Solvol, a heavy-duty hand cleaning soap brand, has made its return to Australia with a new and improved formula.

The updated Solvol Heavy-Duty Hand Cleaner combines a cleaning agent with natural essential oils and fine pumice granules, allowing it to remove dirt, grease, oil, paint, ink, and solvents, as revealed in a news release.  

According to the company, the new formula aims to deliver a tough cleaning experience while keeping hands clean, soft, and moisturised.

Rosemary Murphy, Product Manager at Solvol, expressed enthusiasm for the product’s reintroduction. 

“For over a century, Solvol has been synonymous with quality and effectiveness for Australians who need a hand cleaner that can tackle even the grimiest jobs,” she stated. 

“Whether you’re a tradesperson, gardener, DIY enthusiast, or simply someone who enjoys getting hands-on, Solvol is the trusted ally that ensures your hands are left clean.”

The Solvol Heavy-Duty Hand Cleaner is available in a 100g bar for a recommended retail price of $7.00. 

It can be found at various retailers across the country, including Bunnings Warehouse, Mitre 10, The Reject Shop, and Total Tools. 

The product is also free from GMOs, parabens, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), phthalates, and microplastics, promoting an environmentally friendly option for consumers.

For more details about Solvol and its product offerings, visit www.solvol.com.au.

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Researchers at the Beckman Institute have unveiled a technique capable of producing and altering structural colours across the visible wavelength spectrum, ranging from deep blue to vibrant orange.

The innovative UV-assisted direct-ink-write 3D printing method allows for dynamic colour changes during the printing process, offering a promising avenue for creating vivid and potentially more sustainable hues.

Inspired by the remarkable colour-changing abilities of chameleons, the team of researchers developed this sustainable approach to 3D print multiple dynamic colours from a single ink source.

“By designing new chemistries and printing processes, we can modulate structural colour on the fly to produce colour gradients not possible before,” remarked Ying Diao, associate professor of chemistry and chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a researcher at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.

Published in the journal PNAS, the study underscores the collaborative efforts of multidisciplinary experts in achieving this groundbreaking advancement.

Damien Guironnet, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, emphasised the power of collaboration in this initiative, highlighting the collective efforts that led to this remarkable achievement.

The UV-assisted direct-ink-write 3D printing method enables the alteration of structural colour during the printing process by leveraging light to control the evaporative assembly of specially designed crosslinking polymers.

“Unlike traditional colours which come from chemical pigments or dyes that absorb light, the structural colors abundant in many biological systems come from nano-textured surfaces that interfere with visible light. This makes them more vibrant and potentially more sustainable,” explained Sanghyun Jeon, the lead author and a graduate student in the Diao Lab.

The researchers demonstrated the ability to produce structural colours spanning the visible wavelength spectrum, ranging from deep blue to striking orange.

Rather than relying on an array of different paints, the research team utilises a single ink and adjusts the printing parameters to achieve the desired colour gradient.

Simon Rogers, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, emphasised the collaborative nature of the project, highlighting the collective learning and problem-solving that contributed to its success.

“Only by working together could we design this system at the molecular level to yield such fascinating properties,” echoed Charles Sing, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and materials science and engineering.

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Valiant, a carbon-neutral furniture hire and styling company, has unveiled three new eco-friendly product lines to combat “fast furniture” that has become a global landfill problem. 

The new innovations reform and reuse recycled waste from oceans and landfill, transforming discarded materials into versatile furniture pieces. 

These products include the ReforaStone line, which boasts a terrazzo appearance that is both stylish and eco-friendly. Its material is crafted from 100 per cent post-consumer recycled plastics that have been chipped down, melted, and reformed into furniture, making it durable and suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. 

This range is manufactured locally in Australia. 

Valiant also unveiled Selena Lounging, which features a class curve line design and is available in three versatile colour options. Each Selena two-seater sofa’s fabric is crafted from 720 recycled plastic bottles. Meanwhile, occasional chairs are crafted from 280 plastic bottles per chair. 

The new ranges also include the Chloe Dining Chairs and Bar Stools line, which features dining chairs crafted from 106 plastic bottles each and bar stools made out of 123. 

The launch of these products comes as a staggering 95 per cent of 30,000 tonnes of commercial furniture waste go straight to landfill every year in Australia. 

The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently revealed that businesses and households throw away more than 20 million tonnes of furniture waste annually. As a result, a rising number of workplaces, property developers and designers, and event organisers are looking for interior elements that prioritise both style and sustainability, Valiant said in a media release. 

“We’ve combined contemporary design and innovative furniture developed with the planet in mind. As Australia’s first 100% carbon offset furniture hire and styling company, we are actively closing the loop via a circular economy, and have carefully considered the lifecycle of each product and how they have been created,” said Brian Lindeman, managing director of Valiant. 

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Media Release

Tip Top, Australia’s favourite bread manufacturer, is doing its bit to tackle the war on waste, by launching their sustainable bag tags in Victoria and New South Wales. This move will eventually eliminate a whopping 400 million pieces of single-use plastic every year as they roll out across Australia and New Zealand.

In an Australian first innovation in 2020, the veteran bakers switched polluting plastic tags for a more eco-friendly, 100 per cent recycled and 100 per cent recyclable cardboard bag tags in South Australia. From today, shoppers in New South Wales and Victoria can buy their Tip Top bread with a clean (and green) conscience, and do their bit to help save the planet — one loaf at a time.

“We’re doing it because it’s simply the right thing to do,” says Graeme Cutler, Director of Sales and CSR Lead at Tip Top ANZ. “We want to be proactive, rather than wait for our customers to ask us to address our waste. And, when it comes to working together as a nation to eliminate single-use plastics, we want to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.”

“Developed after rigorous testing and learning, the sustainable bag tags promise no compromise on freshness and taste,” continues Graeme. “Customers can expect to be provided with the same Tip Top quality — freshly baked every day — that millions of Australians have enjoyed since the bakery began in 1958.”

Following on from its debut in South Australia, the initiative will remove almost 100 million tags across the three states, potentially removing 35 tonnes of plastic tags from entering waste streams.

Tip Top encourages consumers to recycle their cardboard tags in kerbside recycling bins by tucking the tag securely inside other paper or cardboard products, such as an envelope or paper bag, giving them the best chance of being recycled into a new product rather than being sent to landfill.

According to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Australians consume roughly 3.5 million tonnes of plastics annually* and Australian households are the largest contributors to this waste.

“Small pieces of plastic such as bread tags are problematic in recycling and waste streams,” adds Rebecca Gilling, Deputy CEO of Planet Ark, Australia’s leading environmental behaviour change organisation. “For this reason, Planet Ark is pleased to see Tip Top designing out waste by replacing plastic bread tags with a circular solution made from 100% recycled cardboard. When recycled correctly, the cardboard will be used again, closing the recycling loop and keeping resources in use.”

The Australian government has plans to phase out “problematic and unnecessary plastics” by 2025, the Victorian Government has committed to ban certain single-use plastic items by February 2023, while the New South Wales Government has plans in place to phase out these plastics from next year. Tip Top has similarly lofty goals.

On top of the Australia-wide rollout of the cardboard tags planned to take place over the next two years, the sustainable bread tags are just the first of a series of packaging innovations under the company’s ‘Feeding Aussie families more sustainably’ vision, including addressing recycling confusion by updating packaging with the Australasian Recycling Label.

“It’s part of the bigger picture for us,” says Graeme of the company’s future ambitions. “Our goal is that by 2025, all Tip Top packaging will be 100 per cent recyclable, reusable, or compostable, to help us close the loop on waste.

Sustainability as you shop. It’s the best thing since sliced bread!

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