Sustainability Report 2016 / 2017

8 Frosch organic alcohol multi-surface cleaner Our company first made surfactants from rapeseed, olive and linseed oils and then discovered a new plant-based raw material from domestic cultivation. It is sunliquid ® cellulosic ethanol, an organic alcohol of the second generation, made from the agricultural residue of straw. The specialty chem- icals producer Clariant has developed an innovative process in which pure organic ethanol is obtained, which is used in Frosch Bio-Spiritus Multiflächen-Rei- niger (organic alcohol multi-surface cleaner) for end-consumers. In a gentle process, the highly inaccessible sugar is obtained from straw, i.e., the inedible portions of plants, and then fermented to yield high-quality organic ethanol. The new organic ethanol integrates seamlessly in the Cradle-to-Cradle ® philoso- phy, which Werner & Mertz is committed to following. “We proverbially turn straw into gold when we use the riches of Nature and extract the best for mankind and the environment from waste material by doing the right things right,” said Dr. Edgar Endlein, manager of Consumer Product Development, as he explained the cycle principle behind eco-effectiveness. The use of the plant residue straw brings several additional advantages. “We use regional resources and reduce the consumption of crude oil,” Dr. Endlein notes. Most cultivated areas are in Germany, production takes place in Straubing and bottles are filled in Mainz. Transportation routes are shortened and energy expenditures are kept low. Straw is obtained from native agricultural waste material such as wheat straw without competing with foodstuff or fodder pro- duction. There is no need to create new cultivated areas or to convert arable land with high biodiversity. Furthermore, organic ethanol is practically CO 2 -neutral with greenhouse gas emis- sions reduced by 95 percent compared to fossil fuels. Frosch organic alcohol multi-surface cleaner, which has been on the market since February 2016, offers the ideal balance of gentle cleaning and no-streak cleanliness for all smooth surfaces. Do the right things right: New Products Company