The co-legislators reached a provisional deal on the updated rules for detergents and surfactants on 10 June. Overall, we welcome the new rules that set the necessary basis for further improvements in terms of protecting human health and ecosystems. However, much more will need to be done to apply the principle of the Water Resilience Strategy by effectively tackling pollution at its source and thereby strengthening the circularity potential of treated wastewater.

Biodegradability of organic ingredients in detergents is essential for the biological treatment phase in the urban wastewater treatment, as well as for sewage sludge management and water reuse applications. Although the long transition periods pose some doubts, we welcome the requirement put in place ensuring that organic ingredients in detergents - other than surfactants - that make up more than 10% of the product will be required to meet biodegradability criteria. This threshold may be lowered subject to an assessment by the Commission. In addition, the new rules tend to improve also microplastic pollution more effectively, introducing biodegradability requirements (within six years) for polymeric films surrounding around 70% of detergent tablets and capsules (e.g. for laundry or dishwashing).

The deal lacks more ambitious control-at-source measures to reduce the content of phosphates and phosphorous compounds in the urban wastewater treatment plants (UWWTP) influent. The Commission intends to assess in a two-year time how reducing phosphorus content in detergents could affect their cleaning effectiveness, and only then it may put forward a new legislative proposal setting new limitations for the phosphorus content. As removing phosphorous at the UWWTP is an energy- and cost-intensive process and while this burden falls solely on water operators and the consumers’ water bills, we would expect the detergents industry to contribute more to this effort. 

The informal agreement between the co-legislators must now be endorsed in a vote by both Parliament and Council.