Develop products with the greatest possible proportion of ingredients based on renewable raw materials that simultaneously offer top performance – this was the challenge for the product developers at Henkel. The result: the cross-category assortment of the new Terra Activ brand.

“Behind Terra Activ is the concerted know-how of a whole team of scientists, laboratory assistants and engineers,” say Dr. Michael Dreja and Dr. Erik Brückner. The two chemists were deeply involved in the development of the new Terra Activ cleaners. Brückner was in on the Terra Activ development project from the beginning. “The big objective was clear,” he says. “We wanted to bring cleaners to the market that incorporated the greatest possible proportion of ingredients based on renewable raw materials while providing the same powerful action as conventional premium products.” On the average, 85 percent of the ingredients of Terra Activ are based on renewables such as palm kernel oil and sugar beet. To give one example of an important component of these cleaners, the proportion of washing active substances (surfactants) based on renewable raw materials lies at over 70 percent. By comparison, the market average for this proportion is 10 percent (according to a report issued by IKW, the German association of body care and laundry detergent manufacturers), while the average figure in laundry detergents and household cleaners from Henkel is 35 percent. With Terra Activ, Henkel has gone a step further, making a measurable contribution to the conservation of finite resources, such as mineral oil.

How the idea originated
For many years, Henkel has been noting that increasing numbers of consumers prefer a healthy and environmentally responsible lifestyle, but without losing any of their quality of life. In market research studies and consumer surveys the core question was therefore to find out the unfulfilled wishes of this group of people and to identify which Henkel products met their expectations? Clear findings that emerged from these surveys were that consumers often felt that eco-products did not perform well enough, or they didn’t like the way they smelled. Henkel therefore set itself the task of developing products with the greatest possible proportion of natural-based ingredients which would also offer top performance and a pleasant fragrance as well. A big challenge for the product developers at Henkel. Brückner: “We had to start from scratch again, taking a very close look at every single ingredient.”

The secret is in the ingredients
To deliver their performance, household cleaners contain surfactants, solvents and acids. The concentration of these ingredients varies according to where the products are to be used. For example, a bathroom cleaner has to act powerfully against limescale, and will therefore contain more acid than a glass cleaner. A glass cleaner, on the other hand, contains relatively more solvent, in order to achieve a streak-free shine. The formulations offer excellent performance, equivalent to that of the top products in their category. At the same time, an average 85 percent of the ingredients of Terra Activ household cleaners are based on renewable raw materials.The surfactants, for instance, are based on palm kernel oil, while the solvent in Terra Activ Glass Cleaner is a bio-alcohol derived from sugar beet. Terra Activ household cleaners were of course subjected to rigorous testing. Stubborn soiling was sprayed onto tiles, which were then worked on with laboratory wiping equipment using the new cleaners. “We also test for compatibility with materials, because a cleaner obviously should be kind to the surfaces it cleans,” says Dreja. Within the research and development department at Henkel, he is responsible for cleaning products in Western Europe. Two and a half years of intensive research were rewarded with success: an innovative series of household cleaning products that offer top performance allied with a high level of environmental compatibility, because an average 85 percent of the total ingredients are based on renewable raw materials. Terra Active thus ensures sparkling cleanliness in the home while also conserving finite resources such as mineral oil.

Performance recognized
The ideal balance between performance and exceptional environmental compatibility due to the high proportion of ingredients based on renewable raw materials is confirmed by SGS Institut Fresenius GmbH, which has awarded its Fresenius quality mark to the Terra Activ range. “We are delighted that our developments have received this recognition from an independent institute,” states Dreja. “The Terra Activ cleaners will be regularly tested again in the future to check important product criteria, such as cleaning performance, compatibility with materials and gentle action on surfaces, and the percentage of renewable raw materials they contain.”

For more information on the Internet, visit www. terra-activ.de or www.henkel.com/press.

For more than 130 years, Henkel has been a leader with brands and technologies that make people's lives easier, better and more beautiful. Henkel operates in three business areas – Home Care, Personal Care, and Adhesive Technologies – and is ranked among the Fortune Global 500 companies. More than 60 percent of Henkel’s sales are in consumer goods, while the industrial business accounts for almost 40 percent of the company’s total sales. In fiscal 2007, Henkel generated sales of 13,074 million euros and operating profit of 1,344 million euros. Our more than 55,000 employees worldwide are dedicated to fulfilling our corporate claim, "A Brand like a Friend," and ensuring that people in more than 125 countries can trust in brands and technologies from Henkel.

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Head of Corporate Communications:
Ernst Primosch, Corporate Vice President