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Capsule Solution Set to Replace Disposable Toiletry Bottles

The AHA! Team — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 05:13:38 +0000

Abigail Klein Leichman via Israel21c – Adding water to soap or shampoo concentrate to a reusable bottle at the point of usage would cut costs and pollution drastically. Eighty-five percent of the contents of all those plastic bottles of liquid soap, shampoo and detergent we use every day is water. Just 15% is the active ingredient that does the job we bought it to do. If the water could be added where the product is used rather than where the product is made, the package would be much smaller, lighter and cheaper. And that would lead to a cascade of environmental improvements in the manufacture, packaging, transport, storage and disposal of toiletries, cleansers and other water-based household products. The founders of Capsule Minimal have devised a revolutionary 3D-printed smart capsule containing the active ingredients. Insert the capsule into the company’s reusable metal bottle, add tap water, and the toiletry or cleaning product is ready. The two-year-old startup, which was chosen as one of 30 companies representing Israel at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai before the delegation was canceled, is seeking big-brand collaborations to bring its ingenious green solution to market. That’s insane “If you look around your home, most daily-use products are water-based: cosmetics, toiletries, paint, cleaning materials. You need a mediator to deliver active ingredients, and that’s usually water because most active ingredients are water-soluble,” says Ami Krupik, cofounder and chairman of Capsule Minimal. “We all have multiple water taps in our homes and yet we’re bringing water from thousands of miles away where the products were produced,” he says. “That’s insane. Why should you use water brought from one country to wash your hair in another country?” However, it’s not as simple to make a just-add-water shampoo as it is to make lemonade from a can of concentrate. “Most household products cannot be sold as concentrates, because they contain complex materials that must be mixed, heated and mediated in industrial plants to bring them into the water in a way that makes them usable,” Krupik explains. “There are many phases and energy investments involved in the manufacturing process. If you want to bring active ingredients directly to customers, they’d need machinery and a lot of effort. Most people aren’t able or willing to do that. We needed to enable this to happen easily without machinery.” Industrial plant in a bottle Capsule Minimal cofounder and CEO Yael Goethe, a biotechnology engineer and former R&D manager and COO of a leading clean-tech company, hit on the right formula. The technology she invented brings the industrial plant into the bottle in a physical, mechanical and chemical way. You put the active-ingredients capsule in the bottle with water, and the product makes itself, automatically activating phases including heating and mixing. The capsules will be produced in an efficient and green way and sold in a paper wrapper. “The market is very interested in our technology to solve the plastic waste problem — not just because they want to but because they have to,” Goethe tells ISRAEL21c. “There is regulation in Europe and in some parts of the United States that forces them to find a solution. Many potential strategic partners have approached us and we expect to sign collaborations because we want to be massive.” The company is building a proof-of-concept plant in northern Israel and is in talks with potential American and Israeli partners. “We don’t aim for niche products for the environmentally aware consumer,” Krupik emphasizes. “We want everyone — you and me, and our neighbors — to use it instead of the ordinary products we all use today. So we need a collaboration with a big player.” Capsule Minimal has patents and is in the process of obtaining regulatory approval for five categories of toiletries, including a variety of soaps and shampoos. “We chose to focus on the toiletries industry first, and next will be the cleaning industry,” Krupik tells ISRAEL21c. “These huge markets transport water every day in the millions of gallons.” The plastic problem Plastic pollution is at a pandemic level, and it’s not only the oil-based material itself that harms our environment. Millions of disposable plastic bottles are transported every day twice by truck, once empty and once filled with product. The heavier they are, the more fuel the trucks burns to transport them. The filled bottles are shipped by sea and stored in warehouses and finally retail stores, where they take up a lot of space that contributes to the air conditioning load. All of these steps cause greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. Finally, when plastic bottles are disposed, they either sit in landfills forever, shed microplastics into the oceans, or get recycled in energy-intensive processes. A recent illustrative case is LEGO’s decision not to make bricks from recycled plastic bottles after projections suggested this material would ultimately leave a larger carbon footprint. In fact, Krupik and Goethe were motivated by their insider knowledge of plastic recycling. They were involved in developing new technologies for the recycling industry that decreased the amount of energy needed by more than 70%. “But the remaining 30% bothered us. We understood that recycling is not the real solution,” says Krupik. “There is always waste from everything we do, but we believe the main solution is reducing waste production.” Their innovation could significantly reduce the billions of toiletry and cleansing product bottles sold and discarded every year. A thousand of their capsules take up just one cubic meter. Holistic solution “It’s a holistic solution based in science,” says Goethe, who recalls being horrified at the sight of trucks dumping tons of landfill waste. “The reusable bottle is also an important part of this story,” she says. “The bottle is very aesthetic and practical. It opens from the bottom, so it’s very easy to clean and refill.” Capsule Minimal got its start at I4Valley Karmiel Incubator for Small Industry, which is supported by corporations such as Keter along with the Israel Innovation Authority. The company also has some private investors and recently opened a seed funding round. The current war, says Goethe, is presenting some challenges, but “we are able to work as normally as possible. We believe in the power of entrepreneurship and sustainability to make a positive impact, even — especially! — in difficult times.” For more information, click here. To read the original article click here.

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‘Everyday’ Chemical Linked to Early Death, Costs U.S. Billions

AHA Publisher — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 07:00:11 +0000

Leah Zerbe, MS, NASM-CPT, NASM-CES via Dr. Axe – Scientists have identified a common chemical linked to early death, and the downside is that (at least in America) it’s still legally found in thousands of products — some of which may be right under your feet. Researchers from NYU Langone investigated phthalates, plasticizing chemicals used in everything from vinyl flooring, siding and shower curtains to food wraps, food packaging and cosmetics. The findings suggest a huge toll on not only human health and survival, but the economy, as well. Phthalates may cause up to 100,000 premature deaths a year in older American adults, along with $40 to $47 billion in lost productivity. As the study lays out, previous research already linked exposure to phthalates to all sorts of health problems, including: Breast and thyroid cancers Premature birth Gestational diabetes Childhood and adult obesity Adult diabetes Endometriosis Infertility One prominent discovery in the most recent research involves the connection between high phthalate levels in urine and higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease. (The link was even more pronounced in men.) “Our findings reveal that increased phthalate exposure is linked to early death, particularly due to heart disease,” says study lead author Leonardo Trasande, MD. “Until now, we have understood that the chemicals connect to heart disease, and heart disease in turn is a leading cause of death, but we had not yet tied the chemicals themselves to death.” And although this type of study doesn’t provide direct “cause-and-effect” evidence, the team says it plans on further studying the specific biological mechanism that could underline phthalates’ contribution to shortening lives. In particular, researchers will look at the role phthalates may play in hormone regulation and inflammation. Chemical Linked to Early Death Phthalates are known as one of the “Dirty Dozen” endocrine disruptors, and are also categorized as obesogens for their obesity-promoting characteristics. In this most recent study, “high-molecular weight” phthalates, like di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) were most closely linked to premature death among 55 to 64 year olds. DEHP is found in medical equipment like IVs and ventilators, but it’s also used in some plastic food packaging and in vinyl products, including flooring and siding. DEHP is often used in tubing for dairy and many other food processing applications. Because of its broad use, breakdown metabolites are found in most Americans. The main route of exposure is likely ingestion through food contact, and as consumer products break down. Low-income communities, and/or communities with high populations of black and brown residents, are particularly at risk. Not only do they face exposure through food and products, but the actual PVC plants manufacturing vinyl are often located in these neighborhoods. Landfills are another hotspot for DEHP contamination. DEHP has even been detected in tomatoes grown with biosolids, the “sewage sludge” left over in wastewater treatment plants that non-organic farmers are allowed to use to grow our food. Phthalates are even detected at levels 200+ times above the legal limit in dollar store toys. “Our research suggests that the toll of this chemical on society is much greater than we first thought,” says Dr. Trasande, who also serves as director of NYU Langone’s Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards. “The evidence is undeniably clear that limiting exposure to toxic phthalates can help safeguard Americans’ physical and financial wellbeing.” How to Protect Yourself It is virtually impossible to completely protect yourself from phthalates because they are so widespread. In fact, authors of this study say: “Regulatory action is urgently needed to reduce these preventable exposures.” Other things you can do: Avoid vinyl/PVC products as much as possible. Avoid synthetically scented personal care products, candles and air fresheners that contain other types of phthalates connected to health problems. Opt for unscented laundry detergent, cleaning products and personal care products. Nix perfume and cologne. Call your federal representatives and senators and tell them to support meaningful chemical regulation laws. Stand up in solidarity for communities and help them reject PVC plants, landfills and other toxic industrial invasions that threaten the health of our most vulnerable. Avoid eating take-out and at restaurants as much as possible. On average, people who are eating food prepared outside of the home have nearly 35 percent higher levels of phthalates circulating in their bodies compared to people who eat food prepared at home. Avoid store food in and eating from plastics, particularly plastics No. 3, 6 and 7. Avoid washing plastics in dishwashers and heating food in plastics in the microwave. Opt for fresh or frozen foods as much as possible, and shy away from overpackaged, over processed foods. Final Thoughts A first-of-its-kind study links certain phthalates to 100,000 premature deaths in America a year. Phthalates are chemicals that make plastics soft and flexible. The type of phthalate linked to early deaths and heart disease in this study is known as DEHP, and it’s used in vinyl/PVC production. DEHP is commonly used in medical equipment like IVs. It’s also used in food processing tubing and other equipment, along with food packaging materials. This new study estimates that phthalates could be linked to up to $47 billion in lost wages in the U.S. annually, due to premature deaths. All-cause mortality was linked to phthalates, but the link was especially strong for heart disease-related deaths. Phthalates are widespread and detected in most Americans. Researchers and consumer safety groups suggest the only way to truly protect citizens is for strong regulatory action. To read the original article click here.

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Cosmetics WARNING: New Study Finds Forever Chemicals in Over Half of 231 Samples

AHA Publisher — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 07:00:11 +0000

Damon Hines via NaturalHealth365 – Makeup can be a toxic swamp of carcinogens, irritants, allergens, silicones, parabens, and endocrine disrupters. The U.S. Congress hasn’t enacted any personal care laws since the 1930s, leaving America’s multi-billion beauty industry to regulate itself. A survey conducted by the Environmental Working Group found that the average woman uses 12 products a day, averaging 168 total ingredients. How many of those ingredients have been linked to cancer, birth defects, liver disease, thyroid disease, decreased immunity, hormone disruption, and a range of other serious health problems? A recent study published in Environmental Science & Technology found signs of forever chemicals (PFAS) in over half of the 231 samples of products tested, including lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, foundation, concealer, lip balm, blush, nail polish, and more. Some of the highest PFAS levels were found in waterproof mascara (82% of brands tested), foundations (63%), and liquid lipstick (62%). Here Is the Ugly Truth About Ingredients Used in Beauty Products This isn’t the first time the beauty industry’s ugly ingredients have been exposed. Its evils are as long as the makeup aisle at Macy’s. For example, hair care company Wen settled a $26 million class-action case because its products were making people’s hair fall out. In 2020, filmmaker Phyliss Ellis released “Toxic Beauty,” a documentary that digs beneath the skin of the beauty industry with a thesis that argues that modern skin-care products are the new cigarettes. And as of February 2021, Johnson & Johnson has faced 27,168 talcum powder lawsuits, with victims complaining of ovarian cancer and mesotheliomas, a type of cancer occurring in the tissue layer covering internal organs. The company has paid out billions in damages to plaintiffs across the country. In other words, pretty hurts. Pay Attention! Wearing Lipstick Can Lead to the Ingestion of Several Pounds of the Product Throughout Your Life While researchers for the new study claimed to be surprised by the high number of cosmetic products that contain toxic forever chemicals, what’s even more shocking is the fact that Big Beauty companies don’t list PFAS on their labels when they use the chemicals, making them all but impossible to avoid for even the most cautious and green-minded consumer. According to Tom Bruton, a senior scientist with Green Science Policy Institute and one of the study’s authors, “regulatory agencies often allow companies to claim PFAS as a trade secret.” If the idea of accidentally ingesting several pounds of lipstick isn’t bad enough, to think that the product might be packed with PFAS is enough to make you quit skin-care products altogether. If Reading Labels Won’t Keep You Safe, What Will? “Not all things from nature are safe, and not all synthetics are bad,” says sustainability expert and chemist Dr. Richard Blackburn. And that makes an eco guide to clean beauty that much more difficult to navigate. However, there are certain keywords to look for when reading cosmetic labels. Researchers found that products advertised as “wear-resistant,” “long-lasting,” and “waterproof” often contain fluorine, which is a strong indicator of PFAS. One company worth mentioning is Dr. Hauschka. Of course, local farmers markets will often feature smaller companies that create wonderful (safe) products to use. But, whatever brand you choose … always avoid the toxic ingredients. Your health is worth the effort. Sources for this article include: TheGuardian.com Vogue.com Childrenshealthdefense.org This article has been modified. To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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Unhealthy “Beauty” Products: The Reason You Need to Get Rid of Fragrances

AHA Publisher — Wed, 13 May 2020 07:00:38 +0000

Rhonda Cowan via NaturalHealth365 – Health and beauty products including shampoos, conditioners, makeup, and, most of all, fragrances of any kind are loaded with thousands of toxic chemicals, and America has banned only 9 of these from public use, even though 40 other countries have banned some 1,300 or more chemicals from their products. Why? Indeed, fragrances contain some of the most dangerous toxins to human health – and why use them, really, when there are healthy alternatives we can use to scent our homes and the air about us that do not endanger our health or the health of the planet? Why Would Flammable Ingredients and Formaldehyde Be Inside “Beauty” Products? Fragrances, whether found in perfumes, dish detergent, or air fresheners, typically contain some of the most dangerous and flammable ingredients known to mankind. Some of the big baddies in terms of chemicals are propane, butane, 1, 4-di-chloro-benzene (1,4-DCB), a proven carcinogen, benzene (a known cause of leukemia), formaldehyde (a well-known cause of respiratory cancers in humans), plus too many other chemicals that are not disclosed to the public or researched for their toxic effects on humans. One of the most shocking ingredients in air fresheners and “plug-ins” is naphthalene, a dangerous chemical found chiefly in mothballs and banned from the EU back in 2009. Naphthalene is known to cause aplastic anemia, hemolytic anemia, retinal hemorrhage, cataracts, and is strongly linked to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Synthetic “fragrances” are some of the worst inventions on the planet. They are linked to a long list of frightening health risks, including its neurotoxicity – which can trigger respiratory illnesses of all kinds, including asthma. They are also known hormone disrupting agents that can cause a long list of hormone-based cancers, from breast to prostate cancer. How can this be legal? Supposedly, the United States requires full disclosure of fragrance ingredients if they are used in cosmetics. Really? Well, because fragrance formulas are classified as “trade secrets,” individual components within the fragrance do not have to be disclosed. So either way, we are subjected to an onslaught of harmful chemicals no matter what kind of fragrance product we are using. Keep in mind, those air “fresheners” are completely unregulated. So, What Are Some of the More Dangerous Chemicals in Fragrance? The biggest offenders in fragrance today are: Phthalates: Fragrances contain harmful chemical called phthalates that act as preservatives, helping perfumes and colognes stay on the shelves longer. These phthalates cause numerous deadly health problems including endocrine disruption, decreased sperm motility, respiratory problems, birth defects, low birth weight, premature birth, miscarriage, and damaging children’s IQ in the womb. Parabens: Parabens like phthalates are preservatives that prevent molds in cosmetics. They have a long list of negative health impacts, but most of all, they’re highly estrogenic, meaning they can cause estrogen-based cancers including breast, prostate, and endometrial cancer. Styrenes: Styrene is used to make a wide variety of products, including fragrance. Styrene is also in cigarette smoke and auto exhaust. It is a known carcinogen. Synthetic Musks: Synthetic musks, including nitro-musks and polycyclic musks have been linked to cancer and harm to the nervous and reproductive systems. Healthy Alternatives to Dangerous Synthetic Chemicals in Fragrance The good news is that it’s easy to scent your home naturally. It’s called natural aromatherapy. For natural aromatherapy, you’ll need some 100% pure essential oils like lavender pure essential oil, lemon, orange, or grapefruit essential oil, eucalyptus pure essential oil, or rose pure essential oil – these are just some of the delicious scents you can buy at a low cost. These wonderful scents not only make your home smell great, they also improve human health with plant compounds like antioxidants and other constituents that can benefit health in a long list of ways from helping to ease harmful stress levels to helping to detoxify the home of viruses and bacteria. Think tea tree oil. You can use these pure essential oils in a environmentally safe (meaning, no plastic!) diffuser, dab them on light bulbs, or you can blend them with water and spray them about your home as a natural air freshener. You can also try spraying the fresh scents of lemon and water or pure lavender and rose oil onto fans and then let those scents go about the room. Another great trick is boiling homemade potpourri on the stove, which means basically some orange peel and cinnamon steeped in water. Bottom line: we don’t need the chemicals when we have such a great alternatives. To read the original article click here.

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Finding Safe Cosmetics Is a Click Away

AHA Publisher — Sat, 14 Mar 2020 07:00:30 +0000

Yael Mor via Israel21c – A new Israeli tech-solution helps consumers to detect suspicious contents in products on online shopping sites, thus buying wisely and safely. Many people scour the Internet for cheap deals on makeup, shampoo, conditioner and skin care products. But there’s rising concern that ingredients in personal-care items could have adverse health implications. According to an American study published in 2018, the frequent use of specific cosmetic products might impact negatively on health. Especially in women, the use of cosmetics has been linked, among other things, to an increased risk of breast cancer. Although no causation has been established, the study found increased morbidity in women who use cosmetic products more frequently. However, the findings require further examination in order to identify the mechanisms that cause the diseases and determine to what extent other lifestyle-related and environmental factors affected the likeliness to become ill. An Israeli venture is already one step ahead. Clearya offers consumers assistance in choosing products that are safe. Its free web browser plugin accesses information whenever users search e-commerce sites like Amazon, Sephora, Walmart, iHerb and Love Letter. The widget detects the ingredients of various care products, cosmetics and facial cleansers. In addition, it provides a complete description of any health hazards attributed to the identified ingredients from authorities including the World Health Organization. Those substances include, among others, carcinogens, allergens and hormonal disruptors. What Lies Beneath? Clearya was launched in May last year by Amit Rosner, a solar-energy entrepreneur who has been involved in technology for 15 years, focusing primarily on products related to big-data analysis. “My specific concern with environmental pollutants started with a personal story,” says Rosner. “More than three years ago, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. My wife is a vegetarian, a yoga teacher, and has no family history of the disease, so it caught us by surprise. “After my wife had recovered, we decided to investigate and find out what the source of the disease might have been. We learned that one of the factors that potentially increases the chance of getting cancer and other diseases is environmental pollutants,” Rosner adds. Environmental pollutants are contaminants that originate from the air, water, soil, consumer goods and food. According to the World Health Organization, about 24 percent of deaths can be ascribed to environmental pollutants, which is a preventable problem. “From studies that deal with exposure to chemicals in daily consumer products, including cosmetics and care products, we know that these substances have negative health effects. Those substances might impact especially sensitive populations such as pregnant women and their developing fetus,” explains Sherry Rosen, vice president of the Environment and Health Fund in Israel. The list of chemical contents is long. For example, phthalates are a group of chemicals that are found in many products because they are related to the fragrance component. Typically, phthalates are not listed as such on the product, but as “perfume” or “fragrance.” Phthalates are found to have several harmful health effects, potentially causing allergies and intensifying asthma symptoms. In addition, phthalates might impact the development of the reproductive system in males, leading to decreased fertility. Heavy metals defined as pollutants, including lead, can be found in products such as lipstick, eye shadow and nail polish. Some heavy metals are deliberately added while others are byproducts. Depending on the concentration, heavy metals are highly toxic and particularly dangerous for pregnant women as they can affect fetal development. Yet another group of potentially health-damaging chemicals is antibacterial agents like triclosan, found in products such as toothpaste, soap and shampoo. These are endocrine-disrupting (hormone-disrupting) substances and can affect thyroid activity. Consumers Left in the Dark “We decided to clean our house from environmental pollutants. At first, we thought it wouldn’t be too difficult, butit was only when we got to the bathroom that we realized the complexity of the problem,” Rosner stresses. “We saw that cleaning, cosmetic and hygiene products all contain dozens of contents, and each content has dozens of synonyms. We realized that I needed to solve this problem for my family and me, but it would be a very intricate task to find out which contents are safe to use. Since I figured that google search would neither be very efficient nor effective, I decided to do it my way and developed a technological solution,” Rosner explains. Rosner began researching and compiling a list of hazardous components from 15 official and scientific databases, including the California Environmental Protection Agency, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Government of Canada, the European Commission, the European Chemicals Agency, and the United Nations Environment Program. “I was trying to find an automated way to analyze the content lists and understand if there is any content recognized by a qualified source as a potential health-risk substance. It was definitely helpful that I studied computational biology and computer science – bioinformatics — in my undergraduate degree,” Rosner says. During his two-year research, Rosner found out that regulations and policies differ depending on the country regarding contents, and sometimes even in the same country, even when it comes to the exact same substance. For example, the FDA’s list of prohibited substances for use in cosmetics contains only 10 individual substances or groups of substances, as compared to the EU, which bans the use of more than 1,300 ingredients. The regulatory discrepancy between countries is further aggravated by the era of e-commerce. Today many products are bought online and shipped across borders, bypassing local or regional standards. “Clearya is now able to identify thousands of contents that are classified as toxic by regulatory bodies or scientific research,” says Rosner. How does Clearya work? While you’re browsing makeup, skincare, hygiene, cleaning and certain baby products, the plugin reads the list of ingredients the manufacturer has published in the online store, cross-links the names of the contents with toxins listed by regulators, and displays alerts if necessary. “Clearya always reflects the risk as determined by the regulator or the scientific body and presents the data on the components at face value, without its own interpretations,” explains Rosner. “All that Clearya does is inform the users what regulators have set, or what a scientific research center determines what is harmful and what is not.”This helps people who don’t have the time to do the research to make an informed decision about how to use the product efficiently and easily. “Clearya’s objective is not to be an arbiter or a scientist, and it is not designed to scare people. The goal is to make information available that almost everyone already knows — the manufacturer knows it, the scientists know it and the regulators know it. The only one who doesn’t know it is the consumer,” says Rosner. Sherry Rosen also emphasizes the importance of accessing information relating to questionable content in consumer products. “It is very difficult for us as consumers to access the store and identify the problematic contents. When there is an independent organization that does the tracking for us and puts out an official list of recommended products and harmful contents and products, it will help the consumer to make the right choices and thus reduce their exposure to hazardous substances.” This article has been modified. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

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