Vital Baby has announced the launch of its new range of everyday baby products that incorporates its proprietary EarthSmart technology which makes plastic biodegrade in landfill conditions.
The launch of EarthSmart is the first of its kind and is the result of over three years of intensive research and development and rigorous testing by the company.
As one of the leading manufacturers of baby products in the UK, Vital Baby identified a significant gap in the market for sustainable alternatives to everyday products, as CEO Dean Tollman explains:
“The rise of the eco-consumer cannot be understated, but sustainable parenting has struggled to keep pace with demand. Especially when it comes to the disposal and recycling of products once they have served their purpose.
“Whilst we urge the reuse and recycling of all our products, plastic waste has become a major environmental concern in recent years, with estimates suggesting that only around 9-12% of all plastic is recycled in the UK each year. The majority goes straight to landfill. With the launch of our new range, eco-conscious parents need no longer be concerned if their waste is mismanaged and their baby products end up in landfill.
“Vital Baby with EarthSmart technology gives parents peace of mind that the products they are using can be used until they’re no longer needed and then recycled, knowing that if they are mismanaged and end up in landfill, they will biodegrade without damage to the environment.”
Vital Baby’s products will biodegrade within five years, according to calculations based on independent anaerobic biodegradation testing standards for plastic materials (ASTM D5511 and ISO15985), which indicate degradation of over 90% over this time period.
Biodegradable plastic is defined as the ability of the composite materials to break down completely when exposed to naturally occurring microorganisms such as those found in landfills.
Under landfill conditions, EarthSmart technology attracts specialised bacteria capable of not only breaking down plastic but fully digesting it. This process ensures no microplastic particles are left behind. Adding EarthSmart to a plastic product attracts microbes, allowing them to control their PH level, become quorum sensing and colonise on the surface of the plastic. Once the microbes have colonised on the plastic, they produce enzymes that allow them to breakdown and digest the product without leaving microplastics behind. This increasing bacterial population accelerates the breakdown process, enhancing the efficiency of EarthSmart biodegradation.
At a time when consumers continue to watch their spend, Vital Baby has launched the EarthSmart range at an affordable price in line with its existing range of products under the Vital Baby banner.
Dean Tollman, whose father founded the family-run business in the 1970s, said: “Parents shouldn’t be forced to make the decision between being environmentally responsible or cost savvy. Our new range provides parents with choice without compromise.
“Vital Baby with EarthSmart is not a panacea to the climate crisis. It is important that consumers continue to reduce and reuse plastic where possible.
“The technology we have developed is the most advanced currently available, but we believe that through continued research and development much more can be achieved and the possibilities that presents will be enormous.”