Sustainability Report — Aqua Handwash

1. Product overview (one line)

Aqua Handwash is a liquid soap/cleanser formulated for frequent hand hygiene using plant-derived surfactants, glycerin moisturizer, and eco-safe preservatives to minimize aquatic toxicity and lifecycle emissions.

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2. Key sustainability findings (concise)

Raw materials

• Primary surfactants sourced from coconut/sugar feedstocks (renewable).

• Glycerin and botanical humectants are biodegradable and low-toxicity.

Manufacturing

• Water-based blending at low temperature; low energy intensity (typical range for similar products).

Packaging

• PCR-HDPE or PCR-PET bottles recommended → substantial reduction in packaging carbon versus virgin plastic; fully recyclable in municipal streams.

Biodegradability & aquatic safety

• Formulation designed to meet >90% ready biodegradability (OECD 301) for primary surfactants within 28 days.

• Free from microplastics, triclosan, and heavy metals — reduced long-term ecotoxic risk.

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3. Estimated carbon footprint (per 200 ml bottle — conservative estimate)

• Raw materials: 0.14 kg CO₂e

• Manufacturing: 0.02 kg CO₂e

• Packaging (PCR): 0.05 kg CO₂e

• Transport (avg. 500 km): 0.03 kg CO₂e

Total ≈ 0.24 kg CO₂e per 200 ml bottle
(Comparable conventional handwashes: ~0.32–0.40 kg CO₂e → Aqua Handwash ≈25–40% lower.)

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4. Scientific calculation — reduction in persistent surfactant (clear, numeric)

Objective: quantify reduction in non-biodegraded surfactant released to wastewater when switching from a petroleum surfactant to the Aqua Handwash plant-based surfactant.

Assumptions (conservative, typical values):

• Conventional petroleum-derived surfactant biodegradability = 70%.

• Aqua Handwash plant-based surfactant biodegradability = 92%.

• Surfactant content per 200 ml bottle = 10% → 20 g of surfactant.

• Persistent (non-biodegraded) mass = surfactant mass × (1 − biodegradability).

Step calculations (digit-by-digit):

• Conventional persistent mass = 20 g × (1 − 0.70) = 20 g × 0.30 = 6.0 g.

• Aqua persistent mass = 20 g × (1 − 0.92) = 20 g × 0.08 = 1.6 g.

• Absolute reduction = 6.0 g − 1.6 g = 4.4 g less persistent surfactant per bottle.

• Percentage reduction = (4.4 / 6.0) × 100 = 73.33% reduction in persistent material.

Interpretation: each 200 ml bottle of Aqua Handwash releases ~4.4 g less non-biodegraded surfactant into wastewater compared with a typical petroleum-surfactant product — a ~73% reduction in persistent surfactant load.

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5. Short conclusion (one line)

Aqua Handwash offers measurable sustainability benefits: lower lifecycle carbon footprint, >90% biodegradability of actives, and a ~73% reduction in persistent surfactant load versus conventional petrochemical formulations.

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References

1. OECD Test Guideline 301 — Ready Biodegradability.

2. ISO 14040 / ISO 14044 — Life Cycle Assessment principles and framework.

3. IPCC Emission Factor Database — transport and product emission factors.

4. Plastics Europe — PCR vs virgin plastics carbon footprint analyses.

5. ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) — biodegradation and ecotoxicity profiles for surfactants and biocides.

6. WHO / public health guidance on hand hygiene (formulation & safety considerations).