Fill out the form to reach out with any questions or comments about our all-purpose cleaner, closed-loop systems, and environmental impact.
Veles is an all-purpose household cleaner composed of water and common organic chemical compounds scientifically derived from food waste.
We are named after an ancient, shape-shifting god of water, earth, the underworld, and magic.
The water and active ingredients (acetic acid, lactic acid and alcohol) that make up the base of the product are entirely derived from food waste. Only 3% of the product is comprised of essential oils and a non-petroleum-based fragrance stabilizer.
We use a mixture of lavender, peppermint and bergamot low-impact essential oils as our fragrance. The solubilizer (which is added to mix ingredients with fragrance) is naturally derived.
Veles is cruelty-free; the product and its ingredients were not tested on animals.
Great question! Our active ingredients are derived from mixed food waste, which might include animal products. We are committed to being a scalable food waste solution and not just a product made using food waste.
With plans to strengthen its focus on advancing sustainability initiatives and with organic waste being the top contributor to landfills at nearly 80 billion pounds disposed of in the US annually, RTS knew Ambrosia and Veles would allow them to bring circular services to their client-base more broadly.
To avoid any issues of the nozzle leaking or coming loose, check to make sure it is properly attached. There is a valve on the underside of the trigger that must be clicked into place to ensure it is secured. To apply, angle the nozzle slightly to the side when attaching it to the bottle and then press down to hear it click. This essentially creates the seal you need before tightening it.
Keep out of reach of children. If the product gets into eyes, flush thoroughly with water. If swallowed, drink plenty of water.
We don't claim to kill microbes and are not a disinfectant. Disinfectants are antimicrobial pesticides that must be registered with the U.S. EPA. To clean surface contaminants, let sit for a minute after spraying before wiping away, then follow-up with a disinfectant if desired.
Veles is made using natural or naturally-derived products. It does not contain common household chemicals that may cause allergic reactions.
Veles is safe for general health when used as directed; however, common sense precaution is recommended.
We use a small amount of peppermint, lavender, and bergamot essential oils for fragrance at low quantities (-0.5%) that will not harm pets when used for cleaning.
Veles is third-party-tested and proven to clean grease and grime on a range of surfaces, including: ceramics, glass, fiberglass, chrome, painted metal, stainless steel, and plastic/acrylic. We were in the process of conducting efficacy and safety tests on marble, wood and laminate, but don't know when we'll get results back due to the COVID-19 shutdown. For now, we recommend testing a hidden portion first.
We're happy to send you a copy of our SDS. Email us info@veles.com to submit your request.
Veles is made in New Jersey.
In the last several years, many states and cities have mandated organic waste recycling for businesses. Meanwhile, there aren’t many options to divert it from landfills. We partner with commercial waste haulers, who collect separated food waste from their clients. Rather than drive hours to a landfill or compost facility, they deliver it to our local biorefineries. Not only does this save money, but it takes heavy duty trucks off the road. As we scale up, we will source from other businesses as well as municipalities just like a typical recycling facility.
Food is made of organic compounds, and on average is primarily water. Our biorefining process, developed over six years, stabilizes and sterilizes food waste to be separated into these base components, which we can further refine and derive into organic chemicals. This means the base of Veles is made with water and active ingredients purified from food waste.
Under a closed-loop system, the same materials are used over and over again to create new products. Instead of raw materials moving in a straight line from collection to manufacturing to purchase to the landfill, it’s a loop. The materials are always moving through this loop.
A circular economy is a system that aims to eliminate waste and the continual use of resources. It entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources, and designing waste out of the system.
A circular economy is based on three principles:
> Design out waste and pollution
> Keep products and materials in use
> Regenerate natural systems
Veles is the new frontier of the circular economy.
Veles is packaged in a recyclable aluminum spray bottle that’s sourced from a US-based overstock supplier. Aluminum is a sustainable metal that is 100% recyclable and can be back on store shelves within 60 days. While the spray component of the bottle is plastic, it does not have metal parts that would render it unrecyclable. We chose to use transparent plastic for the trigger because it has the highest material value and can be dyed more easily than white or colored plastics.
Despite the name, bioplastics are not necessarily better for the environment. Depending on the type of polymer used to make it, discarded bioplastic must either be sent to a landfill, recycled like many petroleum-based plastics, or sent to an industrial compost site.
Industrial composting is necessary to heat the bioplastic to a high enough temperature that allows microbes to break it down. Without that intense heat, bioplastics won't degrade on their own in a meaningful timeframe, either in landfills or even your home compost heap. If they end up in marine environments, they'll function similarly to petroleum-based plastic: breaking down into micro-sized pieces, lasting for decades, and presenting a danger to marine life.
While concentrates do cut down packaging, they waste tap water. The carbon footprint currently associated with moving, treating and heating water in the U.S. is at least 290 million metric tons a year. The CO2 embedded in the nation’s water represents 5% of all U.S. carbon emissions and is equivalent to the emissions of over 62 coal fired power plants.
The shipping benefits are not as straightforward as has been advertised. Yes, concentrates are lighter and therefore cheaper to ship, but you’re still moving a tiny object across a long distance. It’s almost more wasteful if you view it that way. Especially when you’re adding energy-intensive potable water after it’s delivered.
From an effectiveness standpoint, tap water differs depending where you live, which will change the chemistry of the cleaner you’re using and could affect its performance and/or safety. Studies have shown that concentrated cleaners mixed with hard water leave streaks behind. So, rather than make a concentrate only solving a fraction of the problem, we’ve made a more renewable and responsible cleaner overall.
UPS
Our goal was to keep Veles’s journey as local as possible. Our fulfillment center, co-packer, and printer are all based locally. Our bottles are all surplus or overstock and purchased from a U.S.-based company. We are exploring the options to purchase carbon offsets for each shipping order.
Yes! We sell wholesale through Faire. Create an account and place your order at veles.faire.com
We are not able to accept returns at this time. However, your satisfaction is our highest priority! If your product arrives damaged in any way, please reach out to us at info@veles.com, and we will do everything we can to address the issue.
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