PFAS- a class of chemicals used to make products water and oil-resistant.

PFA chemicals are found in everyday items, including makeup, food packaging, nonstick pans, and stain-resistant furniture.

They refer to more than 4,000 chemicals found in a wide range of consumer products.

Their widespread use is attributed to their qualities like increased resistance to heat, stains, water, and grease.

But they are linked to cancer and other serious health problems.

Also, once they are manufactured, they stay in the environment forever- which explains the term ‘forever chemicals’.

They move through air, water and soil and settle on animals, plants and humans.

So next time you are buying any personal care, makeup or household item, make sure it’s PFA free.

In today’s edition, let’s look at 3 startups that are reducing toxics in our life.⬇️

The problem is real…Most popular laundry detergents contain dozens of potentially harmful ingredients, including petrochemicals and carcinogens. They linger on clothing, cause skin irritation and are toxic to marine life. Look at the ingredients behind your laundry jar and you would definitely find fragrance in the list. Brands hide a ton of dangerous chemicals behind this ‘fragrance’.

Do your laundry in a few sprays…Wayakit- an instant laundry spray. It is compact, organic and portable. It does the job of a multi-cleaner and an odour remover. Just a few sprays on your clothes and it would leave them clean and fresh again. The spray also has anti-bacterial properties, so it acts as a sanitizer as well.

• You just spray the smelly area twice and you’re good to go.

• In case of stains, you can spray twice and pat dry it with a tissue, and the stain disappears.

• They also have a smaller travel version, in case you need one while travelling.

There’s more…The laundry spray is made of a biotechnology-based formula that excludes the usage of oxidizers and is focused on more organic compounds. Their second product, Wayakit surface disinfectant, also made with natural ingredients, can be used on any surface and claims to remove 99.999% of CoVid-SARS virus in 30 seconds. This product is suitable for industries where faster and safer disinfection is needed.

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It might seem harmless but…Nail polishes are essentially plastic and chemicals. The traditional ones are toxic and flammable, making them hard to recycle. The toxic ingredients found in them affect fertility, disrupt our endocrine system, and cause cancer. Have you ever tried smelling nail polish? Doesn’t it smell all toxic? Well, because it is. Commonly found ingredients like formaldehyde, toluene and DBP (dibutyl phthalate) are harmful to human health and the environment. They help the nail polish stay on for longer but at a cost.

Shine without compromise…Côte is a vegan and eco-friendly nail polish brand. Their cruelty-free nail polishes are free of all the major toxics. Plus, it comes in an elegant glass bottle that can be recycled at their store. You return a bottle, you earn 10% off your next polish (talk about incentivizing to do good).

• They work in conjunction with an environmental services company.

• These companies provide recycling services specific to nail polish.

• This prevents hazardous waste from going down the drain or in the trash.

Social good…They also ensure that their ingredients are sourced in an ethical manner. For instance, their mica (an ingredient) supplier has a government-issued statement guaranteeing that no children were used in the production.

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Too good to use…Pesticides are used by farm owners to kill insects. But some pesticides, unfortunately, are too efficient at killing insects. Apart from killing the crop pests, they also end up killing friendly insects and pollinators like bees. Recent research found that 40% of all insects are declining, and a quarter could be wiped out within a decade. I don’t even want to get started on the adverse environmental effects of pesticides.

Mating Disruption…BioPhero has developed an alternative to these pesticides- a tool that does the job without negatively impacting the environment and biodiversity. Insects mate through chemical signals. Some like moths waft pheromones (substances secreted and received by individuals of the same species). Males follow the perfumed path to the females. Biophero has figured out a way to confuse the insects by hiding their pheromone trails.

• They make the same pheromones as the insects and release them over crop fields.

• This confuses the insects and makes it difficult for them to pair up and reproduce.

• Through an innovative yeast fermentation method, they cheaply produce these pheromones at an industrial scale.

  

Good for everyone…Pheromones are highly sustainable as they are insect-specific and non-toxic. They evaporate quickly and as they are made from fatty acids, they are rapidly eaten by microbes. They do not persist in the environment, unlike many pesticides. These pheromones can be used to prevent many different crops like cotton, soybean, cabbage and grain crops like maize.

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