New unique environmentally ethical ‘refill
and reuse’ cleaning range eco2life
launches in UK

A new unique household cleaning range - eco2life launches this week in the UK.

Made from naturally derived, readily biodegradable ingredients, tried, tested and proven to work, the range is available in a refill and reuse system, with fully recyclable packaging.

The new eco2life range of cleaning products – made in the UK by Planet Earth (Europe) Limited – has been carefully developed to minimise environmental impact by employing an easy-to-use unique ‘small wonder’ refill system and reusable trigger spray bottle.

The eco2life range consists of a multi-surface, glass, bathroom and floor cleaner. First invented in Australia, the aquatic safe, naturally derived formula includes core ingredients derived from; coconut, sugar cane, vegetables and citric acid. The range has been scientifically and consumer tested and proven to provide a high level of cleaning performance. eco2life is free of many chemical ‘nasties’ such as silicate, caustics, petroleum solvents, parabens, phosphates or chlorine.

Mark Sims, Planet Earth (Europe) Limited said:

“We’re really confident eco2life offers environmentally-conscious people a great cleaning solution. Its innovative and unique refill system is a first of its kind for this sector and doesn’t compromise on performance – in short, it’s easy to make up, it works and it’s eco-friendly!

“We’re also really proud that all our products are made in the U.K. The packaging used for the eco2life cleaning range is 100% recyclable and shoppers can kick start their green cleaning regime with a product starter kit including a 50ml ‘small wonder’ refill, a bottle and spray trigger or invest in a Cleaning Box (the complete range including four refills).”

The refill system – thought to be a first for the eco-friendly cleaning sector in the UK – is a simple 50ml formula which is mixed with tap water meaning less waste and packaging.

The eco2life spray trigger system has been designed and tested for up to 10,000 uses and is fully recyclable with no metal parts.

eco2life has a fresh signature scent – a specially developed fragrance with notes of lemon and ginger.

The new green cleaning range is on sale nationwide with prices starting from £2.09 and is available at independent retailers and e-tailers including Tree of Life, Suma, Planet Organic, and Big Green Smile.

For more information, visit www.myeco2life.com or contact howcanwehelp@myeco2life.com .

Planet Earth (Europe) Limited is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

As a supplier of many different sustainably produced and organic textiles, I am concerned that we are often advising our customers to care for their textiles using ‘Green Dry Cleaning’. I wanted to know the facts behind green dry cleaning. Does it exist in the UK and what does it involve and finally how is it ‘greener’? 

Traditionally, dry cleaning meant cleaning clothes in liquids other than water and the solvent of choice was perchloroethyene or ‘perc’. This has since been proven to be a nervous system depressant and under US federal standards is listed as a hazardous air pollutant. An alternative method had to be found. Three new methods were favoured – washing with liquid CO2 in high pressured machines, using a silicone based solvent and finally, but much less effectively washing with regular water in computer controlled machines.

Discarding the latter due to poor results, lets look firstly at CO2. Normally present in gas form, CO2 transforms into a liquid under high-pressure. In specially designed machines clothes are washed at 900llbs per square inch of pressure in liquid carbon dioxide and a surfectant (specialist detergent). After the clothes have been washed and rinsed, the CO2 is collected and reused. Several US textile companies have already started using this system commercially, but it is not common in the UK.

The stronger candidate for widespread ‘green dry cleaning’ comes from a group of ex-dry cleaners who have developed a system called Green Earth Cleaning. This system uses liquid silicone (a liquid version of sand) which is a naturally occurring material and is already used as the base material for many shampoos and soaps on the market today. Textiles cleaned using  liquid silicone do not lose their colour, do not shrink and come back feeling softer than before because the silicone is inert and doesn’t react with the fibres of the fabric in an aggressive way. It can even be recommended for the most delicate of fabrics. The best thing about this method of cleaning is that there are no nasty residues. When the silicone breaks down it forms three natural ingredients – water, carbon dioxide and sand.

Liquid Silicone appears to be the method of choice for UK Dry Cleaners and it is already available on the High Street!

Gecco Interiors Limited is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

What’s in Your Bucket? – and in the one at Your Kid’s School?

The true cost of cleaning has become apparent after a series of studies carried out by the non profit making organisation The Environmental Working Group.

The new study shows that ordinary school cleaning supplies can expose children to multiple chemicals linked to asthma, cancer and other documented health problems and to hundreds of other air contaminants that have never been tested for safety. Laboratory tests done for EWG found that a typical assortment of cleaning products released 457 distinct chemicals into the air. For example, Some Disinfectant Powder Cleanser, products commonly used in both schools and private homes, released more than 100 air contaminants, including chloroform, benzene and formaldehyde.

You can change that today – just eliminate your chemicals by using the ECO award winning range of products from ENJO – just add cold water and get 6.5 times better results – protecting the environment too.

In addition further studies reveal that “Stay at home” women have a 54% higher incidence of illness due to exposure to common household chemicals. That’s why we’ve developed and refined our range of safe and chemical free products.

ENJO easy to use – Hard to believe!

ENJO UK is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

We have teamed up with with those fighters against dirty at Method to offer 5 of their super speciality cleaning products for the price of 4.  

The perfect way to get the house spick and span again after all the festive mess.  Choose from Method Granite & Marble, Stainless Steel, Wood, Glass and Leather speciality products so get your home truly detoxed!

For details of the Method 5 for 4 special offer click here.

Big Green Smile is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Three great Ecover offers exclusively on BigGreenSmile.com.

Until the 11th December we are exclusively offering:

1 - Buy 2 packs of Ecover Dishwasher tablets get a bottle Ecover Rinse Aid absolutely free. See details here

2 – Buy either the new Citrus and Orange Blossom or Lavender 1L refill Hand Soap get the same fragrance 250ml with pump, worth £3.34 absolutely free. See Ecover soap promotion details here

3 – 20% off any purchase of the 1L Ecover Washing Up Liquid. Choose from Chamomile and Marigold, Lemon and Aloe Vera or Grapefruit and Green Tea. See Ecover Washing Up Liquid offer details here

Big Green Smile is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

In an exclusive interview with Pulse (the first ever Pulse interview me thinks) Helen Thomson, founder of eco my party, and Alison Rothwell, founder of Arabella Miller, talk about their experience of the bright lights of the TV studio and what it’s like to present your idea in 60 seconds to 10 million viewers.

Pulse: How on earth did you get involved in the first place?

Helen: Whilst I was in the midst of researching and setting up eco my party, my sister, Leonie, completed an entry for me to take part in ITV’s This Morning’s Mumpreneur competition. It was therefore a complete surprise when, in September, the This Morning team called to invite me to take part in the heats of the competition.

Alison: I applied after hearing about the competition through an online networking forum, Mums Club. I really didn’t expect to get very far at all. The first stage was a written application after which I joined 14 other mums to present my business Arabella Miller to a panel of judges – Tim Campbell, Judy Naake and Emma Harrison – it was a bit like Dragon’s Den crossed with X Factor – although the judges were nicer!

Helen: Yes, the situation, and in fact the whole competition, was a bizarre marriage between Dragon’s Den and daytime television, and luckily, my two minute pitch did the trick and I was given a place in the show’s semi-final.

Pulse: So what was it like having to present on live television?

Helen: Pitching my idea live on national television with only 30 seconds and a small round table on which to balance my products was more than a little daunting, but, despite forgetting one of the most important lines of my pitch ‘from our fairly-traded rubber balloons to our organic bamboo plates, our whole range is fabulous, natural and affordable” I somehow managed to get voted into the competition’s live final! The team then filmed me at home with my children that afternoon, and I told them a bit about life as a entrepreneurial mother.

Pulse: And how did you find it Alison? 

Alison: Presenting organic childrens clothes on TV wasn’t without its difficulties! I had to provide my Soil Association organic certification to the ITV Lawyers for inspection and also had to have a note from my printers sent to prove that Arabella Miller was the first business to produce a fully certified organic kids t-shirt. I also got quite a grilling from the judges but I was able to answer the questions they asked – they were all very interested in knowing more about organic clothing and why my samples I brought felt so soft! So, at the end of a gruelling day I was thrilled to be selected to appear in the live finals and have the opportunity to pitch Arabella Miller to the Nation.

Pulse: Would you say it was a worthwhile experience and would you recommend others to try something similar?

Alison: Since appearing I’ve had several approaches from new potential stockists who saw me on TV or on the ITV website. Taking part has definitely increased my confidence to present under stress but I have also taken a lot of satisfaction from having a “green business case” given the seal of approval from experienced entrepreneurs. I would recommend any ethical business to give competitions like this a go – you never know what will be the outcome in terms of sales, contacts or personal experience – and of course you have to be in it to win it!

Helen: I would definitely recommend taking part in a competition like Mumpreneur as it has been a great motivational tool, and has provided a wealth of experience and contacts. It was brilliant to see so many ethical businesses doing well in a mainstream competition, and I hope that the success of eco my party inspires others to pursue their ethical business ideas.

Pulse: Thank you ladies and congratulations from the whole of Ethical Junction on having done so well.

FREE all purpose surface spray when you buy a litre of cleaning concentrate

If you think that being in a credit crunch is not a good time to start going green, or that making green choices means making life more difficult and expensive then Green East is here to help you.

Often it can be small and simple choices such as, choosing an all purpose cleaner instead of ‘multiple bottles and sprays for different jobs’ that make a big difference. You can save over £200 on buying new spray bottles every time if you use the right concentrate to refill your existing bottles. This also has a very positive impact on landfill issues. Make that choice free from harmful chemicals as well – and now you are protecting your family, your budget and the environment.

To help kick start your green habits into gear, Green East are now giving away an all purpose surface spray FREE with every litre of cleaning concentrate till 30th November.

Spooky Fact: Each litre of NewGenn High Level Disinfectant concentrate makes 100 litres of all purpose, antibacterial cleaning solution. That’s equivalent to 200 trigger spray refills!

Go to GreenEast.co.uk for this and other special offers.