Synthetic fragrances, dyes and preservatives are copied from nature and produced chemically. They are cheaper to produce than natural variants but are usually difficult to degrade and can accumulate in the environment, in animals and in humans. It is also not easy for consumers to see whether the declared fragrances are of natural or synthetic origin, or whether they are a mixture of both. 

More and more consumer products contain nanomaterials. In cleaning products, for example, they may be found in products that seal surfaces to make them less prone to soiling. Due to their tiny size, they can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled, and accumulate in the body’s organs. Although initially classified as harmless, studies are increasingly showing harmful effects on the brain, blood vessels and DNA.

For decades, phosphates were a central component of detergents and cleaning agents. Their salts serve as water softeners and prevent dirt dissolved in the washing water from settling back onto clothing. If they get into our waters, they act as fertilizers and accelerate algae growth. As a result, they deplete the water of oxygen and release toxic gases, leading to fish dying.

Optical brighteners are used by many conventional manufacturers to give white clothes a particularly bright-looking touch. In the washing process, optical brighteners cling onto the fibres and cause ultraviolet light, which is invisible to the human eye, to be transformed into visible blue light. This additional blue light, together with the complementary colour yellow, makes the clothes look ‘whiter’.  

Optical brighteners are absorbed by the fibers during washing and then remain on the laundry. They have no cleaning effect whatsoever and are not readily biodegradable. Optical brighteners can be removed from wastewater, but for the most part they remain in the sewage sludge. There is ongoing debate regarding the potential hormonal effects of certain classes of substances. In the case of optically brightened textiles, absorption of the brighteners into the body is unlikely despite direct skin contact, due to their high molecular weight. Since this effect cannot be entirely excluded, we choose not to use them.

Enzymes in detergents help to wash laundry thoroughly from as low as 20°C by breaking down molecules of protein, fat and carbohydrate soiling. Most enzymes in detergents are obtained from genetically modified microorganisms. By genetically modifying the microorganisms, the enzymes can be made more efficient. However, the long-term consequences of genetically manipulated enzymes entering the environment via wastewater are uncertain.

We deliberately do not use enzymes from genetically engineered microorganisms. So they are produced neither with nor through genetic engineering.

Microplastics released into the environment can potentially impact animal and human organisms through their chemical ingredients (e.g. bisphenol A and plasticisers). It is believed that the increasing amount of microplastics in humans has adverse health effects.

While valid studies on the effects of microplastics on humans are still pending, they are believed to cause diseases ranging from cancer to obesity.