The government is consulting on new regulations to introduce a ban on inorganic phosphates in domestic laundry cleaning products (DLCPs)
The Detergents Regulations 2010 will replace the existing Regulations 2005 and are expected to come into force in April 2010
Who will the Detergents Regulations affect?
The ban on inorganic phosphates in DLCPs will affect:
- Users of DLCPs
- Manufacturers of DLCPs
- Suppliers of phosphate compounds to the detergents industry.
A ban will help to reduce inorganic phosphate pollution. This means less chemicals will be used in the water industry as phosphorous reduces the oxygen content of water and harms aquatic life.
What will happen?
From 1 January 2015 it will be an offence to market a DCLP containing more than 0.4% of its weight of inorganic phosphate.
There is a delay in order to give the detergents industry time to switch to meet the new requirements and change marketing and packaging.
Detergents
Detergents are chemical substances containing soaps and surfactants surface active agents that are used for washing and cleaning and can be in any form – powder, tablet, liquid or paste.
They can have significant impact on the water environment, releasing in organic chemicals which can be toxic to fish and other aquatic life. Ingredients may also not readily break down could and cause long-lasting pollution in the environment.
What you must do
Label your detergent products
List basic ingredients of the detergent.
Produce a safety data sheet & be available on request to health professionals treating allergies,
Ensure your surfactants are biodegradable
Keep the results of surfactant biodegradability testing which must be available to the Chemicals Regulation Directorate
Restricted chemicals check. REACH regulation will provide a full list of chemicals on the restricted list
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