The idea behind Veles’ is a two-pronged attack: making hard-working products that are kinder to the environment and natural in composition, and fighting the mounting problem of food waste.
Rather than throwing who-knows-what into a spray bottle and calling it ‘cleaner’, Veles uses food waste to create its multi-purpose cleaning solution. That’s right, food waste as a cleaning solution.
While the growing food waste problem threatening the planet is being discussed more than ever, did you know that a massive byproduct of food waste is water waste? We waste over 1.3 billion tonnes of food globally every year, and within that lies 45 trillion gallons of water. That’s quite a number.
Veles’ Parent company, Ambrosia, has cut the path from food producer to landfill, partnering with waste haulage companies and the food producers they serve. Ambrosia uses bio-refining processes to recover waste water and extracts the handy naturally-forming chemicals from discarded food – eschewing the need for manufactured products from a chemical plant.
“The water and active ingredients (acetic acid, lactic acid and alcohol) that make up the base of the product are entirely derived from food waste. Only 3% of the product is comprised of essential oils and a non-petroleum-based fragrance stabiliser,” say the Veles team.
Ambrosia extracts the handy naturally-forming chemicals from discarded food, eschewing the need for manufactured products from a chemical plant.
Given that most liquid-based cleaning products are 90% water anyway, being able to find water from unexpected sources is a fantastic idea. And one that could drastically change the household cleaner industry for the better.
It’s refreshing to see new companies tackling massive global problems in novel ways, because we’re betting you didn’t know that you could make a cleaning product from food waste. We certainly didn’t!
Veles’ multi-surface cleaner is suitable for use on ceramics, glass, fibreglass, chrome, painted metal, stainless steel, and plastic/acrylic. Packaged in an attractive reusable aluminium spray bottle, a starter pack will set you back AUD$28 (US$18) and should last you three months of regular use – unless you’re an absolute clean freak – while refill packs are AUD$23 (US$15) and are due to go on sale shortly.
And don’t fret, the refills are housed in fully recyclable glass bottles, so no unnecessary plastic is involved. So if you’re on the squeaky clean path to sustainable living, Veles will keep you on it.
Because of the nature of food waste, Veles can’t guarantee that its products are vegan – but they are cruelty free, and marketed as the first closed-loop cleaner. And if all that hasn’t convinced you to try Veles, then the fact that it’s named after an ancient, shape-shifting god of water, earth, the underworld and magic surely will.
A giant step forward in the fight against food waste, we’re sure you’ll agree.
