Pole: ecological
Provision of bulk products, as natural as possible in the showers (1 ecovert certified soap-shampoo, 1 homemade soap-shampoo) and the kitchen (with the possibility of a green certified dishwashing product and a homemade one) in connection with the cleaning products used à Naturia
A finding related to the raison d'être of Naturia
Concerning dishwashing products:
On the list of components that have been decried but that can now be avoided:
Surfactants of petrochemical origin: these components of conventional dishwashing products aim to dissolve grease in water. They are criticized for their harmful effects on the environment and cause skin irritations and allergies.
Antibacterial agents, ineffective and useless: they tend to make bacteria more resistant and facilitate their proliferation. In our lifestyles, unless we have a real need for disinfection, they are perfectly useless in our daily lives.
Phosphonates, harmful to ecosystems: if since 2017, phosphates, dreadful for aquatic environments, are banned in products, phosphonates are still allowed in small quantities in conventional products. This chemical compound is certainly less toxic for ecosystems but is still a source of pollution in our rivers, as wastewater treatment plants cannot eliminate them completely.
Certain synthetic perfumes that can be irritating and allergenic: they are present in most conventional household products, even though their deleterious effect on the skin is well known, and some are recognized as endocrine disruptors: they are responsible for the decrease in spermatozoid production.
Concerning shampoo and shower gel
Up to one-eighth of the 82,000 ingredients in skincare products may be industrial chemicals, which include carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, plasticizers and degreasers.
Environmental hazards
It is estimated that 3,500 euros of beauty and cosmetic products are sold worldwide per second. This obviously represents a very important production which has repercussions on our planet and our environment.
The environmental impact of shampoos both in its manufacture and its use.
1. The impact related to manufacturing
An industrial shampoo uses a large majority of synthetic ingredients, from petrochemicals and heavy chemistry. However, by reading the label, it is impossible to evaluate the ecological impact of this manufacturing process. However, the synthesis of a shampoo is responsible for both CO2 emissions and soil and/or groundwater pollution. These impacts are difficult to quantify because of the lack of transparency of the manufacturers on their production line.
However, it is notable that the use of synthetic chemical pesticides in non-organic products strongly damages biodiversity. They are indeed responsible for imbalances in ecosystems and affect, among others
- bee populations:
- insect predators of certain pests;
- earthworms, rodents ;
- the birds...
Moreover, industrial cosmetics use ingredients derived from petrochemicals, which also have a well-known impact on the environment.
2. The impact of use
More generally, all products that are rinsed off (toothpaste, shower gel, shampoos, conditioners, scrubs, etc.) end up in wastewater. When these products contain non-biodegradable components or aquatic pollutants, it is the water that is directly polluted. The American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has noted a clear increase in the quantities of contaminants present in surface water and from personal care and pharmaceutical products.
Silicones, for example, can take up to 500 years to degrade.
On the label: all compounds ending in "icon", "iconol" and "siloxane
Other ingredients are directly dangerous for species living in the aquatic environment. Among them, ethoxylated compounds: these synthetic chemical compounds are found in many cosmetics, are extremely polluting to produce and contaminate the environment, because of the presence of many toxic impurities (ethylene oxide, 1,4-dioxane, polycyclic aromatic compounds, heavy metals ...).
On the label: polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polypropylene, compounds ending with -eth (Sodium laureth sulfate...) and with -oxynol (Nonoxynol-9 phosphate...), compounds beginning with hydroxyethyl- (Hydroxyethyl cellulose), polysorbates and polysilicones
Mineral oils, which are produced by petrochemicals, also have a considerable impact on the environment.
On the label: paraffinum liquidum, petrolatum, cera microcristallina, mineral oil...
Finally, the last type of impact of shampoos and shower gels on the environment is of course related to waste: whether it is the bottles we are used to using or even worse, the sample size bottles, all this plastic causes a considerable amount of waste.
Sources and reading:
https://www.rtbf.be/tendance/beaute/detail_produits-cosmetiques-toxiques-pour-l-environnement?id=9929744
https://www.epa.gov/wqc/contaminants-emerging-concern-including-pharmaceuticals-and-personal-care-products
https://reporterre.net/Dans-votre-shampoing-des-produits-pas-tres-propres
https://www.illustre.ch/magazine/shampoings-ne-se-valent
https://madame.lefigaro.fr/beaute/shampooing-creme-savon-liste-noire-ingredients-nocifs-240414-851102
State of the art of Naturia
Each person who comes to the campsite generally comes with his own dishwashing product as well as products for the shower, those are sometimes home-made but most often industrial. Their packaging is small to be able to carry it easily.
Objectives
SMART
Specific - Measurable - Ambitious - Cost-effective - Time-bound
S/
Offering quality products allows people to stop coming with their products. We take care of the health of the people who come, we take care of the cleanliness of our waste water, we buy the products in bulk and limit the waste produced by our campers.
We are thinking of offering the possibility to choose between an ecocert product and a home-made product so that people can be inspired by home-made products (with the help of information sheets) or the purchase of an eco product. For body products we also offer both alternatives.
Both alternatives would be made available in wall-mounted dispensers.
In the store we can also sell the different products to make its home products with the product sheets
M/
- In consultation with the waste measurement department, estimate of waste reduction
- Measuring the consumption of the two alternatives and feedback from the campers
- Analysis of sales of homemade or ecocert products and information sheets
A/
The organization of all Naturia is already a very ambitious project ;), the fact of offering in a camping a personalized service with home-made food is in itself a quite unique experience
R/
We may not have an immediate economic profitability since these products will cost us money, manufacturing time, expenses will have to be linked to sales and returns. If it works, why not organize workshops to make cosmetic products, cleaning products?
T/
We propose to launch the project starting in January 2022 and to conduct a review throughout the year
Communication
Communication to the public, whether they are tenants or tourists, is essential. We will inform the different actors via visuals and in the store via 'home-made' cards.
Concrete planning
January:
- research of ecocert products (market analysis) and experimentation of home-made recipes
- search for distributors
- development of visuals
February - March:
- installation of the distributors
- purchase of the necessary products
- setting up of the visuals
April - November:
- management of distributors, product manufacturing and its management
- management of the sale of basic products for home-made products
December:
- analysis of the year and proposal for improvement for 2024.
Verification
Will be in the day to day exchange with the people who come to the site and in the way people manage to be inspired (also in connection with the sales or the returns that people make on the products)
In a quantitative way we will also see if the volume of plastic waste decreases per person.
We will be able to measure the volume of products consumed and at what share.
From the sales of products and product sheets estimated the interest for these approaches.
According to the test year, we will make a return in our newsletter around this point.