The startup Baula, based in the Barcelona Science Park, has donated 18,000 kits of ecological cleaning products to Cáritas Diocesana de Girona, which will be distributed as basic necessities to vulnerable families cared for by the entity. The capsule format facilitates transportation and logistics compared to conventional products. The provision of goods to 18,000 families would equate to 72,000 kilograms of conventional cleaning products. In comparison, Baula's tablets weigh a total of 4,500 kilograms.

Baula, a technology-based company focused on the ecological and sustainable development of innovative products for the cleaning sector, has donated 18,000 cleaning kits to Cáritas Diocesana de Girona, which will be included in the deliveries of first aid products to families economic difficulties.

The contribution of the startup is made in the framework of the campaign #Cáritasx3 launched by Cáritas Cataluña to respond to the high number of requests for help since the coronavirus outbreak. In a press release issued on 17 April, the organisation stated that the requests for help have “increased three-fold” since the declaration of the state of alarm in response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Each Baula ecological product kit –containing individual, effervescent and easy-to-dissolve capsules– comprises multi-purpose cleaners, bathroom cleaners, sanitisers, grease removers and floor cleaners. The company estimates that the provision of these five products will cover one home’s cleaning requirements for at least three months.

Jordi Caparrós, the company’s founder, stated: “We are immensely proud to be able to make our own contribution in this situation that is proving to be so difficult for so many people. Cleaning is essential in these times, and from Baula we are ready to help those who need it”.

Deliveries with added value

The aid packages set aside for families facing financial difficulties caused by the pandemic, or those who were already in a vulnerable situation, will be delivered through Cáritas’ logistical structure. The effort required to transport and deliver huge amounts of food and goods during the state of alarm increases the value of this charitable action.

Baula, having created a compact and ecological format in its quest for sustainability, the elimination of plastic and the reduction of CO2 emissions, provides an advantage for this type of delivery. Its capsule kit weighs 25 grams, which makes it much easier to transport in comparison with other conventional products, which would mean up to 4 kilograms of goods being delivered to each household.

On a broad scale, the provision of goods to 18,000 families would equate to 72,000 kilograms of conventional cleaning products. In comparison, Baula’s tablets comprise a total of 4,500 kilograms. Insofar as transport is concerned, the saving is equivalent to the capacity of 85 Peugeot Partner vans.

The #Cáritasx3 campaign

The 10 Cáritas branches headquartered in Catalonia have launched the #Caritasx3 campaign that seeks to ensure that the most basic needs of those requesting help can be met. The initiative, which was launched on 17 April and already has its own website and television advert, will continue over the coming weeks. It will be supported by the advertising creative and actor, Víctor Solé, who played the role of the Cáritas angel during the 2019 campaign.

Cáritas Diocesana de Girona attends to more than 20,000 people in its area of action in Catalonia. Out of this group,10,000 are already receiving some type of aid in the form of basic food, hygiene and cleaning products.

The organisation expects unemployment and the number of families with no income to increase significantly over the coming months, which will lead to another spike in the requests for food and basic products. “This is why it’s so important for us to receive donations and collaborate with partners such as Baula, which is committed to our charitable activity” states Dolors Puigdevall, director of Cáritas Diocesana de Girona.