ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

What are the pros and cons of using so-called “natural” materials in cleaning and hygiene products? Ann Laffeaty asks industry players their opinions.

There has been an increasing trend for manufacturers to incorporate products such as wheat straw, bamboo and sugar cane into their products for environmental reasons. But are such moves truly sustainable? What impact do these products have on performance - and what exactly is a “natural” product anyway?

Ecolab integrates natural ingredients into its cleaning solutions wherever it makes sense, says global and corporate accounts manager Anika Dreessen. “However, it is important to look behind the scenes to truly evaluate the sustainability of these offerings,” she said. “While natural products are often perceived as being more sustainable, many chemicals are also formulated from natural ingredients. So the sustainability of a product will depend on factors such as sourcing, production and overall impact.”

Dreessen argues palm oil is a natural ingredient, but is not always the most sustainable solution. “It is crucial to pay close attention to the conditions under which an ingredient is sourced or produced,” she said. “Ecolab does not directly purchase palm oil or palm oil derivatives, and any of our suppliers providing palm-derived material needs to be members of Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil to ensure sustainable and responsible sourcing.”

Incorporating natural products into cleaning solutions yields multiple environmental advantages, she says. “For example, such products tend to be biodegradable and exhibit lower levels of toxicity than synthetic alternatives. Our cleaning solutions leverage both natural and synthetic ingredients to achieve optimal performance and sustainability.”

Sourcing raw materials from abroad can lead to a higher carbon footprint. “It is therefore important to consider the entire life cycle of a product to accurately assess its environmental impact,” Dreessen adds.

Salveco offers 100 per cent plant-based solutions containing molecules from various natural products says marketing manager Elvire Mathieu. “The key ingredient in our patented disinfectants is lactic acid which comes from agricultural crops. And the surfactants we use in our cleaning products are derived from wheat starch, corn starch, sugar beet or from the natural by-products of transformation processes.”

He says the company’s bio-based ingredients have a lower toxicity than most petrochemical molecules. “Our plant-based ingredients have a high ultimate biodegradability  - up to 100 per cent in less than 28 days – and this reduces their end-of-life environmental impact,” he said.

The company sources plant-based ingredients from waste or by-products to create a circular bioeconomy, he says. According to Mathieu, Salveco evaluates every stage of a product’s development in terms of its sustainability. He believes the origin of ingredients always needs to be considered, however.

“When natural ingredients are sourced from other countries, parameters such as the type of transport used, the conditions under which the resources are grown and the impact on local diversity need to be taken into account,” he said. “Local production means bio-based products can be integrated directly into a circular process.”

At least 95 per cent of the ingredients used in Kärcher’s Natural detergent range come from nature, according to the company’s corporate communications manager Julie Gorjup. “The surfactants in our Natural Products are derived from food production waste including grain, sugar beet, rapeseed and other renewable materials,” she said.

“We focus on the use of bio-based raw materials and avoid using petrochemicals known to damage the environment. In some products we also refrain from using additives such as dyes and perfumes that don’t contribute to performance.”

Sodexo uses plant-based, enzymatic cleaning products in place of chemicals where possible says UK and Ireland head of cleaning Kevin Muckle. “These products are non-toxic to the environment and aquatic life while also significantly enhancing the health and safety of users and protecting them from chemical residue,” he said. “And they often come in concentrated solutions which reduces the amount of product required.”

However, just because a product is natural does not necessarily mean it has a lower carbon footprint, he adds. “This is particularly the case if it is made in another country. Factors such as transport, the amount of energy used in production and harvesting practices will all have an impact on carbon footprint.”

The surfactants used in Greenspeed’s liquid products are derived from renewable sources such as glucose and rapeseed oil, says the company’s sustainability manager Lies Marijnissen. “These are non-toxic and fully biodegradable and allow us to significantly reduce our CO2 emissions and lessen our reliance on limited petro-based resources,” she said.

It is a common perception natural products are inherently more sustainable than chemicals, according to Marijnissen. “The sustainability of a product will depend on various factors including how it is sourced, processed and used. And the real question is how each product fits into a life cycle analysis which looks at total environmental impact from production to disposal.”

Almost all products used by Cleanology are chemical-free says CEO Dominic Ponniah. “We introduced portion-controlled biological cleaning sachets and we sell bamboo-based toilet rolls and hand towels to customers,” he said.

Ponniah agrees with other commentators that it is important to assess the full life cycle of a product in order to calculate its sustainability. “A natural product sourced from another country could potentially be less sustainable, but since such products are usually shipped by sea their carbon footprint remains very low.”

Essity has switched to using 94 per cent natural ingredients in its Tork cosmetic foam and liquid soaps, says sustainability communications director Renee Remijnse. “This means they are now fully biodegradable and have a lower impact on aquatic life,” she said.

Essity uses wheat straw - the stalks left over after grain has been harvested from wheat - in some of its consumer and professional hygiene products. By-products from the production of pulp from wheat straw may be used for fertiliser and soil enhancement, according to Remijnse.

She agrees the use of natural ingredients does not automatically reduce a product’s environmental impact. “Natural products can still be harmful to the planet, so any benefits should be verified by EU-Ecolabel, FSC or other certified third-party standards,” she said. “It is also important to calculate any impacts claimed on carbon reductions with a Life Cycle Assessment.”

Bamboo is an example of a natural product that needs scrutiny when used in “sustainable” products. “Bamboo often comes from plantations that do not have a FSC biodiversity certification, whereas many forests have been certified and responsibly grown for many years,” she said.

So, are there any downsides to using natural ingredients in cleaning solutions? Chemicals sometimes perform better and have fewer environmental impacts than directly-harvested natural products, says Greenspeed’s Lies Marijnissen. “For instance, our research shows bamboo is not an ideal option for microfibre cloths because bamboo-based products often have a shorter lifespan, which negates their CO2 savings,” she said.”

Natural and plant-based raw materials are often subject to greater fluctuations in quality than those produced synthetically under stable conditions, says Ecolab’s Anika Dreessen. While Sodexo’s Kevin Muckle feels some products made from plant-based ingredients can be less effective than their chemical-based counterparts. “But this can be overcome by using chemicals to remove contaminants to start with. Once this has been done the use of natural products will be sufficient.”

Essity’s Renee Remijnse believes today’s natural-based products are just as good as their chemical equivalents. Salveco’s Elvire Mathieu also feels natural products have no downsides. Kärcher’s Julie Gorjup concurs: “Customers don’t need to compromise on performance when choosing natural-based products: our target is always to avoid any performance trade-off.”