Ingenious Probiotics is an Environment Award Winner! We have won a NOVO Classic Award 2021 in the ‘Environment’ stream – for ‘helping to make the world a better place…‘
The NOVO Awards recognise innovative and ground-breaking businesses that are smart, ethical and principled; businesses that create a legacy.
We won by demonstrating how introducing our Provilan probiotic cleaning and animal care products into the UK is leading to positive outcomes. Our eco-positive products harness the natural restorative power of helpful ‘good’ bacteria, sourced from plants and beans. They promote better health, hygiene and sustainability and respect the health of people, animals and the environment.
As such, our Provilan product ranges provide healthy alternatives for:
- Cleaning – home, commercial, healthcare.
- Animals – pets, horses, livestock.
- Land and water decontamination – septic tanks, hydrocarbon, water.
All products are PETA certified as vegan and cruelty-free, allergy-friendly and non-corrosive. They do not contain harmful chemicals, toxins or pollutants. Packaging is recyclable and made using ocean recovered plastics.
Joe Flanagan, Director of Ingenious Probiotics, with the NOVO Award (Environment)
A Brief Overview of Why We Won
The NOVO Awards are judged on five key principles. Here’s some highlights from our entry that made us an environment award winner:
1. Degree of Innovation
Provilan probiotic-based products make the UK cleaning industry and animal hygiene healthier, safer and more sustainable. This is because they have two game changing ‘pro-life’ benefits over ‘anti-life’ chemical-based products. They provide effective (and often better) hygiene results, and fulfil two essential global needs:
Reduces rather than causes antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
AMR is a serious global problem that endangers lives and reduces antibiotic effectiveness. It occurs when overuse use of cleaning chemicals, biocides and antibiotics creates mutated, resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria (and viruses, fungi and parasites). These super bugs no longer respond to previously effectiveness treatments.
Unfortunately, Coronavirus has exacerbated AMR in two ways:
- Cleaning chemical, biocide and disinfectant use has increased to unprecedented levels.
- Antibiotic use has increased due to the high incidence of secondary bacterial infections.
If practices don’t change urgently, antibiotic resistant infections may become an unbeatable threat to human, animal and environmental health. The World Health Organisation believes AMR could be responsible for one human death every three seconds by 2050 (O’Neil, 2016).
Unlike chemicals, our non-mutative, helpful probiotics work in a safe, mechanical way that helps keep antibiotics working: They simply outcompete the harmful bacteria for space and food.
And whereas chemicals destroy the natural microflora (the community of microorganisms that live in any particular habitat); probiotics restore it. A healthy microbial balance fosters environments that support well-being and immunity.
In animal care, the helpful probiotics reduce atopic/external bacterial infections of skin, teeth, and can help reduce the use of antibiotics. They do this without causing antimicrobial resistance.
Reduces rather than causes indoor air and aquatic pollution
Probiotic products also reduce water pollution and protect aquatic life.
Many household cleaning products use chemicals that are respiratory irritants, can cause asthma, and are toxic to pets. Long term exposure to these chemicals is linked to ill health in cleaning operatives; but this harsh fact is often overlooked.
Our probiotic products are a healthier option. They are free from harmful chemicals, toxins, respiratory irritants, pollutants and carcinogens. They:
- Improve indoor air quality for the user and the building occupants.
- Reduce asthma symptoms related to chemical cleaning products.
- Reduce allergy symptoms. The probiotics safely consume bio-allergy triggers – pollen, dust mite faeces, mould and animal dander – as a natural food source.
- Remove root causes of odour without artificial air fresheners.
Chemical runoff has caused significant damage to our oceans and waterways for decades. But unlike chemicals, probiotics reduce water pollution and the toxic burden; they do not add to it. They:
- Continue to clean the wastewater, sewage, drains and pipework when discarded down the drain.
- Do not risk harming aquatic wildlife.
- Are quickly biodegradable and do not require expensive, safety-conscious waste management at the end of their life.
- Support the circular economy.
2. Viability and Delivery
Our Provilan probiotic products are developed from research-based, sustainable biotechnology. Only a few similar probiotic products are currently on the market, so we provide multiple manufacturer, in-house and client research and case studies to demonstrate efficacy:
Laboratory results show that the cleaning products can reduce MRSA by 99% and E. coli by 100%. Several case studies prove the effectiveness of treating dog skin allergies, ear infections and bite wounds. This is important because the similar probiotic formula that benefits animals is in the cleaning products.
As a result, several clients are engaging pro-actively in research projects with us. Many clients have also provided positive testimonials and reviews, which show high customer satisfaction and that the products are a success.
Our market research led us to provide beneficial probiotic solutions for:
- Commercial cleaning companies keen to increase sustainability credentials and transition away from harmful chemicals.
- Holistic vets transitioning away from antibiotics and pharmaceuticals.
- Pet owners wanting natural, healthy alternatives for pet skin allergies.
- Gym owners needing non-corrosive cleaning products.
3. Societal Impact:
“The greatest danger to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it” (Robert Swan, 2012).
Environmental probiotics are a disruptive game changer that have the potential to provide significant societal benefits. In particular, probiotic cleaning products will directly help one of the most under-represented and over looked groups of workers – cleaning operatives.
Many chemical solutions are ‘anti-life’, designed to kill microorganisms. They are toxic to touch or inhale. Despite this, our market research highlights a trend where companies refuse to consider non-toxic, probiotic cleaning because they prioritise low costs over cleaning operative health.
One study shows cleaning operatives (excluding smokers) are 58% more likely to develop lung cancer than office co-workers. This needs to change.
Legal experts worldwide recently unveiled draft law to prosecute ‘ecocide’ offences against the environment. This puts the environment at the heart of international law. We believe continuing to use ‘anti-life’ cleaning chemicals now ‘pro-life’ (probiotic) alternatives are available should fall under this law.
4. Value and Financial Sustainability:
Our Provilan environmentally-positive, probiotic cleaning products:
- Add health, wellness and environmental benefits to a wide range of every day products.
- Contribute to the circular economy and sustainability goals.
- Fulfil the growing desire for vegan and cruelty-free products.
- Solve specific commercial problems e.g. they avoid chemical damage to gym equipment requiring extra cleaning post Covid-19.
5. Development Path:
Victor Hugo once said “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” This is the development path for probiotics.
We must urgently address what people use to clean – whether cleaning surfaces at home or the gym, or their pet’s ears.
Unlike harsh ‘anti-life’ chemicals, our probiotic products support better health and well-being for people, pets and the environment. They reduce chemical use and restore healthy microbial balance (the microbiome) wherever used. They are equally effective for floors and surfaces, animal hair and skin, or land and water contamination.
Chemical products are causing exponential damage to health and the environment on a global scale. People need to know they have other options – that there is a safer and more effective alternative.
What Next?
Keen to find out how switching to probiotics will benefit you, your business or your pet’s health?
Then contact us today – call 01268 544530 or email enquiries@pure-ingenious.com.
