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Behind the Bottle: How We Keep Our Cleaning Products Affordable and Sustainable

5 minute read

At ECOS, we believe cleaning can — and should — be a way to care: for your home, your family, and the planet. It all started in 1967, when our founder, Van Vlahakis, began developing more mindful cleaning products in his own garage. He was looking for an alternative to the conventional products of the time.

Since then, one thing has always been clear to us: sustainability shouldn’t be a luxury. More than 55 years later, we’re still a family-owned company. Now led by our CEO, Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks. And we’re still committed to the same goal: creating products that are accessible, effective, and designed with the planet in mind.

A Family-Owned, Independent Company with Climate Positive Facilities

ECOS continues to be a private, family-owned, and women-led company. We’re proud to have been pioneers in making cleaning products with several plant-based ingredients. We create products designed to support the wellness of people, pets, and the environment.

All of our facilities in the United States run on 100% renewable energy. We also operate with water-neutral and zero-waste manufacturing processes. And in our Climate Positive facilities, we go a step further: we offset 110% of our energy, carbon, and water footprint.

Independence allows us to make decisions guided by our values—not external pressures—ensuring accessible pricing without compromising our environmental commitments.

Our team has spent decades proving that a company can grow while staying true to its principles. We were the first company in the world to manufacture products in carbon neutral, water neutral, and TRUE Platinum Zero Waste certified facilities in the U.S.—meaning we reuse or recycle more than 99% of manufacturing and office waste—thanks to continuous improvement in reduction, efficiency, and innovation across our U.S. facilities.

Real Affordability: How We Ensure Fair Pricing

Keeping sustainable products accessible doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built into every step of how we operate.

1. Plant-powered, thoughtfully selected ingredients

We choose ingredients that meet rigorous standards for human and environmental considerations, including those certified through EPA Safer Choice—an achievement held by more than 120+ of our products. By sourcing directly and avoiding unnecessary intermediaries, we reduce costs without compromising quality.

Some Examples:

2. Responsible, close-to-home manufacturing

Our four U.S. facilities reduce energy, water use, and transportation needs by operating with renewable power and advanced environmental certifications—lowering operational costs and helping us maintain accessible pricing. We also source materials close to our 4 diverse geographically located facilities to reduce freight, cost, carbon emissions, and to support those local communities.

3. Concentrated formats and designs that minimize waste

Many of our products are available in concentrated or low-waste formats, reducing packaging, transportation impact, and ultimately, the cost for families.

Examples:

4. Ongoing innovation to keep sustainability within reach

With more than 55 years of experience, we continue to develop new formulations designed to reduce environmental impact without increasing costs—aligned with our mission to create authentically sustainable and accessible products.

A Growing Community

As we welcome new participants to our Ultimate Spring Clean Giveaway, we’re excited to share more about who we are and welcome you into our world. We’re proud that so many people connect with our values:

  • family-owned and operated (one of the last!)
  • women-led and diverse
  • sustainability-driven
  • Climate Positive
  • committed to ingredient transparency
  • focused on keeping prices affordable
  • and committed to remaining independent

These principles have guided every bottle and every innovation—and will continue to do so. The Ultimate Spring Clean Giveaway is an opportunity to learn more about our history and the commitments behind our products.

Our Goal: Leaving the Planet Better Than We Found It

Becoming Climate Positive —restoring more resources than we consume—has been one of our most meaningful recent milestones. Today we offset 110% of our energy, water, and carbon emissions through investments in clean energy and ecosystem restoration at our U.S. facilities.

But our commitment goes beyond certifications: we want to demonstrate that a different model is possible, one where families never have to choose between caring for their homes and caring for the planet.

Because behind every ECOS bottle, there is a story of purpose, innovation, and responsibility. And we will continue working to make sustainable cleaning accessible for all.