Used daily, whether for cleaning dishes or for cleaning spaces, cleaning products have direct contact with the skin of the person doing the cleaning and can come into contact with babies and children as they are applied in common areas. Therefore, it is important to know how they are made and preferably opt for ecological options.
The main difference between conventional and ecological products is that ecological products are based on 100% vegetable, vegan, biodegradable and hypoallergenic ingredients. While conventional ones may contain ingredients such as ammonia, petroleum derivatives, parabens, formaldehydes, fragrances and artificial dyes.
Some of these substances are potential causes of allergies in adults, children and animals, which only a qualified healthcare professional, such as a doctor or dermatologist, has the knowledge and ability to accurately diagnose.
Esmirna Corrêa, a resident of the São Miguel Paulista neighborhood, in the east zone of São Paulo, who switched from conventional to ecological products, noticed health benefits for her youngest daughter and her three cats. “Everyone here at home has benefited from using ecological cleaning products. My daughter stopped having allergic attacks and body irritations when I started using positiv.a’s ecological washing machine. My three cats have not had irritations and allergies, because when cleaning the house I replace conventional products with sustainable ones”, she says.
The switch to sustainable products also had an impact on the family budget. “I can save more, because I reduced the frequency of purchasing washing machines, for example. I noticed that ecological products last longer than conventional products,” he comments.
Regarding prices, while the 1-liter ecological liquid washing machine from Positiva has a yield of up to 10 washes and costs R$ 17.99, on a recurring purchase, the option of a traditional 900 ml brand costs R$ 17.90 for the refill option and has a yield of up to 9 washes.
Tatiane Farias, resident of Guarulhos, has been a customer of the ecological brand for 8 years and began the transition to ecological products in 2018, when she began to suspect that her son was a child on the autism spectrum. “The causes of autism are still a matter of study. I tried to understand what could affect our neurological development, that’s when I came across some studies on the use of conventional products. At that moment, I decided to make the switch to ecological ones. At the time, I also read a report from a mother who spoke precisely about this, she chose natural products because they did not affect our neurotransmitters and did not cause allergies. As I have always been a very allergic person, I ended up matching my needs”, she adds.
Comparing the values, Tatiane came to the conclusion that with the ecological option she saves money by not needing additional cleaning products. “If you calculate, the natural product is cheaper, because today, for example, we use washing liquid, its price is practically the same as in the supermarket or even cheaper compared to other brands, but if we use a product If you don’t need another product to complement cleaning, such as fabric softener, it’s more affordable. If I add up the cost of the fabric softener per wash, the conventional fabric softener ends up being even more expensive,” she highlights.
According to Marcella Zambardino, Impact Director and founding partner of positiv.a, the prices of ecological products were the only barrier that kept consumers away from cleaning products that prevent allergies and do not harm people, animals or nature. “Since the prices of ecological products are equivalent to or lower than conventional ones, even with the benefits of ecological products, we have broken this barrier. That’s why we bought a factory and democratized access to our products. Around 62% of our products already have a price equal to or lower than conventional ones”, explains Marcella.
Currently, the company produces 1.2 million units per year, after the renovation of the factory in which the company is investing, this number should increase. Since its creation, positiv.a has sold 1.5 million units in e-commerce and 950,000 items in physical retail. The company expects to increase its market share and be present in 20% of Brazilian homes by 2030.
