In 1992 a dream of many years becamea reality: the world's first ecological factory was built. For Ecover, buildingthis factory was the inevitable next step in its striving to minimise theburden on the environment. This factory allows Ecover to give a unique addedvalue to its ecological products, which is completely outside the scopeof other "green" products. This added value serves to increasethe confidence and credibility of the Ecover range, which is unique in ecologicalterms. Through this innovative approach, Ecover has also reconciled goodego-logical common sense with economic interests. The extra economic costcan be justified fairly easily, both at micro-economic level (less sickleave, less maintenance, lower water and energy consumption) and also atmacro-economic level (no costs for the purification of waste water by theGovernment, no air pollution, no visual pollution,....).

Ecover is a textbook exampleof a company which, since it was established in 1979, has succeeded in bringingeconomics and ecology in harmony. The company continues to demonstrate itscare for people and the environment in all its different parts and activities.

When developing a product, the Ecover research team makes sure that thechosen ingredients conform with at least two basic requirements. First ofall the ingredients must come from a clearly natural source, with a lowlevel of toxicity which will put the least possible burden on people andthe environment. Secondly the ingredients, when used in the correct combination,must guarantee an efficient and powerful action, which is comparable withthat of conventional, polluting opponents. It is the research team's jobto keep looking out for new ways of making "eco­technology"serve people more and more, without over-exploiting the environment.

The Ecover range is produced almost exclusively in the ecological factory. This unique factory provides the only guarantee of clean technology in an environment which has been constructed with people in mind. The green building is a logical consequence of the Ecover philosophy, which holds people and the environment as an important priority. The production methods are equally revolutionary. They are simple and use energy economically, because natural ingredients do not entail extreme levels of complexity or danger when manufacturing a product. Every product which leaves the factory meets the strictest production standards.

For the distribution of its range of products, Ecover has remained faithful since the very beginning to its main customer, the health food shops. There are about 12,000 shops spread throughout various countries which currently sell Ecover products. Partly thanks to alternative retailers, the Ecover brand has managed to build up a reliable reputation. While competitors cause total confusion in the market with half-baked products and easy slogans, Ecover has always given priority to information campaigns, to the great satisfaction of both retailers and consumers. "Communicate, don't irritate" is the watchword at Ecover. The company's policy attaches a great deal of importance to "openness, information and improving awareness". Its greatest concern has always been to come across to the consumer as consequent and credible in everything it says and does.

Thanks to these efforts, Ecover wants consumers to use affordable andecologically valuable products with a clear conscience, while the same productsalso meet contemporary hygienic standards.

The "green niche" in cleaning products accounts for around 4% of overall sales, and Ecover has 50% of it. Peter Malaise, Ecover's R&D director, believes that there is also potential for a considerable increase in sales to environmentally concerned customers. But "they can't be convinced in the same way as greens. We have to do it with facts. To prove that actually there is no reason any more not to buy green."