Is 409 cleaner biodegradable? (5 reasons it is eco-friendly) 

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The article will discuss the biodegradability of 409 cleaner and will also comment on topics such as:

  • Eco-friendliness
  • Ingredients
  • Reusing
  • Recycling 
  • Ways to improve 

Is 409 cleaner biodegradable?

409 cleaner is considered to be biodegradable because of the materials and ingredients that make up 409 cleaner. 

Biodegradation can be explained as the breakdown that is caused or rendered by the action of microbes. The microbes include examples such as bacteria, fungi, algae et cetera. 

If we deliberate the case of biodegradation, we will come to know that there are certain conditions that act as necessary prerequisites of biodegradation. This includes naturality and the organic inside. 

The rule of thumb is that natural and organic material is biodegradable whereas non-natural or inorganic material can not be degraded by the action of microbes because there is no food for microbes there. 

What makes up 409 cleaner?

As per the official website, the following ingredients play an active and important role in the making of 409 cleaner 

  • Water 
  • Lauramine Oxide
  • Ethanolamine
  • Alkyl C12-16 Dimethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride
  • Myristamine Oxide
  • Tetrapotassium EDTA
  • Ethanol
  • Fragrance

Since it has been established that there is a direct link between the nature of ingredients and environmental factors such as biodegradation and eco-friendliness, it is rather imperative to deliberately go through and scrutinise the materials or ingredients that are relied upon in the making of 409 cleaner. 

To develop a rigid stance on biodegradability, the need of the hour is to go a step beyond and explore the case of each ingredient. When that is done, the trend that is seen is that most of the ingredients are known to be readily biodegradable. 

This makes us believe that the ingredients used in the 409 cleaner are mostly and readily biodegradable and that leads us to the conclusion that 409 cleaner is biodegradable. 

However, one factor that adds to the equivocality of the stance is that when the Material Safety Data Sheet is explored, it is seen that the 409 cleaner biodegradabilities is given no comment. This usually happens when there is an absence of sufficient data. 

Is 409 cleaner eco-friendly?

If we scrutinise the case of 409 cleaner, we see that there are two sides to the coin. There is no absolute finality sadly. 

Some factors render the 409 cleaner eco-friendly while others steal away this title from the 409 cleaner therefore, it becomes imperative that we explore the case in detail and give forward the points that render 409 cleaner both eco-friendly and non-eco-friendly. 

How is 409 cleaner eco-friendly? (5 reasons) 

Let us first explore the reason based on which 409 cleaner that be given the status of being eco-friendly. 

  • First off we have that the cleaner is majorly made from degradable and biodegradable ingredients as it has been developed in the previous section. This means that 409 cleaner will not contribute to the waste problem and will also cause little problems to the waste streams and water bodies that the waste streams end at.
  • It must be commended that the 409 cleaner is rather transparent about its ingredients so that safe and sustainable consumer choices may be made. This also gives a plus point to 409 cleaner.
  • The manufacturers of 409 cleaner also have taken a number of green steps to reduce the use of virgin plastics. Although the company is far from 100% efficient, they are on its way and this must be appreciated.

    For example, one of the goals of the manufacturers is to achieve a reduction in the use of virgin plastic by more than 50% by 2030.
  • The 409 cleaner is not considered to be hazardous and has minimal health impacts on life, as posited by the Material Safety Data Sheet.
  • The production facilities of 409 cleaner strive to be waste free and aim to achieve the status of zero landfill waste. 

How is 409 cleaner not eco-friendly?

Let us now explore some points that render our 409 cleaner not eco-friendly. The points include: 

  • Although 409 cleaner is made from biodegradable ingredients, the ingredients are not plant-based. Plant-based ingredients are naturally sourced and often are highly renewable. This gives other cleaners an edge over 409 cleaners that are made from plant-based, vegan materials.
  • The packaging that 409 cleaner uses is not biodegradable or compostable. More than that, there is a significant use of virgin plastic which is a downside because many cleaners are actually using 100% PCR for packaging purposes.
  • As per the research findings of the Material Safety Data Sheet, there is a moderate amount of toxicity rendered on aquatic life by the use of 409 cleaner. This also is a downside that needs to be addressed.

What to do with the 409 cleaner bottles after it is empty?

After your 409 cleaner bottle is empty, there are two healthy inclinations that you can lean your behaviour on. These include reusing and recycling. 

Reusing 

Reusing simply means utilising empty bottles for other purposes. Most people make the mistake of simply throwing away plastic bottles into trash cans. It usually ends up in landfills and as we have seen, it is not a good thing to happen. 

If the waste ends up in landfills, it will remain there for hundreds of years and that will further exacerbate the waste problems that are out there. 

Instead, it can be avoided by reusing plastic bottles either simply or creatively. Some options include

  • Reusing the empty bottles to fill in other liquids like oils, and moisturisers 
  • Using the plastic bottles as planters
  • Using the empty bottles for storage of materials or jewellery 
  • Using the empty bottles for decoration purposes 
  • Using the plastic bottles for arts and crafts or other DIY projects 

Recycling 

The next best and an eco-friendly thing that you can do is to have the bottles recycled. This action is also way better than simply throwing the bottles in regular trash cans. 

This can be done or achieved through a number of steps. If there are recycling bins around, you can put empty bottles in those bins. 

You can also contact the local curbside recycling programs to schedule either a drop-off or a pick-up of the empty bottles. 

However, one thing is that you need to ensure that the bottles are cleaned and there is no contamination of any sort or else the recycling facility might be compromised. 

Conclusion

It is concluded that 409 cleaner is biodegradable because the ingredients that are used to make 409 cleaner can degrade readily. 

The article also deliberated on points that made 409 cleaner eco-friendly that also included packaging dynamics and also shed light on points that rendered 409 cleaner to be not so eco-friendly. 

Lastly, a comment was made on what could be done with the empty 409 cleaner that could be used for good uses such as reusing and recycling endeavours. 

References

  • EWG. Formula 409 Cleaner. Retrieved from: https://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/2962-Formula409MultiSurfaceCleaner/

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