Ecover reached the shelves of supermarkets by the mid-80’s, reinvesting profits in finding alternative ingredients and further developing the range. Word quickly spread and before long Ecover was planning the construction of a new, bigger production facility – the world’s first ecological factory. This grand ambition became a reality in 1992, with the opening of the factory in Malle, Belgium, designed to minimize the need for artificial light and heating, and featuring its own water purification system. In 2007, the concept was taken a step further with the second factory opening in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. Ecological and recycled materials were selected for the factory’s construction. Rainwater is used for the toilets and washing up rooms, and for maintaining the buildings and machines.  Both factories, in Belgium and France, have green roofs that act as effective and efficient temperature-regulators and noise-dampening insulators. Apart from a few workspots, the buildings require no air conditioning or heating throughout the year.

 

Since the first phosphate-free washing powder was launched, Ecover has refined and improved its products to make them tough on dirt and easy on clothes. Two years ago, it launched the next generation of laundry liquids and powders featuring a new surfactant (the ingredient that does the hard work when washing, i.e. separating dirt from garments). It was so new that Ecover was the first cleaning-product manufacturer in the world to use it.   

 

Today, Ecover’s innovative and ever-expanding range features laundry, household cleaning and personal care products, each reflecting the company’s eco-aware ethos and ingeniously formulated to give excellent results. Ecological considerations based on a variety of parameters are at the heart of every decision the company makes. All ingredients used are carefully selected to ensure that they are either based on renewable plant extracts or sustainable minerals. Ecover products are quickly and completely biodegradable – and won’t leave any traces behind, either in the home or in the environment. Ecover does not use animal testing, and as the end product leaves no polluting remnants, that means minimum impact on aquatic life. Ecover also avoids the use of optical brighteners, which other companies use to make clothes look whiter than they actually are. It goes without saying that the plastic bottles used are 100% recyclable and boxes are made from recycled cardboard.