food is USDA Certified, it means that it has passed rigorous tests and requirements (which include field and processing facilities inspections) that are set forth by the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program.

  

  The renaissance of organic farming today is directly linked to heightened consumer awareness of the importance of healthy living, recognizing ecological safeguards, and to the reaction against the use of harmful toxins. Why call it a renaissance? Essentially, we look at organic farming as the re-generation of the farming process utilized by our ancestors centuries ago – when toxic chemicals and their side effects of pollution did not even exist. While we cannot turn the clock back in time, it is gratifying to know that we can apply the natural farming methods of the past, towards the promise of a better, sustainable future, for generations to come.

  Images via Boston.com, and Ams.usda.gov.
  

• Ecover Fantastic PlantPlastic Packaging is Plantastic!

  Date: 2011.04.25 | Category: Ecover Products, News & Politics, Science Anyone? | Response: 4

  
  

  We know you love the power of what’s inside Ecover containers, but now there’s just as much to appreciate on the outside! By harnessing the power of nature and applying smarter science, Ecover is introducing a new type of green packaging that we call “PlantPlastic.” It’s 100 percent renewable, reusable and recyclable. And it’s made from: sugarcane! Now that’s a sweet way to fulfill our core commitment to sustainability!

  Like you, we recognize that plastic packaging causes major environmental problems. It’s produced from crude oil, an increasingly scarce resource which can lead to oil spills and pollution. The recycling of petroleum-based plastics is filled with challenges and hazards as well, so Ecover’s been working for the past three years to find alternative packaging solutions.

  We’re so happy with our “Plantastic” results that we’ve decided to make the majority of our Ecover packaging 100 percent PlantPlastic! Meanwhile, some other well-known brands are thinking of following our lead, which is great news – even if they only intend to use up to 30 percent renewable plastic initially.

  So how do you turn sugarcane into plastic? It’s an unbelievably simple and sustainable process. Sugar is fermented and distilled to produce ethanol; this ethanol is dehydrated to create ethylene, which is polymerized into plantplastic. And because the sugarcane is grown and harvested in harmony with its natural environment, the nearby Amazonian rainforests remain unaffected. The entire production process is so efficient that we need only harvest 37 acres of land to make a year’s worth of Ecover packaging!

  Look for Ecover’s fantastic new PlantPlastic bottles, stamped with the PlantPlastic logo. Of course, what’s on the inside is just as important as ever, so you can be sure that every new package contains cleaning products that are incredibly efficient and supremely powerful!

  Additional note:  On 11/29/11 Ecover France won the 2011 Oscar De L’Emballage  in the environment packaging category for the PlantPlastic bottle!
  
  

• Ecover Says Don’t-Poo-Poo This Idea!

  Date: 2011.04.08 | Category: Science Anyone? | Response: 0

  When we come across a company that’s making a sustainable, ecological product while being a responsible member of society, we looked up…and when the company has the words “poo poo” in its name—well we couldn’t help but be a little giddy!

  

  The POOPOOPAPER™ Company has caught our attention because they use the fiber found in elephant “poo” to make their paper. Really.  According to Michael Flancman, founder of the company, “[b]asically, we collect the dung, rinse it, boil it for several hours until all that is left is primarily a cellulose substance which forms the pulp.  We mix the poo cellulose with seasonally available long fibers to bolster the integrity of the final paper product.  The pulp is spread out over mesh screens…[and] left to sun-dry for several hours.  Once dry the sheet can be removed/ separated from the screen and then cut into the desired sizes required.”

  

  The fact that these guys can take elephant (and now cow, horse and panda) poo and turn it into attractive, odor-free paper is truly remarkable. And this innovative and sustainable source helps to curb deforestation. As Mr. Flancman puts it, “Our mission is simply to craft quality, memorable and innovative, eco-friendly products that convey a positive message of sustainability.”

  In addition to these sustainable business practices, the company encourages the use of its products as a fundraising tool for environmental groups and associations. They also contribute a portion of their profits to elephant welfare and conservation programs! “POOPOOPAPER™ has donated over $8,000 in cash and in-kind to various organizations and causes over the last few years,” says Mr. Flancman.

  Ecover is thrilled to have the opportunity to highlight this inventive business. POOPOOPAPER™products are available on the internet and in thousands of stores nationwide.

  Photo 1 and Photo 2, via  Flickr.com

• The Fuss Over Phosphates in Dishwasher Detergents – Ecover Customers are Already Ahead of The Curve

  Date: 2011.03.25 | Category: News & Politics, Science Anyone? | Response: 2

  

  No doubt about it – the dishwasher is a workhorse invention that has come a long way since Josephine Cochraneunveiled one of the first ever at the 1893 World’s Fair. Today’s models lead us to expect nothing less than sparkling clean dishes. So it’s not surprising that a required reduction of phosphates in dishwasher detergent this past year has caused a stir in kitchens across America! In fact, commentators and consumers have been dishing since July 2010, when several states imposed strict phosphate limits for dishwashing detergents. A total of 16 states instituted this nearly total ban – enough to prompt the conventional detergent brands to change their formulations nationwide, playing catch-up. No changes needed here at Ecover though, our Dishwasher Tablets and Automatic Dishwashing Powder have never contained phosphates!

  As we’ve talked about many times, phosphates pose a serious environmental threat.  We’re happy that these phosphate bans have prompted more awareness, but the rap in some circles still says that no phosphates may be good for the environment, but bad for dishwashing. You know that Ecover couldn’t disagree more! Our products do a fantastic job according to our customers – and a Consumer Reports test of phosphate-free detergents. So while the other guys scramble to improve their formulas, Ecover is recognized for a long history of pioneering scientific know-how with plant- based ingredients.

  

  A positive aspect of this recent “phosphate fallout” is that more consumers are paying attention to how their dishwashers work, and their detergent’s impact on the environment. Ecover is just glad that the word is getting out. You can use our phosphate-free products secure in the knowledge that they will do their job so you don’t have to worry.  And we think Josephine would approve of the shiny results too!

  Image Via MorgueFile

• Ecover Sees Impact of Using Grey Water

  Date: 2011.03.09 | Category: Science Anyone? | Response: 0

  

  At Ecover, we help consumers shrink their biological footprint via our highly effective cleaning products that fully biodegrade, instead of invading our lakes and streams with dangerous phosphates that can choke their vitality. “Going the distance” on biodegradability is a cornerstone of our cleaning products and our pursuit of a simply better way to live.

  Minimizing our footprint also means curbing consumption, especially with something as vital as water.  With the average American using roughly 80-100 gallons each day, eco-forecasters increasingly cite a continually growing “water supply stress” for many parts of the country.

  Preservation (shortening showers, using appliance “miser” settings, etc.) is essential – OK – but short of xeriscaping your entire life, what’s next? The choices can be complex, but advocates are finding solutions with reusing “grey water” recovered from washing dishes, laundering clothes or bathing.

  Grey water systems re-route household plumbing, sending “used” water for use inside the house for non-potable applications, such as flushing toilets. This alone can garner considerable savings because toilets account for upwards of 50% of a household’s water use.  That’s a recovery strategy that saves water and the resources necessary to treat higher volumes of waste.
  As this emerging option garners more attention, scientific and engineering minds are already working on new and fantastic ways to recover, cleanse and repurpose this treasured resource. At Ecover, we admire this thinking and energy savings, and we’ll be following it too, watching for what may become the next step in recycling and saving our resources.

  Image via wikimedia.org