#ItsInOurHands – Promising interim results for the environmental initiative

Lenzing – The #ItsInOurHands environmental initiative is celebrating its birthday: Over the last twelve months, the initiative for biodegradable wet wipes has developed to become a socially relevant sustainability movement – with a global reach of more than 40 million[1]. A platform launched under www.itsinourhands.com provides details of the composition of wet wipes, invites participants to take part in a wide-scale dialogue, offers tips for a sustainable life style and features information from sustainability experts from all over the world. The goals: Generate greater awareness and transparency for the materials in wet wipes and show that there are alternatives to fossil-based products.

Hidden plastic in wet wipes

What hardly anyone knows: a large share of wet wipes contain fossil-based plastic, which - if disposed of incorrectly - can pollute the environment for centuries. This is mirrored by an online survey[2] carried out at the start of the initiative by the Marketagent institute: Only around 16 percent of the consumers interviewed suspect fossil-based plastic in wet wipes. However, nine out of ten participants stated that they would change their purchasing behavior if the product they currently favor contains fossil-based synthetic fibers. This is precisely where #ItsInOurHands comes in: as a result of this continuous dialogue, it is possible to create greater awareness throughout the entire value added chain and facilitate changes. After all, it is currently difficult for consumers to make the right choice. Wet wipes normally show details of the substances contained in the lotion but not about the fibers used. Thus, unwittingly many people choose products, which contain fossil-based plastic.

VEOCEL™ branded cellulose fibers: already a good choice

With its VEOCEL™ branded wood-based cellulose fibers, Lenzing produces a biodegradable and compostable raw material. The company even goes one step further: „Our VEOCEL™ logo provides orientation to wet wipes consumers“, Jürgen Eizinger, Vice President Global Business Management Nonwovens, comments.

All over the world, there are already more than 20 beauty, care and hygiene products[3] on the market certified by Lenzing, which allow consumers to make a more conscious product choice. These co-operation projects are based on stringent certification standards. „Both brand manufacturers and the retail industry use the VEOCEL™ logo only in connection with certified products of biodegradable cellulose fibers“, Eizinger explains and adds: „Our co-operation partners value the #ItsInOurHands initiative above all as a forum for consumers who aim to learn more about sustainable wet wipes or exchange experiences.“

The environmental initiative also enjoys popularity among experts: almost precisely on the day of its one year anniversary, the #ItsInOurHands initiative was nominated by a specialist jury for the Austrian PR National Award 2020.

The #ItsInOurHands Initiative was given additional momentum at political level, such as from directive (EU) 2019/904[4] of the European Parliament and of the Council of June 05 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment. Within the framework of the so-called single-use plastic directive, a labelling obligation for single-plastic should enter into force in the middle of 2021. From this time on, wet wipes, which contain plastic will have to be correspondingly labelled.

For more information, please see: www.itisinourhands.com  

[1] Based on reach and impressions via social-, print- and online media

[2] Representative Market Agent online survey, n = 1.005 (14 - 69 years from Austria and Germany). https://itsinourhands.com/en

[3]www.veocel.com/de-de/wheretobuy

[4]https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32019L0904