OUR ECOLOGICAL FACTORY

When we built our factory in 1992, it was celebrated for its ecological design. We used over 90% recycled or renewable materials, with reclaimed wooden beams and strengthened European pine instead of steel and concrete. And special low energy ‘eco’ bricks for the walls.

It’s designed to let in lots of sunlight, making it a nicer place to work and reducing our need for heating. Our living green roof also helps with insulation, as well as blending in with the local environment. Our flowering small succulents now attract plenty of wildlife, including magnificent ospreys.

Building a more sustainable factory isn’t the end of it. No putting our feet up. Our best-in-class waste management practice has earnt us a Platinum zero-waste certification from TRUE - that’s their highest level awarded.

TRUE and the related logo is a trademark owned by Green Business Certification Inc.™ and is used with permission.

AIMING FOR A ZERO-CARBON FOOTPRINT

Our carbon footprint isn’t just another buzzword for us. It’s something we tackle head on. From using recycled and recyclable packaging to making our formulas more concentrated.

We obsessively measure carbon emissions for our footprint – ingredients, packaging, travel, utilities, manufacturing and distribution, the works. A zero-carbon footprint future is our bold long term goal. But for now, we’re working on getting our emissions down through initiatives like using renewable energy in our factory.

It’s not all about CO2. We aim to aim to divert 100% of our waste from incineration and landfill.

KEEPING WATER CLEAN

In 1979, banning phosphates from cleaning products seemed like a revolutionary idea. In 2017, it was finally signed into European law. While we may have won that particular battle, we know there’s still so much more to do.

The UN estimates that by 2025, two-thirds of us will live in areas where water supplies – our most important and life-sustaining substance – are stressed. It’s fair to say that we are not okay with this.

Each year we obsessively measure our Water Footprint. As our business grows, we’re constantly seeking new and ingenious ways of using less water as a company. We’re starting to research how ingredient-producing crops are grown, launching more concentrated laundry liquids, and looking at long term solutions to influence the amount of water people use with our products at home. It all counts.

We work hard to reduce the amount of water we use in our factories. We survey our suppliers to identify ways to improve their water footprints too.

LESS WATER. CLEAN WATER

One little process we’re pretty proud of is our cleaning ‘pig’ – a device that cleans our pipes when changing the production line in our factory. It works by pushing product through the pipes instead of water, making a squealing noise that sounds a bit like a pig.

We then purify the small amount of wastewater created to meet surface water quality standards, working with local companies to recycle it. For example, one company uses our waste water to maintain bacteria at their biological water treatment.