The ecostore story: cleaning for a better world

ecostore describes their purpose as ‘creating a healthy sustainable world’ and by all means they are giving it a good shot. The ecostore sustainable household and personal care ranges offer over 100 items which are safe and effective. They are widely available and affordable, making them a great option for those who want to convert to non-toxic products for the home, but don’t have the time to search high and low for them. I was lucky enough to meet ecostore founder Malcolm Rands (aka EcoMan!) briefly at the Organic Expo in Sydney in 2006. We wanted to know a little more about the man behind the brand and the brand itself, so read on for our ecostore interview and BE INSPIRED by this incredible Kiwi success story.



Gina: The ecostore brand started from your home in an eco-village in New Zealand and has now blossomed into and international business with a ‘certified sustainable’ factory. What inspired you to start ecostore?

Malcolm: 25 years ago my wife Melanie and I were part of a small group that started New Zealand’s first Permaculture EcoVillage.

As a group we challenged ourselves to see if the pure water that entered our land would be just as pure when it left. We were a bit smug about this as we all were organic growers and thought we would show the local farmers how to do it.

What astounded us though was when we looked at the water leaving our homes, it turned out the chemicals in the everyday products we used in our homes were even worse than the sprays we had been campaigning against using on the land!

The research done to remedy this and provide healthy alternatives for our family and friends is what we now share with everyone through ecostore.


Gina: The ecostore concept is that the end product has to be good for both the user and the planet, has this been difficult to achieve from a technical viewpoint?

Malcolm: It is a long and considered process but we’ve achieved this by researching all the common chemicals currently used.

Using a precautionary principle (ie. if there is any doubt about the safety of an ingredient then we’ll find an alternative) we made a list of ingredients we will never use (see our “no nasty chemicals” list on our website www.ecostore.net.au).

It was then a matter of finding the best formulation chemists (internationally as well those in New Zealand) and challenging them to make cleaners and body products that work just as well, are just as affordable and look after our health and the health of the planet at the same time.

Challenging, yes, but we have achieved it!


Gina: Your products have also been embraced by allergy suffers due to your extensive labelling and stringent precautionary approach to ingredients, was this due to a personal experience with allergies?

Malcolm: No not at all. I have to admit that when we started selling ecostore products 16 years ago I had not even thought about the fact that our products would be beneficial for allergy sufferers.

But within weeks of sharing our products with the people of New Zealand we started getting letters and phone calls (and today, emails) saying things like, “I don’t sneeze anymore when I clean the house”, “My rash has disappeared”, “My eczema has gone away” and even “My asthma is subsiding”.

As it turns out, the reason there is no restriction or testing on household chemicals is because we don’t consume them! But one of the most dangerous ways for chemicals to enter your body is through your skin. This can affect your immune system and your hormonal systems.

Every ingredient ecostore uses is screened for these effects. This has become our difference because many people don’t realise that there are still natural, eco-friendly ingredients used in products that can still be bad for your health.

With over 100 different products and your own research and development facility; is the ecostore brand looking to continue expanding?

ecostore is just at the start of a journey. We are continuously looking for ways to make it easier for you to make a positive difference in your life.

There is a long way to go but if we all work together and change just the small, everyday actions in our lives, like washing the dishes or shampooing our hair, then we can work to solve the problems with our health and our planet.
Our problems aren’t to do with too many humans, it’s to do with our current habits!


Gina: What are your three favourite ecostore products and why?

Malcolm:
1) ecostore laundry liquid - The residues in the clothes are up against you skin 24/7 so you want to make sure they are skin friendly. It also looks after your clothes, in fact many fashion designer are now recommending it. If you want to re use the grey water from the washing machines it’s actually safe to use on your organic garden!


2) ecostore laundry powder - Cleans the worst stains and dirtiest clothes, whilst also looking after your skin and the environment. You can use the grey water on the lawn or trees in your garden (as it has a slightly higher pH, I wouldn’t use it on your food crops which are very pH sensitive).
3) ecostore baby moisturiser - I know many adults who say they cannot find a better skin cream anywhere. One of the reasons our products are so gentle is because they contain ingredients that match the oils and amino acids found naturally in the skin.


Gina: If people are just getting started on converting to a more eco-friendly lifestyle, what would you recommend they start with and why?

Malcolm: Change to ecostore cleaning and body products! They work just as well and because they are safely super concentrated they cost no more per use than other everyday products. They reduce the amount of unnecessary chemicals in your life. Good for your health and the environment!

Making a difference in your life is about taking small steps that all add up. A couple of other simple things people can do are:
• Line-dry your washing. The household dryer uses a huge amount of electricity so save money and get some fresh air by hanging washing on the line. It’s also gentler on your clothes!
• Save on transport costs and cut carbon emissions. Use public transportation or walk/ride/skate whenever possible.
• Electrical appliances left on stand-by can account for up to 10 percent of a household’s annual electricity bill! Reduce your greenhouse gas emissions and save money by turning these off at the power point. The easiest one to remember is to switch off your phone charger when it’s not in use.
• Make sure you turn off taps tightly as a dripping tap can waste thousands of litres of water per year.
• Take reusable bags whenever you go shopping, not only for groceries but on every occasion.
• Switch off lights when you leave a room – simple but easy and effective!
• Washing machines use 90% of the energy it requires to heat the water. Most loads only need a maximum temperature of 40°C, and for most things cold washing is perfect.


Gina: You also run the Fairground Foundation, can you tell us a little about that?

Malcolm: My past career was in not for profits. I would spend 95 per cent of my time raising money to spend 5 per cent of my time doing what I loved!

I saw ecostore as a new way of fundraising. I set up a business that would so inspire me that it didn’t feel like I was working, I was just doing what I loved and passionate about!

Ten per cent of ecostore’s profit goes to the Fairground Foundation to make a positive difference in communities via different programs. We have already set up organic food growing lessons in schools and worked on carpooling. These activates are due to grow rapidly over the next few years.


Gina: Ecostore is a true green success story, what advice would you offer to those looking to start their own green enterprises?

1) Follow your passion
2) Be confident and ambitious. We all have a great deal more ability than we often realise or give ourselves credit for
3) Don’t be afraid of taking on partners or sharing resources
4) Be authentic and honest


Gina: We hear you were a TV star named EcoMan in the not so distant past, any chance of a plunge back into the world of TV?
Malcolm: I currently am on KiwiFM in New Zealand and have appeared in the media a number of times as EcoMan in my homeland. However, we’ve also recently launched ecostore USA and I’ve been making quite a few TV appearances over there so I guess it’s almost happening quite organically!


Gina: The perfect day is different for everybody, how would you describe yours?

Malcolm: Being back at the EcoVillage with my extended family and recreating the permaculture food jungle I started but had to abandon for a while to set up ecostore.
The CleanLife team love ecostore products, our current favourites are the laundry powder (very concentrated so you save money), the pure oxygen whitener and the coconut and vanilla handwash (pictured above), which smells divine.

Visit www.ecostore.net.au for more product information and to find your local stockist.