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Dioxane Statement [ 15-05-2008 ]
Dioxane Statement
The Organic Consumers Association recently revealed in a study that traces of dioxane where found in various consumer goods. Dioxane is classified as “Category 3 - cancerogenous effects cannot be excluded”, i.e. effects which could occur after a lengthy exposure to high concentrations.
Ecover Dishwashing liquid contains 2,4 parts of it per 1.000.000 parts of product. That is merely above the detection limit of 1 part per 1.000.000 parts of product. Dioxane traces in detergents are minute leftovers of the production process of one single component, a plant based surfactant. To date, this ingredient does not have an equally efficient or more ecological substitute, although Ecover was able to gradually and substantially reduce its relevance over the years.
Substantial quantities of dioxane are found in the production of synthetic fibers, such as polyester, a fabric that is worn daily by roughly 85 % of the planet’s population. Mainly produced by two US companies, the ingredient is also used in high dosages as a solvent in mass production, including the paper and cotton industry as well as the polymer industry for the production of PET bottles. It is therefore astonishing that the above-mentioned investigation turned a blind eye on such superabundant and well-spread sources and preferred to single out easy-to-research, mere minute traces of dioxine in detergents.
Several years ago, the European detergent industry put a limit on dioxane traces at 100 parts per million of surfactant. Ecover’s own criterion is set at half, namely 50 parts per million. This leads to values as low as the 2,4 parts detected in the Ecover product. The threshold for reporting the presence of dioxane in tap water in The Netherlands, a country with a stringent environmental legislation, is 3 parts per million parts of water. This means that, in the unlikely event, you drank an entire bottle of pure Ecover Dishwashing liquid you still wouldn’t reach that threshold!
For over 25 years, Ecover has been producing products that adhere strictly to the World Health Organization’s definition of heath, which incorporates the wellbeing of the whole person – both mental and physical – and the environment in which they live. Ecover is constantly innovating and pushing boundaries to create new and more effective products that have minimum negative impact on the environment, and consistently achieves extraordinary ethical standards with its products, management and production methods. For more information, visit http://www.ecover.com
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