We believe everyone has the right to a healthy home
Our foundation is built on ethics, empathy, environmental justice and social justice. From the way we make our products, to how we treat employees and support local communities, we are committed to creating a safer and more sustainable home for all of us.
Championing safer products and ingredient transparency
We believe everyone deserves access to a healthy home. That’s why we actively work with federal and state governments to pass legislation that requires the disclosure of ingredients in cleaning products.
Everyone should know what’s in the cleaning products they bring into their home. It’s hard to believe that there’s no federal requirement for manufacturers to disclose their ingredients. We’re proud to have helped pass California’s Cleaning Product Right to Know Act, the first law in the U.S. to require ingredient disclosure for cleaning products. We worked closely with legislators and a coalition of businesses and nonprofit organizations to help pass this historic bill.
Now, we’re fighting for a federal law that would give all Americans the information they need to choose safer cleaning products. That’s why we’re working with the American Sustainable Business Network to stop the Accurate Labels Act which, despite its name, would replace California’s strong requirements with weak federal protections that would put people at greater risk for illnesses like asthma, eczema and cancer. We’re working with ASBN to support new federal legislation based on California’s strong ingredient disclosure requirements.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice program helps shoppers find cleaning products made with safer, effective ingredients.
We’re proud to be a leader in the U.S. EPA’s Safer Choice program, with over 120 Safer Choice-certified products and seven Safer Choice Partner of the Year awards.
We work closely with our federal representatives to support the Safer Choice program to ensure that this important program continues to thrive and help consumers easily find the safer cleaning products they’re looking for.
Green chemistry is critical for our health and our future, so we’re fighting to require safer chemistry in manufacturing. We worked closely with our Congressional representatives to pass desperately needed reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act, which requires the EPA to review the safety of thousands of chemicals used in industry and manufacturing.
We partnered with the American Sustainable Business Network to support the bipartisan Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act, which requires federal agencies to include sustainable chemistry into research, development and other programs.
We also worked with ASBN to convince leaders in New York State to include green purchasing in their procurement programs to help create safer communities and a stronger economy.
We know that toxic chemicals in the places where kids live, learn and play are important risk factors for cancer. That’s why we joined the Childhood Cancer Prevention Initiative to produce a report warning about the dangers of toxic chemicals from traffic-related air pollution, pesticides, paints and solvents on children’s health.
Taking climate action for people and the planet
We’ve reduced our energy use, decreased our waste by over 99%, lowered our transportation emissions and invested in clean wind energy projects, dramatically changing our operations to become not just carbon neutral, but Climate Positive. But there’s more work to accomplish – before it’s too late.
Our planet has reached a crisis point of global warming, and the time to act is now. That’s why we’re partnering with the American Sustainable Business Network to advocate for a carbon pricing solution that will work for both businesses and our planet. We’re also working to permanently protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from further drilling and transportation of oil and gas that threaten the Refuge and contribute to climate change.
We’re creating a clean energy future at ECOS by generating our own solar energy, investing in clean energy hydroelectric, and wind projects and installing EV charging stations and EV forklifts at our facilities. We’re also using our voice to advocate for clean energy solutions on a national scale that will create green jobs and protect our planet.
Working with the American Sustainable Business Network, we’re urging Congress to pass legislation that will incentivize investment in renewable energy, electric-vehicle infrastructure and offshore wind energy.
Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of communities that disproportionately face environmental harms in environmental policies and solutions.
We believe everyone should have access to products that are safer for people and the environment, so we make green cleaning products that are affordable and accessible for all.
We fight for policies that reduce climate and pollution impacts to underserved communities, including legislation that will bring clean water, green transportation and clean economy jobs to Black, Brown and Indigenous communities.
Active Projects:
Water Trust Mill Creek Restoration
Middle Deschutes River Flow Restoration
Seeding a greener future
We want our planet to be in good hands. From scholarships to science programs, we’re committed to sharing knowledge and inspiring the next generation of caretakers for our planet.
Our founder, Van Vlahakis, believed in empowering the next generation. Giving students a strong foundation in green science is the best way to ensure we’ll find the solutions needed for our planet and our future.
That’s why we endowed the Vlahakis Organic Chemistry Lab at Roosevelt University in Chicago, allowing students to study green chemistry and research new products based on renewable resources.
We also created the UCLA Vlahakis-Hanks Undergraduate Scholarship to recognize students demonstrating leadership in environmental issues, community empowerment, or Hellenic causes.
Our ECOS Van Vlahakis Memorial College Scholarship through the California Grocers Association Educational Foundation also gives students the opportunity to study sustainable solutions to today’s biggest environmental problems.
Our children are the environmental stewards of tomorrow, so we need to give them tools they’ll need to create a greener future. Our ECOScience education program gives kids of all ages hands-on experience with green chemistry. They learn by doing, making their own ECOS laundry detergent at events across the country and at our facilities.
The ECOScience program also teaches thousands of 5th grade students every year through our partnership with children’s museums across the country. Museum educators bring the program into classrooms, giving students a deeper understanding of the science behind soap as they make green laundry detergent to take home. For the little ones, ECOS uses interactive museum exhibits to teach environmentally friendly ways to live and shop.
The only way to create a greener future is to help other companies become greener too. We’re sharing our sustainable business practices with companies that are looking for ways to become more environmentally friendly. Helping other companies discover that doing the right thing isn’t just good for people and the planet, it’s good for business.
We believe clean, green science is the future – and what better way to facilitate that than by getting the next generation excited about green chemistry? We bring interactive programs into schools and host field trips at our facilities so kids can make green cleaning products themselves. Who knows, maybe we’ll find our next green chemist or engineer?
- Discovery Cube Museums – CA
- Chicago Children’s Museum – IL
- Hands On Children’s Museum – WA
