We try every day to improve ourselves and change our little habits to pay more attention to our beautiful blue planet. If we think for example of sorting our waste, not leaving the tap open when we brush our teeth, or choosing more responsible clothes, buying local… Have you thought about changing your cleaning products for example ? Overview of “green” products.

Green chemistry… What is it ?

In 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, also known as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, introduced the first green chemistry research initiative by stating the following definition :

“Green chemistry aims to design and develop chemical products and processes to reduce or eliminate the use and synthesis of hazardous substances.”

In this definition, the term “dangerous” is taken in the broadest sense: the danger can be physical (flammable substance, explosive…), toxicological (carcinogenic, mutagenic…) or global (destruction of the ozone layer, climate change…)

Green chemistry represents a revolutionary approach to addressing the challenges of industrial chemical activities. Unlike the traditional approach, which focuses on reducing the risks of toxic substances at every stage of industrial processes, such as handling, use, treatment and disposal, green chemistry proposes to solve these problems from the outset by developing inherently safe processes.

Why opt for “green” products ?

Efficiency

At Breyner we have been designing antiparasitic treatments for textiles, also known as TP18, for 25 years. By definition they are insecticides, acaricides and products used to control other arthropods. They are therefore intended to control pests and therefore cannot include the words “non-toxic”, “does not harm health”, “natural”, “environmentally friendly”, “animal-friendly”, or any other similar indication. These are highly regulated products: find all the details of Charlotte, our regulatory manager via her latest blog post concerning the claims prohibited by the Biocidal Regulation (BPR) (1)!

Also, when you are facing a bed bug infestation or if you are sensitive to dust mites, you are looking for an effective product to kill this scourge that puts your nerves to the test! It is often a “reflex” gesture yet we must not forget that an effective product can also be green and responsible by a controlled toxicity! At Breyner, we work with independent laboratories to prove the effectiveness of our “green” treatments (treatments containing an active substance of plant origin, without permethrin or cypermethrin).

Toxicological advantages of a plant active substance

In addition to the fact that these products are no less effective than conventional chemicals, “green” products will control their impact on your environment and your health. Indeed, when we take the case of permethrin for example, a substance that is neurotoxic on humans. It is also toxic to aquatic organisms.

That’s why, at Breyner, we chose Geraniol. A molecule present in almost all plants (fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices …). It is a molecule that has the particularity of being very versatile and has very interesting insecticidal and repellent properties. Geraniol is renowned for being one of the best larvicides on the market. Ants, cockroaches, ticks, bugs, flies, mosquitoes… The molecule benefits from a wide spectrum of efficiency.

No neurotoxic effect

It must also be recognized that Geraniol does not act on the nervous system of insects, so it has no neurotoxic effect on pests. Geraniol also does not present a risk of side effects on the human nervous system.

Control of environmental impact

Geraniol is also not classified on aquatic organisms and therefore controls its impact on the environment, unlike many products on the market that include the GHS09 pictogram. Want to learn more about pictograms? We dedicated a whole blog post to decoding labels!

As we can see, “green” products are just as effective as conventional chemicals on which we tend to rely with our eyes closed. But on closer inspection, the impacts that chemicals can have on health or our environment darken the picture. Even if you have to choose, it is best to turn to equally effective “green” products, which use AS that have no neurotoxic effect or side effects on the human nervous system and that control their impact on the environment.

Sources:

• https://culturesciences.chimie.ens.fr/thematiques/chimie-et-societe/environnement/introduction-a-la-chimie-verte
• https://breyner.fr/geraniol-matiere-premiere/
• https://www.linkedin.com/posts/breyner_geraniol-vs-perm%C3%A9thrine-activity-7086955382199197696-3cJ5?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
• (1) https://breyner.fr/2022/11/08/focus-sur-les-allegations-interdites-par-le-reglement-biocide/