Ingredients

Readily Biodegradable and Naturally Occurring Ingredients

The goal of Bio Pac, Inc. is to make cleaning products that work great then rapidly biodegrade. We are committed to making the most environmentally friendly detergents and soap possible, and are always working to find the most environmentally safe ingredients.

Our products list exact ingredient names. Instead of a “friendly’ sounding ingredient list, we feel you have a right to know exactly what’s in our products! All cleaning products contain a mixture of water and surfactants which are the surface active agents, also called detergents, emulsifiers, and cleaners. These ingredients have some long, complicated names (thanks organic chemistry), but we have specifically chosen ones that are known to be environmentally safer alternatives.

Since Bio Pac, Inc. first started making detergents and soaps in 1991, we have replaced oil/gas derived compounds such as Cocoamide and replaced them with ingredients based on renewable resources. These renewable resource based ingredients include glycosides, lauramine oxides and Ethoxylates of fatty alcohols. Also, we are utterly opposed to animal testing and there are no animal ingredients in our products.

If you have any questions or suggestions about our ingredients, please contact us.

Products

Concentrated Dish Liquid

• Water
• Linear Alkyl Sulfonate (a biodegradable detergent)
• Alkylpolyglycoside surfactant (a biodegradable sugar surfactant)
• Cocamidopropyl betaine (a biodegradable detergent)
• Lauramine oxide (biodegradable foaming agent)
• Sodium Chloride (common naturally occurring salt)
• d-Limonene (naturally derived citrus oil -  a fragrance from citrus peels)
• Glutaraldehyde (biodegradable preservative)

Concentrated Laundry Liquid

• Water
• Linear Alkyl Sulfonate (a biodegradable detergent)
• Linear Alcohol Ethoxylate (a biodegradable detergent)
• Triethanolamine (aka T.E.A.  biodegradable enhancer of oil solubility and Ph)
• d-Limonene (naturally derived citrus oil -  a fragrance from citrus peels)
• Glutaraldehyde (biodegradable preservative)

Automatic Dish Powder

• Sodium Carbonate (occurs naturally – used for water softening)
• Percarbonate (non-chlorine bleach)
• Sodium Chloride (common salt)
• Sodium Metasilicate Pentahydrate (biodegradable detergent)
• Sodium Polyacrylate (thickening agent)
• Sodium Citrate (natural preservative)
• Linear Alcohol Ethoxylate (a biodegradable detergent)

Concentrated (Ultra) Laundry Powder

• Sodium Carbonate (occurs naturally – used for water softening)
• Sodium Metasilicate Pentahydrate (biodegradable detergent)
• Zeolite (naturally occurring mineral)
• Linear Alcohol Ethoxylate (a biodegradable detergent)
• Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (anti-redeposition agent)
• Sodium Chloride (common salt)
• Linear Alkyl Sulfonate (a biodegradable detergent)
• d-Limonene (naturally derived citrus oil -  a fragrance from citrus peels)

Ultra Dishwashing Liquid Apple-Aloe

• Water
• Linear Alkyl Sulfonate (a biodegradable detergent)
• Sodium Alkly Ether Sulfonate (a biodegradable detergent)
• Alkylpolyglycoside surfactant (a biodegradable sugar surfactant)
• Cocoamide Betaine (a biodegradable detergent)
• Lauramine oxide (biodegradable foaming agent)
• Linear Alcohol Ethoxylate (a biodegradable detergent)
• Glutaraldehyde (biodegradable preservative)
• Aloe Vera
• Apple Extracts

Conc. Citrus All Purpose Cleaner

• Water
• Sodium Alkly Ether Sulfonate (a biodegradable detergent)
• EDTA (biodegradable water softener)
• Linear Alcohol Ethoxylate (a biodegradable detergent)
• d-Limonene (naturally derived citrus oil -  a fragrance from citrus peels)

Concentrated Non-Chlorine Bleach

• Sodium Carbonate (occurs naturally – used for water softening)
• Percarbonate (non-chlorine bleach)
• Sodium Chloride (common salt)

Laundry Stain Remover

• Water
• Linear Alcohol Ethoxylate (a biodegradable detergent)
• Propylene Glycol (biodegradable solvent)
• Natural Enzymes (expedite stain removal)
• Borax (naturally occurring mineral)
• d-Limonene (naturally derived citrus oil -  a fragrance from citrus peels)
• Fragrance

Bathroom Cleaner

• Water
• Linear Alcohol Ethoxylate (a biodegradable detergent)
• Propylene Glycol Normal Butyl Ether (a biodegradable solvent)
• Amine Oxide (a biodegradable detergent)
• Cocopoly ethoxy oxyethylene methyl ammonium chloride (a biodegradable detergent)
• EDTA (biodegradable water softener)
• Pine Oil (natural pine oil)
• Sodium Metasilicate Pentahydrate ( biodegradable detergent)

Automatic Bowl Cleaner Tablet

• Sodium Alkyl Ether Sulfonate (a biodegradable detergent)
• Sodium Sulfate (naturally occurring mineral)
• Phthalate (holds the tablet together – biodegrades in water i.e. septic system)
• Di-sterates (stabilizer)
• Blue dye
• Fresh fragrance

Fabric Softener

• Water
• Dimethyl Quaternary Ammonium (biodegradable softening agent)
• Fresh linen fragrance
• D& C dyes
• Glutaraldehyde (biodegradable preservative)

Castile Hand Soap

• Water
• Potassium Cocoate
• Potassium Oleate
• Peppermint Oil Extract (only in Peppermint scented version)

Herbal Conditioner

Behentrimonium methosulfate (derived from rapeseed oil), cetearyl alcohol (from palm oil), extracts of palma rosa, ylang, ylang, jasmine, geranium, marigold, lavender, orange, lemon, lime, oakmoss, yarrow, chamomile, nettle, natural herbal fragrances, citric acid, methyl and propyl paraben. No animal ingredients and no animal testing.

Herbal Shampoo

Water, cocamido propyl betaine, sodium lauryl sulfate, aloe vera, extracts of palma rosa, ylang, ylang, jasmine, geranium, marigold, lavender, orange, lemon, lime, oakmoss, yarrow, chamomile, nettle, natural herbal fragrances, citric acid, methyl and propyl paraben. No animal ingredients and no animal testing.

Ingredient Profiles

Ammonium Alkyl Ether Sulfate

This anionic surfactant has been shown to be readily biodegradable using various test methods. It is used in the dish liquid for foaming and mildness.

Linear Alcohol Ethoxylate

This nonionic surfactant can be derived from natural oils and is readily biodegradable. It is the workhorse surfactant of the entire detergent industry with exceptional cleaning abilities.

Linear alkyl sulfonate

This anionic surfactant can be derived from natural oils and meets numerous criteria for bio-degradability. It is particularly good for oily stains and is used in the laundry compounds.

TEA

TEA, or triethanolamine is used to enhance oil solubility and is used to build the pH of the laundry liquid. This ingredient is readily biodegradable.

d-Limonene

This is a natural oil derived from citrus peels and is used to give the product scent and is a highly effective cleaner even at low concentrations. It is 100% biodegradable.

Zeolite

This mineral occurs naturally and is used for water softening in the laundry powder. It is a substitute for phosphates.

Percarbonate

This oxidizing agent is used as a nonchlorine bleach. It is made from sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide and is used as a cleaning agent for protein films.

Carboxymethylcellulose

This substance is used as a anti-redeposition agent in the laundry powder and is derived from natural gas.

Sodium carbonate

This substance (washing soda) occurs naturally and is used for water softening.

Sodium Tri-poly Phosphate

This naturally occurring mineral is used for water softening. We use much less phosphate than leading brands. However,_ phosphates are really only a problem in enclosed lake systems. If you are using your greywater for your garden, phosphates are an excellent fertilizer. In fact, it is not the phosphates that are harmful in lakes. Because they are such good fertilizers, they encourage algae growth. When this algae dies, it sinks to the bottom and in the decomposition process, uses up oxygen which can eventually deplete the oxygen in the lake Our source of fatty acid is coconut oil. Fatty acids are soaps.

Vegetable or Petroleum based?

Many surfactant makers use vegetable oils as starting points, but the actual process that turns these oils into surfactants brings them into direct contact with petrochemicals. (See Garbage, Sep/Oct, 1991 pg. 36 for a complete Petrochemical primer. This issue IS must reading for anyone who is interested in the exact origins of natural products. The real problem with petroleum is that we BURN it_ and burn a lot of it! The Indians used naturally occurring petroleum for centuries where it seeped from the ground. Animal Testing Our finished products are never tested on animals and contain no animal products.

A Note on Optical Brighteners

Over time, laundry begins to gray from repeated washings. Previously, bluing agents were added to the wash to dye them blue, making them look somewhat brighter. Because bluing only worked so well, optical brighteners were added to commercial brands of laundry compounds. Optical brighteners, also called fabric whiteners, are fluorescent dyes that coat the clothing, absorbing uv light and emitting blue light which makes the clothing appear brighter. After using our laundry products over a period of time, your laundry will be clean, but not “whiter than white!” There are really no substitutes for optical brighteners. Non-chlorine bleach will add back some brightness to your clothing and you can also try adding borax or vinegar and you can still buy bluing agents at most markets, which are nothing more than chemical dyes. However, if you insist on “glowing clothing”, use a commercial fabric softener occasionally as all of them contain optical brighteners. This will restore the brightness to your clothing. We do not use optical brighteners in our formulations because their biodegradability is questionable and their long term effects are unknown. Many people experience rashes with these brighteners. Optical brighteners are what makes your clothing glow under black light. Remember, your clothes are not cleaner, they just look brighter. We feel these chemicals are unnecessary and encourage you not to use them. Of course, we do not use any dyes or harmful fragrances in our product either.