In the last few years, home cleaning routines have been reimagined with a heightened focus on disinfection and special attention to high-touch surfaces. So naturally, more and more consumers are turning to disinfecting wipes to help ease their daily cleaning, while offering some peace of mind that they are also helping protect their loved ones from germs that may live on these surfaces. Consumer research conducted by Reckitt, the maker of Lysol, found that over half of Canadians (56%) say the pandemic has them using more disinfecting wipes.

The Lysol Marketing Director at Reckitt, Animesh Kumar, tells Daily Hive this increase “isn’t surprising at all,” and the brand has “seen a similar trend” with other cleaning and disinfection products as the global pandemic “brought the benefits of disinfecting products to the forefront.”

Kumar also notes research shows that Canadians want to see corporations be less wasteful, with 84% saying it’s important for large corporations to take small steps to reduce waste. “Interestingly, our research shows that nearly half (49%) of Canadians say the COVID-19 pandemic has made them more aware of the amount of waste they generate.”

Continuing, he says, “We all want to help protect the planet, to create less waste, and keep more plastics out of landfills and nature. At the same time, we want to continue to help protect our loved ones from illness-causing germs.” These necessities combined have led to the creation of Lysol Biodegradable Disinfecting Wipes.

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“To reduce the number of non-biodegradable products going into Canadian landfills, Reckitt worked with the Lysol innovation team to develop a new line of disinfecting wipes that are made with plant-based fibres and are biodegradable in home and municipal compost settings,” explains Kumar.

The new biodegradable disinfecting wipes, he says, offer Canadians the best of both worlds — made with plant-based fibres instead of plastic, while still providing the same level of protection — “killing 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19” — when used as directed.

Kumar further explains that the new formula made with plant-based citric acid, “will not negatively impact compost environments like some products do,” if disposed of in the proper way. Lysol’s packaging was also considered when in development. Housed in flat-packaging, the new Lysol disinfecting wipes packaging contains 84% less plastic than Lysol’s traditional canisters. The packaging comes with the additional benefits of being convenient to use and carry.

“All of this means that we now can help Canadians protect their families and help protect the planet by reducing plastic from our wipes packaging and the wipe itself,” says Kumar. Helping protect people from illness isn’t new to Lysol, though; the brand has been doing this for more than a century.

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But what exactly does the creation of biodegradable disinfecting wipes mean for the environment? Environmental expert, Dr.Bruce Lourie, says one of the key ways to reduce waste is to choose compostable options

“For something to be compostable, that means it needs to be biodegradable, i.e., made from [a] plant-based material that breaks down in the environment over a short period. Lysol biodegradable disinfecting wipes can break down in a home composting setting in as little as six weeks (assuming that the wipes make up no more than 10% of the compost).”

Lourie emphasizes that with more people using disinfecting wipes during the pandemic, “switching to biodegradable wipes is a timely and environmentally important move.”

According to the environmental expert, whether you compost at home or use municipal green box programs, plant-based biodegradable wipes make for an environmentally safer option, reducing the amount of plastic going into the environment.

For anyone seeking additional ways to reduce their household cleaning waste, Lourie mentions products that can be purchased in bulk and decanted into smaller containers, such as liquid soaps and cleaners.

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As we near the end of our interview, Lourie highlights the “tremendous power” consumers have over the availability of environmentally friendly products. “We all need to exercise that power by making thoughtful purchasing decisions,” he notes.

“This, in turn, sends a message to companies that people are interested in reducing their carbon footprint, and it will encourage businesses to develop and promote a wider range of alternatives that are better for the environment.”

Kumar agrees. “We can all make an impact when it comes to protecting our environment for generations to come,” he says. Choosing biodegradable disinfecting wipes is just “one of the many small choices we can make to help protect the natural environment.”

To learn more about Lysol’s new Biodegradable Disinfecting Wipes, visit lysol.ca.

Lysol’s new Biodegradable Disinfecting Wipes are biodegradable in home and municipal compost. For municipal composting, check locally as appropriate municipal facilities may not exist in your area. 

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