The green blogger focused mostly on regulatory issues in the cleaning
industry during the last day of the American Oil Chemists Society
(AOCS) centennial meeting in Orlando, Florida, even though her
doppelganger (who was lounging in the hotel pool) was ordered to attend
either the biobased surfactants session; green processing for
industrial veggie oil-based chemicals; or the session for new glycerine
uses.
The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA)
presented two topics, one on phosphate regulations for automatic
dishwashing detergents (ADDs), and the other covering the growing
consumer demand for ingredient disclosures in consumer cleaning
products.
The SDA's general counsel, Michelle Radecki, pointed out that the cleaning industry is facing a lot of pressures towards disclosing ingredients in their products especially with the Green Chemistry legislation recently enacted in California.
The SDA, along with the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA) and its Canadian counterpart, the CCSPA, formed a voluntary consumer product ingredient communication initiative, where members will disclosed all their chemical ingredients (with the exception of fragrances, preservatives and dyes) in their air care, automotive, cleaning and polishes and floor maintenance products, starting January 1, 2010.
Members are said to be hesitant in listing down their fragrance, preservatives and dyes ingredients because of their highly proprietary nature (not to mention that any consumers who see phthalates as part of the fragrance ingredient will hesitate in buying the product...).
SDA's Radecki said more than 90% of their members are expected to participate in the program. SC Johnson already started listing their ingredients and even included dyes, preservatives and fragrances that they used. SDA said they are working with various fragrance industries in order for manufacturers to be able to disclose their fragrance ingredients.
The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA)
presented two topics, one on phosphate regulations for automatic
dishwashing detergents (ADDs), and the other covering the growing
consumer demand for ingredient disclosures in consumer cleaning
products.The SDA's general counsel, Michelle Radecki, pointed out that the cleaning industry is facing a lot of pressures towards disclosing ingredients in their products especially with the Green Chemistry legislation recently enacted in California.
The SDA, along with the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA) and its Canadian counterpart, the CCSPA, formed a voluntary consumer product ingredient communication initiative, where members will disclosed all their chemical ingredients (with the exception of fragrances, preservatives and dyes) in their air care, automotive, cleaning and polishes and floor maintenance products, starting January 1, 2010.
Members are said to be hesitant in listing down their fragrance, preservatives and dyes ingredients because of their highly proprietary nature (not to mention that any consumers who see phthalates as part of the fragrance ingredient will hesitate in buying the product...).
SDA's Radecki said more than 90% of their members are expected to participate in the program. SC Johnson already started listing their ingredients and even included dyes, preservatives and fragrances that they used. SDA said they are working with various fragrance industries in order for manufacturers to be able to disclose their fragrance ingredients.
"In the long run, there is going to be increasing demand for ingredient disclosure and in turn suppliers should be prepared to provide information to their customers.Also expect potential ingredient deselection such as phthalates," said Radecki.SDA's vp of technical and international affairs Rich Sedlak listed down the 13 states where the use of phosphates on home ADDs are limited to a maximum of 0.5% effective July 1, 2010. These include Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Montana.
Phosphates use in industrial and institutional detergent use as well as in commercial dishwashers are still exempted although New York state is said to be proposing to limit the use of phosphates in commercial ADDs to 0.5%.
Because of these restrictions, the SDA advices detergent manufacturers to conduct research and development for new products; readjust their manufacturing facilities; and realign their ingredient supply chain. As you read in my first AOCS chapter saga, several chemical companies are already doing that by developing new phosphate alternatives.
Other presentations in the regulatory session include AkzoNobel's talk about cosmetic regulations focusing on the European Union's REACH as well as the animal testing ban under EU Cosmetic Directives; Sasol straightening out a misleading information about 1,4 dioxane in detergent and personal care products; and Seventh Generation talking about the changing chemical regulation landscape in the soap and detergent industry.
With regards to AkzoNobel's talk, he emphasized the increasing consumer use of natural and sustainable products although the challenge (as other chemical companies note in the past) is making their performance as efficient as the traditional products. AkzoNobel also pointed out the difficulty in sourcing natural raw materials because most of them are seasonal.
Sasol, meanwhile, announced that they (along with chemical engineering firm Chemithon) discovered how 1,4 dioxane is being produced as a byproduct within sulfation process of alcohol ethoxylates. Environmental groups claimed well-known baby care products are contaminated with 1,4 dioxane, which is considered toxic.
Sasol said they were able to minimize the 1,4 dioxane content in the sulfation process by using different processing equipment, appropriate choice of sulfation feedstock, and proper sulfation and neutralization procedures. The cost for these changes are not expensive they said.
That's all folks! Hope these information helps you in any way. Stay tune for my next conference update this time about the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC) Suppliers' Day which I attended this week in New Jersey.
According to several cosmetic ingredient manufacturers that I interviewed, natural ingredients are still, by far, the hottest trend around cosmetics and personal care.
For ICIS subscribers:
R&D in phosphate alternatives needed - US soap group
US cleaners expect most of industry to reveal ingredients
S Africa's Sasol, US firm to reduce 1,4 dioxane in cleaners
Leave a comment
Want a user icon? Get a Gravatar!