Our article series EcoHomeLife Explains aims at explaining terms and concepts around sustainability. Understanding these will help you make the right decisions to live a more sustainable life. In this edition, we ask if synthetic ingredients are bad for the environment.
When we think about living a more sustainable life, often we see a life that is closer to nature or one where we go back to nature.
Many people who want to become greener turn their back on synthetically made ingredients and towards natural ingredients.
Whether this is in food, personal care products, cleaning products, pharmaceuticals, gardening products, etc. But are lab-made ingredients always bad for the environment? Let’s find out…
What Are Synthetic Ingredients?
Before we delve into why lab-made ingredients are bad, let’s briefly look at what they actually are.
If an ingredient is synthetic, it means that it has been made artificially as opposed to naturally occurring.
And the way it’s been made is in a lab using chemical processes, for example, by combining more than one chemical or producing a chemical reaction that creates a different chemical.
Synthetic chemicals might already exist in nature and are made to mimic the natural ones, or they might be completely new ones that don’t exist naturally.
Plastic and synthetic fibres are such lab-made materials that don’t exist in nature. Artificially made citric acid is chemically identical to the natural one you find in lemons.
But it’s made by fermenting a fungus, so not from lemons at all. (Sweis and Cressey, 2018)
Three Reasons Synthetically Made Ingredients Harm The Environment
Chemical ingredients, those that are made artificially in a lab, do have a huge environmental impact. And there are three reasons for this:
- What they are made of – the raw materials that are used to produce these ingredients
- How they are made – the manufacturing processes used to make them
- How they affect the environment – what these ingredients do when they get into the environment
While not all lab-made ingredients will have a negative environmental impact, because of these three reasons, the vast majority do.
We’ll look at each of the three reasons in detail to explain where the problems lie.
What Most Synthetically Made Ingredients Are Made Of
The vast majority of conventional lab-made ingredients are made from so-called petrochemicals. These, in turn, are made from petroleum or sometimes other fossil fuels.
Today, the need for more petroleum is driven by the petrochemical industry, which is growing every year and is expected to continue to do so. (Tilsted and Newell, 2024)
The continued use of fossil fuels, whether for energy, heating, or as feedstock for synthetic chemicals, is driving climate change through greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
And while countries around the world have policies in place to decarbonise energy production and heating, the same is not true when it comes to the petrochemical industry.
For this to happen, we would have to find raw materials that aren’t fossil fuels to make these synthetic chemicals. (Vogt and Weckhuysen, 2024)
It’s essential that we stop the use and extraction of fossil fuels if we want to keep the Earth’s surface temperature below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. (Rayner 2020)
There is no doubt that this huge shift can only come about through laws and policies. However, we as consumers aren’t completely powerless. By choosing products that don’t contain artificial ingredients wherever possible, we can force companies to look for eco-friendlier alternatives.
Of course, this isn’t always possible, but in many areas this is a choice we can make.
Personal care products, including makeup, shampoo, deodorants, sunscreen, body lotion, and many more, cleaning products, perfume, and others, can be made from natural or plant-based ingredients.
Choosing a mineral sunscreen over a chemical one, or a natural shampoo bar over a liquid shampoo with synthetically made ingredients, is one thing we can do to force change.
Producing Synthetic Chemicals Is Energy-Intensive
Making chemicals and ingredients in a lab needs a lot of energy, which means it produces a lot of carbon dioxide emissions. These are responsible for global warming and climate change.
It’s estimated that the chemical industry is responsible for 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. (Gabrielli et al., 2023)
Researchers believe that it’s possible to change the manufacturing processes to reduce the need for energy and carbon emissions. Alternatively, they suggest using carbon capture to make existing processes net-zero. (Griffin et al., 2017)
There is no doubt that decarbonising a whole industry is a huge task. It needs policies, laws, technological innovation, as well as money.
Changing manufacturing processes will need investment from petrochemical companies. Especially because it would include finding alternatives to fossil fuels as feedstock.
But unless they are forced by laws, they are unlikely to do it as it would reduce their profits.
And currently, policies aren’t focusing on this industry, which means they can continue as they have, with huge consequences for our environment.
Pollution Is A Serious Issue
What happens if synthetic ingredients get into our environment? Generally, nothing good. The trouble is that they often make their way into our waterways, soil, and air, causing pollution.
Because lab-made ingredients and chemicals are so abundant, there are many ways they can get into the environment:
- Washed down the drain – at home, many personal care products, paints, and cleaning products are washed off; industries release toxic chemicals into our waterways as part of their processes
- Flushed down the toilet – synthetic chemicals in food or medicines, everything we put in our mouths, will leave our bodies when we go to the toilet
- Sprayed onto soil – synthetic pesticides and fertilisers are sprayed on fields and in gardens causing soil pollution
- Released into the air – many things we use release toxic chemicals into the air, such as sprays, paint, cigarettes, etc.; industrial smoke also adds to air pollution
- Littered in the environment – litter is a huge source of toxic chemicals being released into ecosystems
As you can see, there are many ways lab-made ingredients make it into our environment. And once there, they are harmful and even toxic to wildlife. (Wirtu 2024)
As a result, synthetic chemicals have been found in waterways (Fang et al., 2019), soil (Kaul and Taak, 2018), and air (Gaffney and Marley, 2003).
Let’s look at some examples of toxic chemicals that reach our environment.
Preservatives
This group of synthetic chemicals is used in everything that is in liquid, cream, or gel form. If it contains water, it will have a preservative in it.
Their aim is to inhibit microbial growth of bacteria or fungi that might spoil the product and make it unsafe. (Qui et al., 2022)
As such, you will find preservatives in food products, as cosmetic ingredients, in cleaning products, in shampoo and conditioner, pharmaceutical products, paint, and many more.
While there are natural preservatives, the vast majority used are synthetically made chemicals.
And many have been shown to be harmful or toxic to aquatic life. Here are some examples of preservatives used in food products, beauty products, pharmaceuticals and cleaning products:
- Sodium Benzoate – it’s used in food, personal care products, cosmetics, and cleaning products to stop microbial growth and extend shelf life – it’s known to change the pH level in water, thereby reducing the nutrients available for marine life (Hu et al., 2024)
- Parabens – a group of preservatives used in pharmaceuticals, food, personal care and cosmetic products, cleaning products, etc. (Chatterjee et al., 2024) – increase antibiotic resistance in any ecosystem they come into and destroy the microbial balance (Pereira et al., 2024); also harmful to aquatic life (Dilianis et al., 2023)
- BHT and BHA – used in beauty products, food, pharmaceuticals, and food packaging – have been found to be toxic to aquatic life (Wang et al., 2019, Wang et al., 2021)
There are many more preservatives used in all sorts of products, but we can’t name them all.
Inactive Ingredients
These are ingredients that don’t contribute to the actual aim of the product. They are added to get the right consistency, texture, scent, etc.
Let’s look at an example: sunscreen. The active ingredients are the UV filters that protect your skin from the sun’s rays. But if you look at the ingredient label of sun protection, you will find many substances that aren’t ultraviolet filters.
These inactive ingredients make sure that all chemicals used are well blended, the cream is creamy, it’s easy to distribute over the skin, and will be absorbed quickly, etc.
Preservatives are such an ingredient, but others include solvents, emulsifiers, thickening and bulking agents, anti-caking agents, film-forming agents, conditioning agents, viscosity control agents, stabilisers, texture-enhancing agents, fragrances, etc.
As you can imagine, there is a huge number of these inactive ingredients, so here are just some examples and their impact on our environment:
- Magnesium Stearate – used as a food additive, in personal care products, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals as a lubricant and anti-caking agent – research has found it’s toxic to terrestrial and aquatic life (Bolan et al., 2024)
- Hydroxyacetophenone – used in food products as a flavouring agent, in cosmetics and personal care products as an antioxidant and preservative booster, and in cleaning products – the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has classified this chemical as harmful to aquatic life with long-lasting effects
- Cyclopentasiloxane – used in cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceuticals and cleaning products as a solvent, emollient, and texture-improving agent – found to be toxic to aquatic life and potentially bioaccumulates (Bilal et al., 2020)
We could list many more, but these shall suffice.
Fragrances
Synthetic fragrances are used in all sorts of products, including food, cosmetics and beauty products, personal care products, cleaning products, pharmaceuticals, paint, food packaging, clothing, furniture and much more.
Of course, in perfume they are the active ingredient. Like so many other synthetic ingredients, they are made from petroleum, and they are some of the most harmful chemicals for our environment.
Studies have shown that commonly used synthetic fragrance materials are toxic to aquatic life. (Picone et al., 2021)
A group of chemicals that is associated with lab-made fragrances are Phthalates. Several studies have found that they are prevalent in marine organisms, (Andvik et al., 2023) and are toxic to zebrafish (Li et al., 2022) and harm the development of sea urchins (Gambardella et al., 2024).
One issue is that labels won’t tell you exactly what fragrance chemicals are used, because they are classed as a trade secret. So all you will see in the ingredient list is “perfume” or “fragrance”.
They are also used as ingredients other than with fragrances. Then they would be found on the ingredient list with “phthalate” in the name.
Per And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances/PFAS
These are also called “forever chemicals” due to the very long time they persist in the environment. (Itumoh et al., 2024)
And they are conventional ingredients that are used in a multitude of products, including personal care products, plastic packaging, non-stick cookware, clothing, etc.
As a result, they are found in different ecosystems, such as water, sediment, air and biological organisms. (Wang et al., 2023)
Different studies have shown that PFAS are toxic to marine life, such as zebrafish larvae (Yao et al., 2024), catfish (Wange et al., 2024), and freshwater turtles (Beale et al., 2024).
Because PFAS are so widely used, it can be difficult to avoid them. But we should all try. In ingredient lists, they will have “perfluor-“, “fluoro-“, or “PTFE” in their names.
Also, look for products that clearly state that they are PFAS-free.
The Problem Of Persistence And Accumulation
You might wonder why these synthetically made ingredients are still used as conventional ingredients. Well, many of them are restricted and can only be used in certain dosages.
The reasoning behind this is that these chemicals are only harmful if they are used above a certain amount, which is different for each chemical.
So, as long as the chemicals are limited to harmless amounts, the product is deemed safe. However, this thinking is flawed in many ways, as Beale et al. explain in their 2024 study about the impact of PFAS on freshwater turtles.
First, the testing that is done is based on short-term exposure to one chemical. But many synthetically made ingredients, especially PFAs, persist in the environment for a long time.
So organisms will be exposed to them for long periods, and without testing for long-term effects, it can’t be said that the dosage regarded as safe is actually safe.
Furthermore, there isn’t just one synthetic chemical wildlife is exposed to. Instead, they encounter a cocktail of potentially harmful substances.
Also, it isn’t taken into account that many synthetic chemicals will degrade into different compounds, which might be more toxic than the parent ingredient. (Boxall et al., 2004)
This is something that has been found with synthetic fragrances. (Wu et al., 2021)
If a synthetic chemical accumulates in the environment, the organisms in the ecosystem will be exposed to ever higher levels, which will be above the ones considered safe.
Many are also known to bioaccumulate, which means they are ingested by animals, which are eaten by other animals, which are then eaten by other animals.
The higher up the food chain we get, the higher the concentration of toxins. And where does the food chain end? With us humans.
Why Synthetic Isn’t Always Bad
However, it doesn’t mean that natural ingredients are always the answer. Let’s look at two examples that illustrate this.
Palm Oil
This highly versatile ingredient is used in many products, from food to personal care products and cosmetics. It’s derived from the palm fruit of the oil palm tree. It’s considered a natural ingredient that isn’t harmful to the environment in the ways we have described above.
However, it nonetheless has a negative environmental impact. That’s because it is responsible for deforestation, which is a big contributor to climate change.
So it’s just as damaging to our environment as synthetically made ingredients.
Essential Oils
The other example is essential oils. They are made from plants or animal sources (musk) rather than petroleum and are considered more eco-friendly.
So far, so good. However, due to increased demand, some plants used to make essential oils have become rare and are even at risk of extinction due to unsustainable cultivation practices.
One example of this is the scent sandalwood, which is made from the plant Santalum album. (Cancellieri et al., 2024)
Another issue is that to grow the flowers and plants needed for essential oils, common farming practices are used. This means synthetic fertilisers and pesticides that cause soil, water and air pollution.
And deforestation can also be an issue, which can lead to biodiversity loss. (Martz et al., 2023)
Making essential oils is also quite wasteful, because only a small part of the plants is used, for example, the flowers.
So what’s the solution? Synthetic chemicals are bad because of the source material, the manufacturing processes, and the impact on the environment if they get there.
It’s possible to make ingredients from plant-based sources, even waste material. These will be more readily biodegradable, which means they have less of an impact on the environment.
Manufacturing processes can also be adapted and made greener, which a lot of research is going into at the moment. Green chemistry is a set of principles that sets out how chemistry should be conducted to reduce the environmental impact. (Kernaghan et al., 2023)
So where synthetically made ingredients are better for the environment than natural ingredients, these should be used. Hopefully, more and more of the eco-friendly alternatives will become available over time.
Finding The Right Balance Between Natural And Synthetic Ingredients
It’s impossible to avoid synthetically made ingredients completely. However, in some areas it can be done. It’s about making the right choices if you have them:
- Look for eco-friendly brands: there are many small UK-based companies that focus on eco-friendly products. By buying from them, you can ditch lab-made ingredients
- Check ingredient lists: if you are about to buy a product that lists ingredients, such as shampoo, deodorant, cleaning products, food, etc., check the label. The more chemical-sounding names there are, the bigger the environmental impact it will have
- Avoid plastic: plastic is a synthetic product that isn’t good for our planet, so try to avoid it whenever you can. This isn’t easy, I admit, as sometimes it seems like everything is made of this material
- Cook from scratch: processed and ultra-processed foods contain many synthetically made ingredients. By cooking from scratch with raw ingredients, you can avoid many of them
While you won’t be able to cut out lab-made ingredients completely, you can reduce them in your life. It’s about finding the right balance that works for you.
Give it a go, and make a difference to our environment.
