Annex A. Composition of laundry detergents

Transcription

1 Annex A Composition of laundry detergents Laundry detergents are composed of a range of ingredients that give the final product its different characteristics. The most common ingredients are listed alphabetically below (not all of them are necessarily present in a given product). Anti-redeposition agents Anti-redeposition agents are added to prevent the dirt that is removed from the clothing from reattaching itself. Accordingly they also prevent the clothing from taking on a greyish colour. Commonly occurring anti-redeposition agents in laundry detergents are CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose), CEC (carboxyethyl cellulose), starchbased compounds or other polymers. Bleaching agents Bleaching agents are added to remove or decolorize (whiten or lighten) a type of stain that is not removed by the surfactants, i.e. coloured stains such as red wine or tea. Bleaching agents work by cutting the stain molecule into smaller pieces that are more easily dissolved and removed. Alternatively, bleaching agents may work by removing the colour of the stain so it becomes invisible. These two processes may work simultaneously on a given stain. Bleaching agents used in laundry detergents include borate, perborate, percarbonates, hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite. Buffering agents Buffering agents work by upgrading or protecting the cleaning efficiency of the surfactant. As washing proceeds, the alkalinity or ph drops. Under acidic (low ph) conditions, cleaning is reduced. Buffering agents stabilize the ph, and keep this drop from being too severe and reducing the cleaning. Builders/sequestering agents Builders/sequestering agents are primarily added to bind calcium in the water and in the soils on the clothing. The binding of calcium allows the surfactants better access to clean the clothes, as the soil molecules are often bound to the fabric by calcium ion bridging. The binding of calcium also prevents the ions to react with other detergent ingredients and precipitate from the solution. Builders are thus a very important ingredient in laundry detergents in areas in which hard water is used for washing. The builders used in laundry detergents include e.g. phosphate, phosphonate, zeolite, silicates, carbonate, citrate. Often more builders are used in one product, creating a builder system. There is wide variation in the builders used in the European countries. One reason for this is the difference in the number of households connected to treatment plants and whether the treatment plants are capable of removing builders from the water. Another reason is the difference in water hardness in different regions. Colorants Page 1 of 9

2 Colouring agents are added to laundry detergents for aesthetic reasons and/or to aid the marketing of the products. Colouring agents have no effect on the ability of the product to clean clothes. Corrosion-inhibiting substances Corrosion-inhibiting substances protect the washing machine against corrosion. Silicates are the most commonly used, and they also function as stabilisers for perborates (see bleaching agents). Dye-transfer inhibitors (DTIs) A DTI is a substance that prevents the transfer of dyes from one textile to another during the wash. DTI s are either polymers or copolymers; the most commonly used DTI is PVP (Polyvinylpyrrolidon). Enzymes Enzymes are proteins that are used in laundry detergents to break down particularly difficult stains. Enzymes also help to improve wash results at low temperatures. Enzymes function by breaking down difficult stains into smaller parts which can then be removed by other ingredients, primarily surfactants. The enzymes do not loose the functionality after use on a given stain. Enzymes used in laundry detergents and stain removers include protease, lipase and amylase. Each enzyme has its own defined target, i.e. fat stains, protein stains etc. Enzymes can replace large quantities of chemicals with the same function. Fabric whitening agents (optical brighteners) Fabric whitening agents or optical brighteners are fluorescent whitening agents that reflect the ultra-violet rays of the sun as white, visible light. This gives the clothing an impression of whiteness and accordingly cleanness. Optical brighteners are frequently already present in clothing, and the quantity left by the washing process helps to give an impression of cleanness. Optical brighteners/fabric whiteners do not bleach or remove colour from the textile. Fillers Fillers are added to laundry detergents to give the product structure. In powder products sodium sulphate is often used as filler - in liquid products the filler is water. Fragrance (perfume) Fragrances are added to give the product a particular smell or to conceal an unpleasant smell in the raw materials used in the products. Fragrance has no effect on the ability of the product to clean the clothes. Fragrance is a mixture of many different aromatics. Commonly little information is available on the environmental effects of fragrance, but generally fragrances are regarded as environmentally harmful. Allergies to fragrances are common. Hydrotropes Hydrotropes help increase the solubility of other ingredients in liquid products. Preservatives Page 2 of 9

3 Preservatives are frequently added to liquid products to prevent the growth of bacteria in the product and thereby extend its durability. Surfactants sometimes have a preservative effect. Soap Soap is used for cleaning the fabric by reducing surface tension and loosening, dispersing, and suspending the soil. Soap also softens fabrics naturally. Soap may also be used as a suds inhibitor. Solvents Organic solvents are primarily used in liquid products to dissolve the ingredients. Typical solvents are alcohols. Alcohols also add an anti-freeze property so that the detergent may be shipped and stored in cold climates. Suds inhibitors Suds inhibitors are added to reduce the quantity of suds (foam) in the washing machine. Suds inhibitors in laundry detergents include silicone or surfactants with this particular property. Surfactants Surfactants are added for a number of reasons, the main purposes being their washing and surface active properties. They remove soils from the clothing and keep it suspended in the washing solution. Some surfactants perform other functions such as foam inhibition. Examples of surfactants used in laundry detergents include alkylether sulphates, alkyl sulphates, alcohol ethoxylates and alkylphenol ethoxylates. Page 3 of 9

4 ANNEX B Composition of dishwashing detergents Dishwashing detergents are composed of a range of ingredients that give the final product its different characteristics. The most common ingredients are listed alphabetically below (not all of them are necessarily present as it depends on the functions of the product in question). Anti-corrosion agents Corrosion of the glass (giving the glassware a white haze over time) may be caused by the dishwashing detergents as the detergents are strongly alkaline and glass dissolves slowly in alkaline aqueous solution. Different anti-corrosion agents can be added to avoid the corrosion, for example zinc salts or sodium silicates. Anti-foaming agents Surfactants with anti-foaming properties are often added in small concentrations to reduce the formation of foam, as foam decreases the effectiveness of the washing action. Bleaching agents: Dissolves and bleaches organic deposits. Oxygen-based bleaching agents are often used. Until a few years ago chlorine or perborates were normally used but due to their environmental properties other products like percarbonates are often used. Complexing agents (water softener) These are especially important in areas with hard water. They dissolve calcium and magnesium ions to prevent 'hard-water' type limescale deposits (that may give the glassware at white haze on the surface). Traditionally phosphates have been used but with the greater focus on phosphate as an eutrophication factor in marine environments, other agents such as citrate and polycarboxylate are now common. Dyestuffs Dyestuffs are added to give dishwashing detergents colour and to differentiate different products. Dyestuffs are not necessary in the washing process Enzymes Enzymes function by breaking down food deposits (e.g. protein and fat) into smaller parts which can then be removed by other ingredients, primarily surfactants. The enzymes do not loose the functionality after use on a given stain. Enzymes are gentle on glass and porcelain because they allow automatic dishwashing under mild conditions Foil As a relative new function for dishwashing detergents, the tablets may be wrapped individually in a water soluble foil that does not have to be removed before use. This foil is often made of PVA (polyvinylalcohol). Page 4 of 9

5 Preservatives Preservatives are often used in liquid dishwasing detegents in order to prevent the growth of microorganisms and thereby extend its durability. Perfumes Perfumes have no function in the washing process. They are added to give the dishwashing detergents a pleasant scent, and also to give the user a sensation of cleanness when opening the machine after wash. Surfactants Non-ionic surfactants are normally present in concentrations below 5 %. They lower the surface tension of the water and emulsify fatty food deposits and prevent redeposition of droplet during the drying process. Page 5 of 9

6 Annex C Interpretations Criterion/document Question Interpretation Art. 2/detergents for dishwashers Are multifunctional products included or excluded from the product group definition? Art. 2/laundry detergents Can the ecolabel be awarded to fabric softeners? 3/laundry detergents & 1a/detergents for dishwashers 8a/laundry detergents 8b/laundry detergents How is the loading factor established for substances not on the DID-list This is impossible to conform to for liquid products. Can this be solved? How does the applicant document that refills are available? Must they be available at all times? How is the damage factor (s) calculated? What is Colour Shift Number? What kind of ballast soil is added to the washes: standard WfK or WfK2004? If the latter is used, can it be substituted by a similar CFT product? Can WfK soils be substituted by similar CFT soils? What reference detergent should be used for a heavy duty liquid laundry No agreement was reached, but the fact remains that several Member States have awarded licences for multifunctional products No. Not under the existing criteria, but the revision will look into the possibility to expand the product group definition This question will no longer be relevant since the revised criteria will be based on the new DIDlist, where loading factors are no longer used No solution was found. The requirement stands It was considered sufficient that the refills were offered to consumers during campaigns 2-3 times per year. The applicant must report the number of campaigns held each year A formula was provided by WfK (available from Ecolabelling Denmark) A reference was made to WfK but no answer has been received at Ecolabelling Denmark No comments were circulated on this question No comments were circulated on this question It can be regarded as a colour-safe detergent and thus the reference should Page 6 of 9

7 detergent it does not contain bleach? The described washing machine is no longer available. Are other machines acceptable? The entrance water does not have the recommended temperature. Is this acceptable? The water hardness and Ca/Mg-ratio is not as described in the test procedure. Is this acceptable? Is it necessary to measure organic incrustations? Does the described load have to be used? Does the FAZ-value have to be measured or can Ganz measurements be used instead? Datacolor Spectraflash 500 or 600 are old spectrophotometers. Can other spectrophotometers be accepted instead? be without bleach Yes. Other types of Miele are acceptable as long as both reference and test products are tested on the same machine models Yes. As long as the temperature is the same for test of both reference and test products There has been some confusion here as the water hardness is given as a temperature. Whether or not the Ca/Mg-ratio is important or how much it might differ from the stated ratio is not clear. The water hardness should follow the test procedure Yes. It is a given requirement as to fulfilment of the ecolabel efficiency criteria Yes Yes, as long as the laboratory provides a suitable rationale for the equivalence of this method Yes Page 7 of 9

8 Annex D Other relevant ecolabelling schemes in Europe 1) Laundry detergents Nordic Ecolabelling (The Swan) The Nordic Swan has criteria for laundry detergents and stain removers. The criteria are to a large extent comparable to the EU ecolabel criteria. However, the Nordic Ecolabel criteria impose more/stricter requirements than the EU criteria. Below the major differences are outlined (additional Swan criteria): Restrictions of product classification Stricter limits of Total Chemicals and CDV Stricter limits on phosphates and phosphonates Allergenic substances are prohibited with exception of enzymes, perfumes and, for cold water products: bleach activators Colorants: must not be bioaccumulable Preservation only allowed for liquid products, must not be bioaccumulable Limitation on content of sequestrants Limitation on content of non-aerobically and non-anaerobically biodegradable organics Swedish Good Environmental Choice The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, which manages the Good Environmental Choice environmental labelling scheme, has criteria for laundry detergents. The criteria also apply to stain removers and bleaches. The Good Environmental Choice requirements are not very similar to the EU ecolabel criteria since the Good Environmental Choice scheme uses only functional requirements, i.e. the functions performed by the ingredients in the product and impose requirements on this basis: prohibiting and limiting the substances in question. Nor does the Good Environmental Choice scheme impose requirements as to the performance of products or set limitations for the total environmental impact (such as the CDV criterion). 2) Dishwashing detergents Nordic Ecolabelling (The Swan) The Nordic Swan has criteria for dishwashing detergents. The criteria are to a large extent comparable to the EU ecolabel criteria. However, the Nordic Ecolabel criteria impose more/stricter requirements than the EU criteria. Below the major differences are outlined (additional Swan criteria): Restrictions of product classification Stricter limits of Total Chemicals/dosage and CDV Stricter limits on phosphates and phosphonates Allergenic substances are limited to <0,1% with exception of enzymes Strict limits for 26 documented allergenic substances in fragrance Colorants and preservation: must not be bioaccumulable Page 8 of 9

9 Limitation on content of non-aerobically and non-anaerobically biodegradable organics Requirements of filling ratio (No of dosages to package volume) A score system encourages development of products with several of the following properties: - low dosage - low CDV - low fill ratio - efficiency at low temperatures - products free of perfume and phosphate. Page 9 of 9