HUMANS | ENTREPRENEUR
A CLEANER CLEAN A sustainable company that is shaking up a dirty industry. by Fernanda Mueller
HAVE YOU EVER QUESTIONED the warning labels on cleaning products? When you are supposed to be cleaning your house, you are actually bringing more bad stuff into it, or worse, using chemicals that can get you sick—that is the dirty truth about household cleaners. Ryan Lupberger and Zachary Bedrosian realized how serious this issue was when they first looked at their laundry detergent label and noticed that there were no ingredients listed. The two friends started to do some research and they found out that many of the ingredients were extremely harmful to the planet and to our health. “The more we researched, the more we figured out how dirty this industry was.” The companies that were actually producing cleaning products with natural ingredients weren’t so eco-friendly, as Luberger explains— they all used plastic packaging. “It never made sense that these ‘better for the world brands’ would use so much plastic packaging when they were trying to help the world,” he says. That is why Luperger and Bedrosian created Cleancult using natural ingredients with packaging that is truly zero waste. In order to reduce plastic waste, they came up with a creative refill program: the first product you buy comes in a plastic bottle and is called “The last bottle of soap you will ever need.” After you finish it they send you a fresh supply of the product, packaged in paper-based milk cartons and 100% plastic-free paper mailers. Customers can subscribe to receive a monthly supply kit automatically or they can buy each product
18
DOWNTOWNNYC THE REFORMERS 2020
separately on Cleancult’s website, on Amazon, and at The Container Store nationwide. The main ingredient used in the products is coconut oil—known for its antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial powers. According to Lupberger, this is the most effective natural ingredient in the market. The formula containing coconut oil tackles grease, grime,
stains, and splotches just as well as unnatural products, proving you don’t need harmful chemicals to get a solid clean. Some of the other ingredients used are: saponified olive oil, zemea propanediol, citric acid and a natural essential oil blend to make the products smell good. Every ingredient that goes inside the household cleaner is listed on the package. Creating an effective cleaning formula wasn’t that easy. Lupberger and Bedrosian spent a year and a half in Puerto Rico, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, to research and develop their all-natural and organic products. The company is based in Puerto Rico, working to create sustainability on a community level as well. They are also giving back to the island, after the devastation of Hurricane Maria. They have partnered with C+Feel=Hope to help Puerto Rican families in need. Lupberger has always had an eco-friendly way of living and his company’s philosophy reflects his own. From a young age he considered himself part of the movement “In me, on me, and around me.” The movement starts with the products that we consume, the personal care products we use, like sunscreen and chapstick, and the products that we use in our environment, like household cleaners. This way of thinking and living proves that sustainability is much more complicated than just simply buying organic food. Companies like Cleancult show us that it is possible to change, one bottle of household cleaner at a time. cleancult.com DT
