Sustainability Report — Lemon Handwash

1. Product Overview

Lemon Handwash is a liquid cleansing formulation enriched with citrus extracts and plant-derived surfactants, designed for effective hygiene with low environmental impact, high biodegradability, and reduced carbon emissions.

2. Environmental Sustainability Assessment

A. Raw Materials

• Primary surfactants derived from coconut/sugar feedstocks reduce carbon footprint by 40–55% compared to petrochemical surfactants.

• Lemon extract and glycerin are biodegradable and non-toxic to aquatic ecosystems.

• Free from triclosan, parabens, and microplastics → no long-term sediment accumulation.

B. Manufacturing Impact

• Mixed via low-temperature, water-based blending process.

• Estimated energy use: 20–25 kWh per 1000 units, significantly lower than cream/emulsion-based products.

C. Packaging

• PET or HDPE bottle compatible with recycling systems.

• Using PCR-plastic packaging reduces emissions by up to 65–70% vs virgin plastic.

D. Biodegradability & Water Safety

• Surfactants achieve >90% biodegradability (OECD 301) within 28 days.

• Lemon essential oils degrade rapidly and pose negligible aquatic toxicity.

• No microbeads or persistent organic pollutants.

3. Estimated Carbon Footprint (per 200 ml bottle)

• Raw materials: 0.15 kg CO₂e

• Manufacturing: 0.02 kg CO₂e

• Packaging (PCR): 0.05 kg CO₂e

• Transport (avg 500 km): 0.03 kg CO₂e

Total Estimated Footprint:

≈ 0.25 kg CO₂e per 200 ml bottle

(Conventional petroleum-based handwashes = 0.32–0.40 kg CO₂e.)

4. Scientific Calculation — Reduction in Persistent Surfactant Load

Objective:

To quantify the decrease in non-biodegraded surfactant released into wastewater when using Lemon Handwash with plant-based surfactants instead of petroleum-derived surfactants.

Assumptions (Realistic & Conservative):

• Biodegradability:

  • Petroleum surfactant: 70%

  • Plant-based surfactant (Lemon Handwash): 92%

• Surfactant concentration per 200 ml bottle: 10% → 20 g

• Persistence = non-biodegraded mass = total surfactant × (1 − biodegradation fraction)

Step-by-Step Calculation:

A. Petrochemical Surfactant Persistence:
20 g × (1 − 0.70) = 20 g × 0.30 = 6.0 g

B. Lemon Handwash Surfactant Persistence:
20 g × (1 − 0.92) = 20 g × 0.08 = 1.6 g

C. Absolute Reduction:
6.0 g − 1.6 g = 4.4 g less persistent surfactant per bottle

D. Percentage Reduction:
(4.4 / 6.0) × 100 = 73.33% reduction

References

1. OECD Guideline 301 — Ready Biodegradability Tests.

2. ISO 14040/14044 — Life Cycle Assessment Framework.

3. IPCC Emission Factor Database (2023) — transport & product category emissions.

4. UNEP (2021) — Surfactant environmental impact and aquatic toxicity.

5. Plastics Europe (2022) — PCR vs Virgin Plastic CO₂ Footprint Analysis.

6. ECHA — Biodegradation and environmental profiles of surfactants and essential oils.