Historic agreement reached in Montréal at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference
Have you read or heard anything about the 'historic agreement' reached in Montréal during the United Nations Biodiversity Conference, which was aimed at protecting global biodiversity? BOMA is doing its part by taking a critical look at its own product range. To help preserve biodiversity, both our new products as well as trusted staples in our range (BOMA's original items) must meet specific guidelines because your cleaning products have a major impact on biodiversity.
What is biodiversity?
The term 'biodiversity' refers to the variety of life forms that inhabit the earth. It includes all plant and animal species, marine organisms, microbes, and other living beings, as well as the various ecosystem processes they rely on. Biodiversity has a strong influence on the stability and resilience of ecosystems and is therefore essential for maintaining a healthy living environment.
Biodiversity enables us to breathe fresh air and drink water of sufficient quality every day. It absorbs the CO2 we emit, and it plays a vital role in countless aspects of our daily lives. So it's up to us to ensure that nature continues to provide all these benefits.
What does the agreement entail?
The agreement calls for the protection of 30 percent of all land and marine areas by 2030 to help restore biodiversity. Additional funds will also be allocated to support biodiversity protection efforts in developing countries.
Currently, 17 percent of the world's land and 10 percent of marine areas are under protection. Oceans, tropical forests, and wetlands must now be more effectively shielded from the impacts of human activity.
The degradation must be contained, and the curve reversed by 2030. This is absolutely essential, as a million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction.
How does BOMA protect biodiversity on land?
Sure, we have bees and solar panels on our roof, but that's just the beginning! Since your cleaning products have a major impact on biodiversity, BOMA invests in innovative, sustainable products, minimizes CO2 emissions, and re-evaluates existing BOMA Originals. Here are just a few examples of the guidelines we follow.
Using recycled materials
We are constantly working to reduce the use of 'virgin materials' in our products. How do we do that? By using recycled materials, we decrease the need for newly sourced raw materials, which means fewer trees need to be cut down. That's why we offer recycled paper towels, for example. Using recycled materials also reduces the volume of waste sent to incinerators and landfills, which helps prevent groundwater pollution.
BOMA's new brush frames are a perfect example. A true BOMA Original, made entirely from 100% recycled plastic, including ocean plastic! These frames replace older wooden versions with green steel fittings, as well as the gray models with dual mounts. We firmly opt for recycled frames to protect biodiversity and preserve trees that would otherwise be cut down for wooden alternatives.
When it comes to paper towels and toilet paper, we offer a full range of products with the European Ecolabel or FSC certification. The FSC logo indicates that the product is made from responsibly sourced raw materials, either from sustainably managed forests or from recycled materials. Producers have to apply for this label each year.
More investment in sustainable packaging and products
When developing our cleaning products, we prioritize people and society as a whole. That means using renewable ingredients with minimal environmental impact. But the extraction of renewable raw materials also needs to be done responsibly. This is where the European Ecolabel and Cradle-to-Cradle certification come in, as both establish biodiversity protection requirements. For example, only RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil can be used. Other innovations allow us to take protecting biodiversity even further, especially in aquatic ecosystems.
Developed by Greenspeed, the Probio line is a great example of biodegradability. It's one of the first cleaning products on the market to shift the focus from being merely environmentally friendly to being actively beneficial for the environment. The microorganisms it contains are 100 percent natural and help purify water while preserving a healthy microbial balance when released into the environment after use. But at BOMA (and Greenspeed), we're committed to going beyond just biodegradability. That's why we're launching Synbio, a state-of-the-art cleaning technology. Adding prebiotics to existing probiotic enhances their effectiveness, supports microbiome biodiversity, and helps maintain a more balanced ecosystem.
BOMA Blitz Interior Tab is a long-lasting probiotic indoor cleaner that delivers spotless results through a powerful formula made from plant-based ingredients and environmentally beneficial microorganisms. It eliminates the need for disposable plastic thanks to its 100% plastic-free packaging and a reusable spray bottle. Additionally, this helps prevent the unnecessary transport of water.
We are proud
We're proud of these innovative tablets because the impact of their packaging goes far beyond the choice of materials used. Did you know that 8 billion kilograms of waste end up in our oceans every year, 80% of which comes from rivers? And plastic does not degrade, it just breaks down into tiny particles. For example, a single bottle can break into as many as 10,000 microplastic fragments, which obviously has serious consequences for marine life. Each year, 100,000 sea animals die as a result of microplastic pollution. BOMA has been a partner of River Cleanup for several years now. Every River Cleanup initiative is designed to raise awareness about waste prevention and to support local cleanup efforts.
We've even managed to incorporate some of that recovered ocean plastic into our new 'Save the Sea' brush frames. It's a great first step, but we'd like to shine an even bigger spotlight on the issue so we can make a real difference and help improve biodiversity together.
We're also taking action ourselves to reduce the impact of our packaging*, in particular through investing in recycled materials. But eliminating packaging altogether? Now that would be a smart move! Let's rethink cleaning.
(Reducing the impact of packaging*: as part of our commitment to circularity, we consider not only the chemical makeup of our products but also how they're packaged and transported. By offering concentrated formulas paired with a dosing system, we minimize packaging and avoid transporting water. We also offer 5-liter refill packs for topping off smaller formats.