Trends in Household Care – An (Eco)Logical Approach
The world of home care, industrial and institutional (HI&I) products is rapidly changing. Sustainability has become a hot topic, encompassing a whole array of economic, environmental and societal factors!
As today’s consumers continue to demand more environmentally friendly products, it is vital for home care formulators to identify key trends and tailor formulations so that the future of home care is ‘squeaky clean’.
Surfachem not only serve to identify trends in the household care market, but also to create product concept formulations at our designated laboratory in Huddersfield, UK. We have recently created four eco-friendly formulations utilising innovative ingredients – keep reading to find out more…
Ethical, Environmental, Natural
So, what exactly has changed about the household care market? One major trend we identified is how home care products are positioned.
- Between 2008 and 2018, products positioned as ‘ethical and environmental’ increased by 280%.
- Of all household care products launched last year, 61% of them claimed to be ‘ethical and environmental’.
- Based on this percentage, we approximate that in 2018 the value of the ‘ethical and environmental/natural’ UK home care market was £3.26 billion.
- Germany is the leading market for eco-friendly household care products in Europe – followed closely by France and the UK.
To address the demands of more environmentally conscious consumers, a number of third party certifications have emerged. Surfachem offer market expertise and technical know-how, recommending the best eco-friendly ingredients needed to achieve specific label certificates. Whether it’s a commitment to becoming 100% vegan or striving towards the eradication of animal testing, Surfachem can help!
Third Party Certifications
100% Vegan - Although considered by many as a recent surge, ‘veganism’ has actually been around for over 70 years, primarily focusing around products that do not contain meat, dairy and genetically modified organisms. With vegan home care product launches on the rise (up 28.9% from 2017 to 2018), it has never been more important to combine Surfachem guidance with the right ingredients to become 100% vegan certified.
Cruelty Free ‘Leaping Bunny’ - Consumer demands for banishing animal testing have been around since the 1990’s. Advancements since then have led to the formation of a single comprehensive standard with an internationally recognised ‘Leaping Bunny’ Logo. In the last two years alone, over 500 cruelty-free home care products have been launched into the market. No animal testing and no certification costs – Surfachem expertise will leave you leaping with joy!
Nordic Swan Ecolabel - Established in 1989, the Nordic Swan certification initially began as a voluntary ecolabel for countries within the Nordic region for the more conscious consumer. For example, it has been discovered that 50% of Nordic consumers search for this ecolabel when it comes to buying. The Nordic Ecolabel spans across 60 different product groups – from computers to textile services. So, whatever the product type, this ecolabel fits perfectly with the shift to more ethical and environmental HI&I products.
EU Ecolabel - Part of a broader EU action plan initiated in 2008, the EU Ecolabel focuses on sustainable consumption and production. Overseen by the EU commission, the criteria ranges from sourcing and packaging, to aquatic organisms and biodegradability. Plus, it is super easy to apply for – just 5 simple steps!
How Can We Help?
At Surfachem we create product concept formulations at our Huddersfield, UK based laboratory using a variety of eco-friendly ingredients. As well as creation, our knowledgeable technical team also provide advice and recommendations for achieving specific properties and labelling claims. Here’s a sample of some of our eco-friendly ingredients:
- AUGEO® Family from Solvay - Solvent replacing IPA/ethanol with no odour – made from bio-fuel feedstocks and used in reed diffusers/glass cleaners.
- STEPOSOL® MET-10U from Stepan - Solvent replacement, powerful degreaser – removes graffiti, cleans oily tankers and performs as well as caustic oven-cleaner.
- EcoRemover from Eurosicura - Stain remover and degreaser – works effectively at neutral pH, has no CLP classification and is derived from vegetable sources.
Our ‘Squeaky Clean’ Product Formulations
Surfachem has recently developed four different product concept formulations which include a selection of our eco-friendly ingredients.
- Eco-friendly degreaser – Augeo Clean Multi & Augeo Clean Plus (HC0085)
- Eco-friendly bicycle shampoo- EcoRemover (HC0116)
- Caustic free over cleaner - Steposol MET10U & Augeo Clean Multi (HC0096)
- Vegan furniture polish - Bioterge AS40 HA SB (HC0027)
Here’s what’s been said about them… “We’ve replaced traditional petroleum-based glycol ether solvents with Augeo solvent, developed from the by-product of the bio-diesel production process in Brazil. Made from renewable resources, it combines high performance with improved sustainability.” …Reckitt Benckiser
For More Information…
Email info@surfachem.com to find out more on how you can take an (eco)logical approach and really make your household care product stand out from the rest.
Sources; Mintel GNPD, Mintel Market Sizes, nordic-ecolabel.org
