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Household Essentials, a Hazelwood-based laundry and storage products company, is using nearly 100,000 square-feet of space inside the Lindbergh Distribution Center as its corporate headquarters and distribution center.  With over 200 years of combined senior and sales management experience as well as expertise in Asia sourcing and direct import fulfillment, company revenues are expected to hit $35 million dollars this year.

This firm is building an international reputation for being on the cutting edge of the latest innovations designed to reduce the packaging industry’s environmental footprint.  Its patented Ironing Board Cover & Pad (with Packaging Pouch) recently won the NON-FOOD PRIMARY packaging category of the 2010 Greener Package™ Award competition, sponsored by Summit Publishing’s GreenerPackage.com.

Household Essentials was one of the eight award finalists chosen. The other seven awardees included these major corporations:  The Coca-Cola Co.; KFC Corp.; GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare; Cryopak Industries, Inc.; Vanguard Packaging; Byway Corp.; and Ball Horticultural Co.

Introduced in March 2009, Household Essentials’ Ironing Board Cover & Pad (with Packaging Pouch) has earned Silver Level Cradle to Cradle certification from McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, (MBDC).  Greener Package Award judge Humberto Garcia of Unilever described this product as “ingenious, thorough, and a win-win for the environment, the manufacturer, the retailer and the consumer.”

According to Household Essentials president and CEO James Glenn, “The challenge was to come up with an innovative way to eliminate all plastic from our packaging and to economize shelf space for our retail customers while also having an attractive package that helps sell the product to consumers.”

The solution involved getting rid of the plastic pouch package and replacing it with a sewn-in cotton pouch that becomes the primary container when the product is folded up and tucked into it.  Household Essentials estimates that by eliminating the plastic packaging, it is taking approximately 375,000 pounds of plastic out of the supply chain annually.  Additionally, the cotton pouch provides a value-added benefit to consumers.  Once the cover and pad are placed on the ironing board, the pouch hangs from the side and can be used to store spray or starch bottles.

Another way Household Essentials is achieving distinction in developing environmentally safe and sustainable products is the design of its patent-pending Fibertech™ ironing board.  This technology takes the natural plant fiber waste left over from processing rice, wheat, bamboo and sugar cane, and transforming them into a biodegradable, fire-retardant and insulated ironing board top that is capable of withstanding temperatures up to 356º F.  The standard iron only reaches 204º F.

Since this Fibertech™ board is made from natural plant fibers, it breaks down quickly in landfills (approximately 120-180 days) and in field environments (2-3 years).  The product has passed many degradation and safety tests certifying its eco-friendly characteristics.

Glenn first came across this manufacturing process using natural plant fibers while traveling in China.  He discovered a company that molded flower pots with the same ingredients.  After showing them his ironing board top, Glenn asked them if they could mold one.  They did a test run and successfully produced a strong, water-resistant mold, but it was too small to hold a full-size ironing board top.  So Household Essentials shared the cost of building a larger molding machine.

The result is the Fibertech™ ironing board top, which has a retail price range of $20 to $70 depending on whether the legs are made of metal or bamboo.  For more information on Household Essentials, visit www.householdessential.com

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