The director of Zone Imaging has been an environmentalist for almost two decades. In our company, we wanted to look at how we could research our own or bring existing formulations to the commercial market, where the majority of users are, that would be better for the environment than the common traditional used ones.

Our existing and planned developers are highly concentrated and have long shelf lives to minimise: plastic use, waste of dead chemicals and transport bulk hence less transport fuel consumed. Our current developer on the market, 510 Pyro, is 100% biodegradable. Its main two developing agents are uniquely commercially sourced from plants and are also naturally occurring unlike the traditionally used ones, like hydroquinone and metol, that are sourced from the petrochemical industry. The developing agents of 510 Pyro, and our planned future developers, also oxidise extremely quickly after use so they will have a minimal or no impact on aquatic life unlike hydroquinone which takes a relatively long time to fully oxidise and is carcinogenic in comparison. 

Our fixer, Eco Zonefix, is more environmentally friendly than most fixers as it utilises chelating agents that are biodegradable and again have plant-based precursors unlike the traditional popular DPTA/EDTA that are non-biodegradable and petrochemical sourced. We also made sure to avoid utilising traditionally used borates and phosphates when we were formulating it to be alkaline. Also as it is provided in a powder form for one litre working solutions, it can ensure a longer shelf life, when still as a powder, in storage and minimise wastage as there is no risk of a concentrate going off if the user goes through the working solution slowly.