Let's say we have a product, any product, and we want to assess its eco-sustainability. Where do we start? What do we looking for?
Within this article I would like to provide some guidelines to the choices made by each brand.
Almost all of the actions aimed at increasing the eco-sustainability of a product focus on the following 5 macro-areas:
- Raw materials : the focus is on the ingredients that make up the product. Where they come from, if they are renewable, if they contain contaminants, what processes they must undergo to be used, etc.
- Processing : the manufacturing process of a product is examined, the resources (energy and water) that it consumes, the emissions and waste it produces and how the latter can be treated.
- Container or packaging : we look at the material the container is made of, the resource/waste balance during its production, whether the container is then reusable or recyclable, etc.
- Distribution : how does it reach our homes? Because the product can be made very well, but it has to travel halfway around the world by plane to reach to us, maybe it's not worth it.
- Effects of its residues on the environment : once used, what effects does "what remains" of the product have on the environment?
Each of these areas is a world unto itself: technicals details, pros and cons, economic compromises, available technology. It is unthinkable that a consumer could (or should) know in depth all the aspects. However, having some guidelines about what could be done will give us the power to make our own choices about what's important for us.
Now that we've identified these 5 areas, we can name a few buzz words and see where they fit: afterwards you'll be able to confidently show off over a beer with friends. Since we are in a blog about detergents, I will only mention the ones we hear most often in the fabulous world of cleaning products.
Characteristics of the raw materials used
Natural VS synthetic origin : it's about the origin and processing of the raw materials used. There is no consensus on how to define materials "of natural origin": depending on how strict one wants to be, they can indicate raw materials that occur spontaneously in nature, raw materials produced following the principles of Green Chemistry [1] or raw materials obtainable without the use of petroleum or derivatives. Depending on the definition you choose, “synthetic” means everything else.
From organic farming : it refers to raw materials of plant origin where, during cultivation, no chemical products appearing on specific lists have been used. This lists vary depending on the Guidelines the manufacturer follows. This approach also rejects genetically modified organisms and a whole series of practices deemed too invasive for the environment. There is no scientific consensus about whether this type of agriculture has an overall lower environmental impact than traditional agriculture nor if the products have greater nutritional qualities [2].
Packaging characteristics
From renewable sources : the packaging material comes from resources that regenerate over time, such as paper, bamboo or cotton.
From up-cycling : the material of the container comes from the processing of waste materials from other industrial processes, thus enjoying a second life instead of being thrown away.
Reusable : the container itself can be reused as is, without requiring any processing other than washing.
Recyclable : the container material is subjected to processing, often resource-intensive, and used to obtain other products of the same material.
Materials are divided into those that lose quality during recycling (paper, plastic) and those that do not lose it (glass and metal).
Compostable : after being degraded, the material can be safely incorporated into the soil, enriching it.
Scraps and residues
Biodegradability : this quantity describes how much and how fast any substance can be reduced into simpler components by microorganisms. Biodegradation can be complete (final), when the degradation products are stable substances which cannot be further "broken down", or not complete (primary), when less complex but not yet stable products are formed [3].
Toxicity : when nothing else is specified, this usually means the toxic effect that the component has if ingested or touched. This is the quantity you want to look at when a product is made for contact with the skin (cosmetics, detergents, medicines in ointment...) or for ingestion (food, medicines for oral use...).
Eco-toxicity : when the toxic effects on living organisms are evaluated within ecosystems. This is the quantity you look at when trying to evaluate how harmful the release of a certain compound into the environment is.
Bioaccumulation : it is the mechanism by which some substances can accumulate within organisms, reaching higher concentrations than in the surrounding environment and therefore increasing their danger.
With these basic concepts at hand, we can now turn to our lovely eco-friendly household detergents and discover their kinds, their strengths and weaknesses and how they can be more eco-sustainable.
