Launch of one of world’s first plastic free bottles for cleaning

Jonny Sharp

Biovate Hygienics launches ‘world first’ plastic free bottles for commercial cleaning products

Innovative Biovate Hygienics has announced the ground-breaking launch of one of the world’s first plastic free paper bottles for commercial cleaning products.

The fast-growing start-up was co-founded last year by experienced environmental entrepreneur Nick Winstone with a mission to drive sustainable change in all markets that use cleaning products.

Their game-changing ‘Zero Compromise’ range – in which Biovate Hygienics has committed over £100,000 – features 500 ml ultra concentrates of floor and wall degreasers and washroom and multi-purpose cleaners.

The eagerly anticipated range was officially unveiled by the company at The Cleaning Show, held at ExCeL London from March 14 to 16.

The new products are all multi-tasking, taking care of 99% of cleaning tasks within a cleaning environment and they also use naturally derived bacteria, enzymes and plant-based actives for their primary cleaning power.

Although highly concentrated, the concentrates cleaning products are not corrosive and do not contain any petroleum derived ingredients. In their diluted form the products are not an irritant or classified in anyway.

Another UK first by ensuring only natural actives have been used, Biovate Hygienics is intending to submit the range to organic certification organisation, Ecocert, to be classified as natural eco detergents. The carbon footprint of Biovate Hygienics and its products are also undergoing certification by Neutral Carbon Zone using their gold standard. This ensures that the integrity of the products and their impact on the environment are externally validated by credible third parties.

Nick Winstone enthused: “In a time of economic hardship, we have ensured that the range is incredibly cost effective, amounting to just a few pence per spray bottle. Our multi-purpose cleaner concentrate 500 ml makes up to 250 spray bottles.

“Commercial cleaning products tend to have traditional fragrances, so we’ve launched the range with contemporary and sustainable perfumes such as Rhubarb Multi-Purpose Cleaner, Mandarin Floor & Wall Degreaser and our Rhubarb Washroom Cleaner.

“Our plastic-free bottle is made in the UK using sustainably sourced vegetable waste fibre paper pulp. This makes the bottle not only plastic free but it’s also created using materials that would otherwise be discarded. This sustainable sourcing also means that no trees were cut down in the production of our new bottles, helping to reduce waste and decrease our carbon footprint”.

The bottle’s interior features a bio liner that protects the inside, preventing contact with Biovate’s liquid cleaning products. This coating is made from natural pure plant sap latex while the outer case is infused with natural seaweed extract for added water resistance and helping to break down the paper fibres quicker, if composted.

Nick added: “Paper is more easily recycled than plastic and breaks down naturally when composted without creating harmful micro plastics. In contrast to plastic that can only be recycled up to six times in most cases, our unique plant-based paper bottle can be recycled indefinitely or composted, allowing two alternative means of disposal.

“With 91% of UK waste plastic not currently recycled but over 75% of paper waste recycled effectively, this is a ground-breaking”.   

The paper can be easily pulped in most recycling centres and the natural coating comes away and is used within the organic waste stream for composting back to nature. The bottle has been designed to be recyclable or compostable, while its screw neck and cap are made of Moso Bamboo that breaks down easily and can also be recycled.

“Being a pioneer of biological products 15 years ago and having been out of the FM sector for three years, we wanted to ensure that our new range for the Cleaning & Hygiene sector was as pioneering as bacteria-based cleaning was all those years ago,” stressed Nick. “We spoke to cleaning operatives, managers in cleaning businesses and distributors and we kept on hearing the same thing, namely that the industry wants to eliminate chemicals and plastic from their cleaning practises. However, it was also clear that the products still needed to smell good, work better and cost no more than the chemicals they were replacing. After this extensive feedback we are delighted to unveil our Zero Compromise range”.

Biovate Hygienics, which is  based near Towcester, Northamptonshire, has recently completed a successful first year of trading with more than £2 million in sales achieved. The company primarily focuses on providing bio products to housekeeping, hospitality, care and general cleaning sectors.