Ecover supports World Toilet Day on 19th November with free hippo water savers and a compelling educational video presented by Natalie Imbruglia

• Wednesday, 18 November 2009

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40% of the world's population, approximately 2.5 billion people, don't have access to a toilet. To raise awareness of this global sanitation crisis and to celebrate a humble yet essential bathroom fixture, November 19th has been designated World Toilet Day.

At Ecover, we’re excited about World Toilet Day because it compliments our unique three year partnership with WaterAid to provide access to safe water and sanitation in the Hintalo Wajerat area of rural Ethiopia and generally help raise awareness of the issues facing the world water supply.

It’s easy to forget that the water cycle is global and that in the UK we are lucky to have a well developed water system. When we flush the toilet or turn our taps on for a drink, there is always enough water to do the job. And as a third of the household water we use here in the UK goes on flushing the loo, it’s worth thinking about small steps we can take to reduce our burden on the water system. Here are some top tips from cleaning experts Ecover:

• Placing a Hippo or another displacement device in your toilet cistern will save water every time you flush.
• If you are at home, and a close family, it's not necessary to flush every time.
• Use an ecological toilet cleaner like Ecover’s which takes 400 times less water to neutralise than the nearest rival.

To help you do your bit this World Toilet Day, Ecover is offering a free watercare pack which includes a hippo water saver for your toilet as well as tips on how to save water and reduce water pollution, both locally and globally.

Ecover has also joined forces with international songstress Natalie Imbruglia to create a compelling video that explores the environmental importance of the global water cycle. Shot in Natalie’s home, the short film explains how our actions in the UK can impact on the rest of the world and is packed with useful tips from Natalie on how to reduce water consumption.

“The protection of the environment is very important to me”, says Natalie “so I was delighted to work with Ecover to create this film. There’s often an abundance of water in the UK, so it’s easy to forget the very real issues of water shortage and pollution in other parts of the world. The video is a great way to learn more and offers some really simple tips on how we can all make a difference.”

To view the film, order your free watercare pack, or find out more about the partnership
simply visit www.ecoverwateraid.com/natalie



Ends

For further press information and images please contact:

Melita Swan
Bray Leino Public Relations
Tel: 0117 973 1173
Email: mswan@brayleino.co.uk

Notes to Editors

1. The people at Ecover, the world’s leading manufacturer of ecological cleaning products, make products designed to have minimum impact on the environment after you pull the plug. Ecover products help minimise the burden on the global water supply and aquatic environment as they require significantly less water to neutralise after use than conventional alternatives. For example if 5% of families in the UK switched to Ecover Biological washing powder from a conventional product, in excess of ½ million Olympic swimming pools worth of water would be safeguarded against pollution in a year.

About Ecover:
• Ecover is effective - Ecover harnesses the power of nature to create highly effective and supremely ecological cleaning products.
• Ecover is sustainable - Ecover only uses sustainable plant-based and mineral ingredients. All ingredients are chosen to ensure Ecover’s products are as effective as possible whilst also achieving the lowest possible toxicity and the most rapid and complete biodegradability.
• Ecover is pioneering - Ecover continually strives to improve its product range and has spent seven years developing a new ecological surfactant for use in its hard surface cleaning products. This new Eco-Surfactant means the range cleans as well as – or better than - the UK’s leading conventional brands. The products are made with fully renewable plant-based ingredients and produced using a totally biochemical process.
• Ecover is a truly ecological company - Ecover operates from its world-famous ecological factories in Belgium and France. The company's guidelines for environmental criteria, the selection of ingredients and manufacturing processes are far stricter that those required by EU legislation. Ecover has been recognised by the United Nations Environment programme (UNEP) for their outstanding practical achievements for the protection and improvement of our environment.
• Ecover is closer than you think - Ecover’s ecological factories in France and Belgium are just 200 and 250 miles from London. This is approximately the same distance between Manchester and London, so although Ecover is not based in the UK, the transportation miles involved in distributing their products are comparable to those of UK based cleaning companies.
• Reuse, Reduce, Recycle - Ecover’s plastic bottles are made from polypropylene and polyethylene which are 100% recyclable. Both bottles and tops can be recycled together. Ecover offers a refill service through its health food store network which allows consumers to save money and plastic resources. Visit www.ecover.com to find out where your nearest refill station is.
• Ecover: Working with Water – Ecover’s partnership with WaterAid supports a project in Ethiopia, providing sustainable and ongoing access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. For more information visit www.ecover.com/wateraid


About WaterAid
• WaterAid is an international charity. Their vision is of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation
• WaterAid enables the world’s poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. These basic human rights underpin health, education and livelihoods and form the first, essential step in overcoming poverty.
• WaterAid works with local partners, who understand local issues, and provide them with the skills and support to help communities set up and manage practical and sustainable projects that meet their real needs. They also campaign locally and internationally to change policy and practice and ensure water and sanitation’s vital role in reducing poverty is recognised.
• For more information on WaterAid see www.wateraid.org.uk

This press release was distributed via Response Source, a service from Daryl Willcox Publishing, on behalf of Bray Leino (formerly BCLO). For more information visit http://www.dwpub.com/pressreleasewires