One product that greatly impacts the environment is cleaning products. Non eco-friendly cleaning products for the home and business can be hazardous in many ways. Many of these products contain toxic and potent chemicals such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ammonia, methyl chloride, and more- aside from the possibility of acquiring long-term sickness, they can aggravate asthma, cause burns, or be harmful if ingested. Not only are they harmful to an individual’s health, they also have a wide range of environmental effects. The chemicals in cleaning products are often washed into streams and rivers, which pollute water bodies and aquatic life as well –making its way into the food chain.
It’s not just cleaning, but how we choose to clean that matters. One of the most effective strategies to counteract environmental damage is to switch to as many eco-friendly cleaning products as possible –and we at PureCult take this matter very seriously. Our products are safe not just for the family, but for pets, and for the environment as a whole too.
How do we achieve this? It’s simple:
By Being a ZeroHero.
PureCult has a driving vision: to create cleaning products that are free of toxic and dangerous compounds. We achieve this vision by making all our cleaning products chemical-free.
At PureCult, we believe in blending science with nature: to use safe and natural substances that are effective in small amounts, to achieve cleanliness using the minimum amount of ingredients necessary, so we minimize waste and maximize safety. Our products are produced with natural components and blended with essential oils to combine cleansing and therapeutic capabilities.
It isn’t enough to merely add green ingredients, while continuing to use other harmful ingredients. This is why we do not use any harmful chemicals, artificial color or fragrance in our products. Our products contain: Zero Sulfates, Zero Phosphates, Zero Bleach, Zero Artificial Colour, Zero Artificial Fragrance, and Zero Harmful Acids. They are made with Zero Animal Testing, and are completely safe for babies and pets, and even the most sensitive of skin. This is what makes us a ZeroHero –having zero space for toxins, allergens, or environmentally damaging chemicals.
Ingredients we don’t use:
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Ammonia
A colorless gas with a distinct odor, ammonia can cause skin and eye irritation, coughing, nose and throat irritation. It is highly caustic and can pollute water bodies and aquatic life, causing ammonia toxicity and eventual death. -
Triclosan
An antibacterial and antimicrobial agent that can impact the nervous system in humans, causing dysfunction in brain and motor behaviors. It can also interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland, and long term exposure can cause skin cancer and other skin issues. Triclosan is also dangerous when washed into water bodies since it is converted into dioxin –a highly toxic compound when exposed to sunlight in an aqueous environment. Triclosan can also combine with chlorine in tap water to form chloroform, which is listed as a probable human carcinogen. Triclosan has been found to be highly toxic to different types of algae, keystone organisms for complex aquatic ecosystems, and has been detected at high concentration in earthworms.
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Sulphates
SLS and SLES used in products to create lather that gives a stronger impression of cleaning power. SLS and SLES can irritate eyes, skin, and lungs, especially with long-term use. SLES may also be contaminated with a substance called 1,4-dioxane, which is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Products with sulfates that get washed down the drain are toxic to aquatic animals.
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Phthalates
Some types of phthalates have affected the reproductive system in animals –they are endocrine disruptors, which means they can interfere with your natural hormones. Research also indicates that they can damage the liver, kidneys, and lungs, and can interfere with a child's healthy development. Phthalates can also accumulate in the environment such as water bodies and in aquatic life, which can disrupt endocrine systems in fish, birds and mammals.
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Trisodium Phosphate
TSP is strictly regulated to its environmental impact: Phosphate runoff into lakes and rivers was found to trigger algae overgrowth, depleting oxygen in the water and endangering fish, animals, and aquatic plants by causing endocrine disruption in them. TSP is also an endocrine disruptor and can cause early sexual maturation, as well as fertility problems.
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Phosphates
Phosphates carry into waste systems and are hard to break down by ordinary wastewater processing systems. As they carry into streams, lakes and rivers, they increase algae growth and subsequently decrease the oxygen that is needed for healthy aquatic life, and contribute to the pollution of water bodies. -
Hydrochloric acid
Toilet cleaners, pool chemicals, and some fertilizers are common household sources of hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid is corrosive to the eyes, skin, and mucous membranes. Hydrogen chloride released into the atmosphere as a gas will be readily incorporated into cloud, rain, and fog water. It thus forms a component of acid rain. -
Chlorine Bleach
Toxins from bleach can cause respiratory problems upon inhalation. When it is inhaled, it irritates the skin, lungs and eyes. The fumes from the bleach can also cause migraines, muscle weakness, abdominal discomfort, esophageal perforation, nausea and damage to the nervous system. When it is in the water, the chlorine mixes with other minerals and elements already in the water. This process creates new toxins called “persistent organic pollutants” named as such because they stay in water and can take a few years until they completely disappear. The bleach’s by-products in the air eventually reach the ozone layer and cause global warming.
A highly corrosive acid that can cause severe skin burns, cause nose and throat irritation and cause difficulties breathing if inhaled. Sulfuric acid in rain contributes to the formation of acid rain. Its corrosive nature means that it can also burn and harm any terrestrial life, such as animals and birds.
2-Butoxyethanol is a colorless liquid with a mild odor. It can harm the eyes, skin, kidneys, and blood. It can also contaminate the air and water bodies, causing great harm to the environment.
The European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has declared that there is no safe concentration of MIT in leave-on products. In Canada, it has been banned from use in cosmetics. Health issues commonly linked to MIT include: skin reactions, skin sensitization, painful rashes, inhalation toxicity, organ toxicity, neurotoxicity.
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Nonylphenol Ethoxylates
Widely recognized for extreme aquatic toxicity to fish and wildlife, NPEs and NP may threaten the health of the developing foetus and young children. They also cause endocrine disruption, skin and eye irritations, and are bioaccumulative- meaning that over time, they can accumulate in an organism at faster rates leading to toxicity. -
Bleach (Liquid Sodium Hypochlorite)
Inhalation of sodium hypochlorite causes various health effects. This causes coughing and a sore throat. After swallowing sodium hypochlorite the effects are stomach ache, a burning sensation, coughing, diarrhea, a sore throat and vomiting. Sodium hypochlorite on skin or eyes causes redness and pain.
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Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) or phenolic chemicals
Even limited exposure to some QACs can cause allergic skin rashes. Eye contact with QACs can cause burning of the eyes. Inhaling QACs can cause irritation of the nose and throat. They are also linked to fertility problems and disrupting cellular processes.
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Perchloroethylene, naphthalene and ammonium hydroxide
- Perchloroethylene (PCE) is widely used for dry-cleaning fabrics. Inhalation of the fumes can cause irritation of the upper respiratory tract, eyes and kidney dysfunction, neurological effects, impaired coordination, dizziness, and headaches. They have also been identified as carcinogenic to humans. PCE will evaporate fairly rapidly into the atmosphere.
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Benzalkonium Chloride
Long-term effects from repeated exposure may cause dermatitis. Continuous usage of the chemical as a disinfectant can lead to bacteria developing resistance against the chemical –meaning that stronger, more corrosive chemicals may be needed in the future to kill germs.
Going green is more than just recycling a few times a year; it's a way of life. It is about thinking how your choices as a person on this planet affect the environment around you. Regular cleaners contribute greatly to pollution in the form of packaging and transportation. One of the biggest contributors to pollution is packaging and transport. Most cleaning containers aren't manufactured out of recyclable materials, which results in empty bottles and packaging frequently winding up in landfills.
Purchasing products in bulk greatly minimizes resources on many levels –the product packaging waste is minimized, packaging and shipping resources are minimized over one trip as compared to multiple trips.
When it comes to the environment, change cannot be reactive- it must be proactive. Join the movement towards a greener tomorrow. Come join us, and be part of the ZeroHero Army.