EU Kicks Off Evaluation of Detergents Law

The European Commission wants to revisit the EU’s environmental standards for laundry detergent and other cleaners to see if labeling or other changes are needed to current law.

The commission is calling for comments through July 25 on a 2004 law that sets out the minimum environmental and information standards that cleaning products, laundry powders and other detergents must meet to be placed on the European Union’s single market.

The law, the EU Detergents Regulation (EC 648/2004), requires surfactants used in detergents to be biodegradable and has required the phaseout of phosphates from laundry and dishwasher detergents in an effort ...