How TLC Ingredients Helps Customers Develop More Sustainable Formulations
Sustainability is no longer a niche consideration in industrial manufacturing—it has become a key driver of innovation, product development, and purchasing decisions. Across markets, customers are seeking ingredients and formulations that reduce environmental impact, improve safety profiles, and support regulatory compliance without sacrificing performance.
At TLC Ingredients, we are committed to helping customers achieve these goals through the promotion of environmentally responsible, bio-based, and Safer Choice-compliant ingredient technologies. By partnering with leading manufacturers and offering technical support for reformulation projects, TLC Ingredients actively supports sustainable consumption throughout the supply chain.
Why Sustainable Formulations Matter More Than Ever
As environmental expectations continue to evolve, formulators are increasingly seeking alternatives to traditional petrochemical-derived materials. TLC Ingredients works closely with customers to identify and implement products that can improve sustainability profiles while maintaining performance requirements.Â
Our product portfolio includes bio-based ingredients, environmentally preferable alternatives, low-toxicity materials, and ingredients recognized by programs such as the EPA Safer Choice program and the USDA BioPreferred Program. Our team understands that every formulation presents unique technical challenges. That’s why we collaborate with customers early in the product development process to evaluate ingredient compatibility, application requirements, regulatory considerations, and long-term supply reliability.This consultative approach helps manufacturers accelerate product development while reducing the risk often associated with introducing alternative raw materials into existing formulations.
Bio-Based Ingredients Deliver Measurable Environmental Benefits
Bio-based ingredients can significantly reduce dependence on fossil-based raw materials while supporting customer sustainability initiatives.
One example is ADM’s Bio-Based Propylene Glycol, which is certified by the USDA as 100% biobased due to its crop-derived raw material source. Additionally, ADM reports that its bio-based propylene glycol production process results in a 61% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to petroleum-based propylene glycol.
Other sustainable alternatives available through TLC Ingredients include:
- Emulsifiers derived from vegetable-based sorbitol and glycerine.Â
- Non-silicone defoamers manufactured from renewable vegetable oils.Â
- Surfactant alternatives derived from sustainable oleochemical and fatty alcohol feedstocks.Â
These technologies help customers move toward more sustainable product formulations while responding to growing market demand for renewable ingredients.
Bio-based ingredients offer additional advantages beyond sustainability. Depending on the application, they can contribute to improved biodegradability, reduced toxicity profiles, lower carbon footprints, and enhanced compatibility with environmentally preferred product certifications.
As more manufacturers establish long-term sustainability roadmaps, incorporating renewable feedstocks into product formulations has become an increasingly practical strategy for differentiating products while meeting customer expectations.
Promoting Safer Chemistry
Environmental stewardship extends beyond renewable content. Product safety, biodegradability, and reduced toxicity are also important considerations in sustainable formulation design.
TLC Ingredients offers numerous ingredients that support the development of EPA Safer Choice-compliant formulations. Our portfolio includes ingredients across multiple functional categories, including solvents, surfactants, preservatives, oxidants, antimicrobials, and processing aids.
Notable examples include:
- Sodium Bisulfate, recognized as a more environmentally favorable alternative to several traditional acids due to its biodegradability, low toxicity, and inclusion on the EPA Safer Choice Ingredients List.Â
- A broad range of Safer Choice-compatible materials including lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate, glycerine, ethyl lactate, sorbitol, vegetable oils, and many other environmentally conscious formulation components.Â
Creating Value Through Customer Collaboration
A critical part of TLC Ingredients’ sustainability approach is helping customers identify opportunities to improve environmental performance through reformulation. Our technical and commercial teams routinely support customers who are:
- Replacing traditional ingredients with bio-based alternatives.
- Evaluating EPA Safer Choice-compatible raw materials.
- Reducing VOC content in formulations.
- Identifying ozone-friendly alternatives to conventional chemistries.
- Improving overall environmental and consumer safety profiles.Â
By providing formulation guidance and ingredient recommendations, TLC Ingredients helps customers make informed choices that contribute to long-term sustainability objectives.
Benefits of Partnering with TLC Ingredients
At TLC Ingredients, sustainability is about enabling better choices. Through strategic supplier partnerships, technical expertise, and a continually expanding portfolio of environmentally responsible products, we help customers develop formulations that are safer, more sustainable, and better aligned with evolving market expectations.
Whether you are reformulating an existing product, pursuing Safer Choice compliance, exploring bio-based alternatives, or looking to reduce environmental impact, TLC Ingredients is ready to help you identify the right solution.