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SUSTAINABILITY

Anne
Nielsen

Taking steps towards a

phosphate-free future
Comparing the environmental impacts of alternative
builder systems with enzymes
ANNE MERETE NIELSEN1* , TONI SCHAETZ2
*Corresponding author
1. Senior Life Cycle Economist
2. Novozymes A/S Krogshoejvej 36 Bagsvaerd, 2880, Denmark

As consumer demand for detergent performance grows, so do expectations for low environmental impact detergent options.
At the same time, environmental regulations are becoming more stringent in many countries, making it necessary for formulators to
produce detergents that reduce potential negative impacts on wastewater and water ways, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Sodium Tripolyphosphate (STPP) is a traditional multipurpose ingredient in powder detergents. Because it contains phosphate, STPP
can cause eutrophication and algae bloom if wastewater from washing machines merges into water bodies without the right
treatment. If alternative detergent ingredients can be found to reduce the amount of STPP, aquatic environments should benefit.
However, in order to be accepted by consumers, these alternatives need to have similar or improved wash performance, and
not impose increased costs on detergents. Enzymes are a viable solution to this puzzle. New enzyme solutions have already been
developed that open the door to cost-neutral opportunities for formulators to replace or supplement traditional chemicals with small
amounts of enzymes. Enzymes are used for deep cleaning, stain removal, whiteness, and fabric and colour care. They are efficient
at both low and high wash temperatures. By using enzymes it is possible to reduce the amount of other detergent ingredients, and
to reduce the wash temperature without compromising performance (1).

THE IMPORTANCE OF PHOSPHORUS REMOVAL FROM WASTEWATER

In some parts of the world, wastewater treatment includes chemical and/or biological treatment where phosphorus is removed from
the wastewater, resulting in minimal eutrophication (2). However, in other areas, where wastewater treatment is poor, phosphorus is
emitted directly into rivers and seas. In regions where wastewater treatment is poor and STPP containing detergents are dominant,
STPP may account for up to 28 percent of the available phosphorus in surface water (3). On June 30, 2013 the European Commission
is adopting a ban on phosphates in laundry detergents even though many EU countries with sufficient wastewater treatment have
already banned it. For countries that remove phosphate from wastewater, the ban will reduce pressure on wastewater treatment
plants (with less phosphorous in the wastewater, treatment
plants can reduce chemical use and sludge) and protect the
environment in cases of overflow due to heavy rain. As of 2005,
for example, wastewater treatment was not sufficient in the Black
Sea region, which entirely or partially covers 23 countries. Along
the Russian coast of the Black Sea, which is typical for the region,
only 14 percent of all wastewater undergoes full biological
processing. In no city along the Turkish Black Sea coast is there any
treatment of wastewater (4). In such regions where phosphorus
is not removed from the wastewater from household wash
processes, the 15 g STPP that is used for each wash will lead to
an emission of 12 g of phosphate ions per wash, equivalent to an
emission of 3.8 g phosphorus (5). However, as the following study
shows, these numbers can be improved and eutrophication can
be prevented if STPP is replaced with alternative technologies.

Life Cycle Assessment: What is the environmental impact of using

alternative builder systems with multiple enzymes?
Using enzymes in detergents is not just about improved wash
performance and stabilized costs. CO2 reduction from cold
washing and compaction has been demonstrated (6). In order
to move the industry towards phosphate-free detergents,
Table 1. Ingredients used for production of three model detergents.
Novozymes has investigated the possibilities of using enzymes to All data in gram per wash.
reduce the environmental impact of detergent builder systems.

Household and Personal Care Today - n 2/2012 13

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STPP is a standard builder ingredient in many areas of the world, including Eastern Europe. This study investigates the environmental
implications if consumers in such regions were to switch from a typical STPP containing powder detergent to formulations with
alternative builder systems containing multiple enzymes. The study has been conducted following the ISO guidelines ISO14040 and
140044 where all significant processes from “cradle to grave” are included (7).

The scope and method

The study compares builder systems based on three different ingredient systems: STPP with protease and amylase enzymes,
carbonate with a multi-enzyme solution, and zeolite with a multi-enzyme solution. Wash tests were conducted that provide sufficient
reason to believe that consumers will perceive the detergents as similar in performance.

Detergent composition
In most Western European countries, the use of STPP in laundry detergents has been phased out to prevent phosphates from leading
to eutrophication and algae bloom. In June, 2013, phosphates will be banned from laundry detergents across the EU. Zeolites are
the primary replacement for STPP in granular detergents today (8).
The STPP detergent is modelled after a typical powder detergent sold in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Typical characteristics
for such detergents are:
1. The content:
a. Low enzyme content: <0.2 percent
b. Builder components are STPP-based: ~ 40 percent
c. Surfactants: ~14 percent
d. Bleach components: ~ 6 percent
e. Filler components: ~ 40 percent
2. No content of modern or recently proposed detergent ingredients,
like methylglycin diacetic (MGDA) or copolymers. The alternative zeolite
and carbonate detergents are modelled by Novozymes researchers to
represent hypothetical future formulations that could be produced
Table 2. Added and saved materials when
switching from STPP based detergent to the today or in the near future with readily available chemicals and enzyme
alternative builder systems. All data per wash. products. The composition of the standard detergent and the two
reformulations is shown in Table 1. In Table 2, the changes in formulations
are summarized.

Wash and whiteness results

Two versions of each builder system
were created – one version with
enzymes and one version without.
All six were tested for stain removal
performance and whiteness on 21
stains. The results are shown in Figures
1 and 2.
All three builder systems perform
decisively better with enzymes
than without enzymes on both
stain removal and whiteness. The
zeolite system with multiple enzymes
outperforms the other two systems
Figures 1 and 2. Wash conditions are typical of Eastern Europe. All data provided in the on both whiteness and stain removal,
environmental assessment refers to a washing unit of 2.7 kg laundry. A washing machine from Miele while the STPP system with protease
(Softtronic, frontloader) is chosen as a typical representative for washing machines used in private
households in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. and amylase enzymes lags behind
the other two.

System boundaries
1) STPP: Dosage is 5 g detergent per litre wash water, of which
enzyme content is limited to 0.07 g protease and 0.07 g
amylase.
2) Carbonate: Dosage is 5 g detergent per litre wash water,
of which enzyme content is 0.91 g and consists of protease,
amylase, mannanase, cellulase and lipase.
3) Zeolite in compacted formulation: Dosage is 4 g detergent
per litre wash water and enzyme content is 1.3 percent,
of which enzyme content is 0.91 g of protease, amylase,
mannanase, cellulase and lipase.
All three detergents were tested at 40°C which is considered Figure 3. Main system boundaries of the study. Red boxes and arrows
standard wash temperature in Europe. refer to added (induced) processes and material streams; green
boxes and arrows refer to saved (displaced) processes and
Resource extraction includes extraction of basic chemicals material/energy streams. Processes in the system, which remain
and fossil oil as well as agricultural cultivation of crops used to nearly unchanged, are marked with dotted black boxes. Blue arrows
produce sugar, glucose, palm oil and soybean. Production indicate material streams that are changed as a result of the
enzyme addition and chemical saving.
of auxiliary materials such as artificial fertilizer, pesticides and
machinery is included.

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The study method is based on life cycle assessment (LCA) principles, where all significant processes in the product chain are
included, from raw material extraction through production and use to final disposal. The LCA is performed according to the method
described by JRC (2010) and environmental modelling is facilitated in SimaPro 7.2.4 LCA software.

Environmental assessment
The considered environmental impact categories include:
• Global warming (g CO2 equivalents)
• Acidification (mg SO2 equivalents)
• Eutrophication (mg PO43- equivalents)
In addition to environmental indicators, consumption of resources is addressed by including the following indicators in the
assessment:
• Energy consumption (kJ primary energy carriers, Low Heat Value (LHV))
• Agricultural land use (m2∙a)
• Freshwater consumption (litres)
• Use of phosphate ore (kg)
Energy use plays an important role in the considered system and fuel consumption has been aggregated and quantified in terms
of kJ (LHV). Enzymes are, to a large extent, based on agricultural production and use of agricultural land has been included in the
assessment. Toxicity from the entire life cycle is excluded because the available data basis is considered incomplete. According
to Pant et al. (2004), the largest toxic impacts of detergents are linked to emissions from household wash process wastewater.
Toxicity impacts from wastewater are assessed in a toxicity screening. STPP is based on phosphorus, which is a crucial resource with
a limited supply, given present use of artificial fertilizer in the world’s food production. Therefore use of phosphate ore is included in
the assessment. Freshwater consumption has also been included because enzyme production requires freshwater.

LCA RESULTS

Characterized results of the environmental assessment are

shown in Table 3 as net changes. The results refer to the situation
where the STPP builder system is replaced by the alternative
systems based on carbonate or zeolite with multi-enzyme
solutions. There are net reductions for most of the environmental
indicators, but not all. In Figures 4 and 5 below the results are
shown as added versus saved environmental impacts for
both alternative detergent formulations. There are meaningful
potential benefits for global warming, eutrophication, and Table 3. Net changes in environmental impact when consumers
switch from STPP-based detergent to carbonate- or zeolite-based
freshwater and phosphorus use. For agricultural land use
detergents. All data are per one wash of 2.7 kg laundry.
and wastewater quality, there are potential environmental
disadvantages – although miniscule in comparison to the other
benefits.

Results for builder system based on carbonate and multiple enzymes

Figure 4. Environmental impact from added and saved processes for carbonate-based detergents. Added inputs include carbonate
and multiple enzymes. Saved inputs/processes include STPP. All data are per one wash of 2.7 kg laundry.

Household and Personal Care Today - n 2/2012 15

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Results for builder system based on zeolite and multiple enzymes

Figure 5. Environmental impact from added and saved processes for zeolite-based detergents. Added inputs include zeolite and
multiple enzymes. Saved inputs/processes include STPP. All data are per one wash of 2.7 kg laundry.

Sensitivity analysis for the environmental assessment

The above shows the environmental benefits of the alternative builder systems when the wastewater from the wash process is
released into the environment without removal of phosphorus. If the wastewater from the washing machine is treated chemically
for phosphorus removal, the situation is very different: there will be no benefit in terms of reduced eutrophication. Instead some
chemicals for treating the wastewater are saved, leading to slightly larger savings in terms of CO2.

Wastewater quality
The LCA includes an environmental hazard assessment of the quality of the wastewater from the wash process. Here the critical
dilution volumes (CDV) are calculated for the ingredients used for the detergent formulation. These CDV values indicate a slightly
increased impact on wastewater from the alternative builder systems compared with the STPP system. Novozymes is conducting
further tests to understand if this is true implication or a result of the methodology.

CONCLUSIONS

Although many countries in Western Europe and North America have already phased out the use of STPP, other countries still use
it as a standard builder ingredient. This has potential negative impacts on the environment, such as algae bloom and phosphorus
depletion. Fortunately alternatives to STPP exist that offer the performance consumers have come to expect, without increasing
the production cost of the detergent. New detergents based on carbonate and zeolite with multi-enzyme solutions have been
modelled and performance tested. The results confirm that replacing STPP builder systems is one good step towards reducing
phosphorus in wastewater and water ways. Both carbonate- and zeolite-based builder systems provide potential meaningful
benefits for global warming, eutrophication and freshwater and phosphorus use. These builder systems also provide improved wash
performance making them acceptable to consumers. Uncertainty assessments, data-quality assessments and sensitivity analyses
indicate that the general conclusion of the study is robust, although magnitudes of environmental advantages are subject to
much variation and uncertainty. Solutions towards a phosphate-free future are available and viable. Novozymes is working further
to understand potential negative environmental impacts such as wastewater quality (chronic and acute). At the same time, the
industry should embrace alternative builder systems and begin to move forward with testing and implementing them. Novozymes
is pleased to join forces with colleagues across the detergent industry value chain to realize their potential in the years to come.

REFERENCES AND NOTES

1. Olsen: Enzymes at Work (2004) and Ullman’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry (2007).
2. Wind (2007).
3. Wind (2007).
4., O. Borysova, A. Kondakov et al., Eutrophication in the Black Sea region; Impact assessment and Causal chain analysis, University of Kalmar, Kalmar, Sweden (2005).
5. A.M. Nielsen, STPP, Carbonate, Zeolite and Enzymes - A comparative life cycle assessment of detergents with different builder systems, Novozymes (2011).
6. Nielsen et al. (2007) and Nielsen et al. (2010).
7. www.iso.org
8. Showell (2006).

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