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So as not to burden consumers’ pockets. So far we have not been able to find 100% recycled plastic at an affordable cost that is acceptable in terms of hold, appearance and odour. It may sound contradictory, but when plastic is recycled, it undergoes selection and burning processes that not only emit CO2 into the atmosphere, polluting it (hence the need to calculate the overall impact of recycling), but also leave an unpleasant burnt odour in the containers made with such plastic. This odour can compromise the pleasant effect of the perfumes we use in our products. We are constantly searching for plant-based recycled plastics that do not have such defects, always trying to keep a balance between economic and environmental sustainability.
SkinEco is the International Association of Ecodermatology, which evaluates products through skin toxicity tests (NRU tests) to ensure that they are safe for the skin, effective, pleasant, and sustainable for the environment. For the first time, SkinEco have extended their guidelines to include the cleaning sector, and recognised Winni’s home care and laundry care ranges to be eco-dermo-compatible. However, not all Winni’s products carry the SkinEco logo – only those that come into direct contact with the skin, for which there is a defined protocol.
We do not particularly like using the term “eco-friendly”, since there are many definitions for the word, and they often contradict each other. We like to be clear and transparent. So we prefer to define ourselves as having a low environmental impact, based on principles of environmental and social sustainability.
By law, final products cannot be tested on animals. We also ask all our suppliers to provide us with statements in which they responsibly declare that the raw materials supplied to us are not tested on animals. There are a lot of different certifications and every one comes with costs. We have embraced an ethical stand in line with the principles expressed by Vegan OK, a reliable and accredited certification. This does not mean that there aren’t other equally valid certifications, such as LAV, but these would involve further costs that would go against the Winni’s principle of economic sustainability.
Until recently there were no alternatives to animal testing to protect consumers’ safety. So in the past, the suppliers of Winni’s raw materials used this type of testing. As the data on these old tests is still available, by law it must be included on the product safety data sheets, as you can verify in Regulation (EU) 2015/830. Our commitment to protecting the environment has led us over time to select only suppliers who can offer the safety data required by law, using alternative in vitro tests that do not involve animals in any way.
Assocasa (the Italian Association of Detergents and Specialities for Industry and Home Care) has produced a detailed study on the environmental impact of different supply chains for detergent: both packaged and sold loose. The method used was the Life Cycle Assessment, a technique created to assess potential impacts associated with a process or product interpreted as a system. That is, a cradle-to-grave analysis of a product’s life: not just the methods used and time needed to make the product and dispose of its waste, but also other less evident factors such as the distances covered to reach its final destination, the number of times a package is reused, the production of empty bottles and tanks for transporting the product, the distribution of full tanks, and the collection of empty tanks after the expected use cycle.
In terms of energy consumption, a reusable bottle (in a thicker plastic) must be reused at least 3 times in order not to pollute more than a single-use one. If the single-use bottle is made from 100% recycled material, the refill bottle (as the bottle to be filled with loose product is called) must be reused 6 times to have a decisively positive impact for the environment.
Then we must consider the factor of distance: the further away the location of the distributor is, both from the consumer and the producer, the higher the impact of the refill system. At 1,000 km, the bottle needs to be reused 10 times for the refill to be advantageous. And since manufacturers in general are located in the north, it does not make environmental sense to sell loose product in the south, and, in fact, it is much less common there.
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