So fresh and so clean?

Lindsay Whalen does the washing-up.

Ninety-seven per cent of people use washing-up liquid, and dishwasher owners in the UK still do some hand washing.(1) Fairy and Persil, made by Procter & Gamble and Unilever respectively, dominate the washing-up liquid market. Uniquely for a supermarket, the Co-op discloses that its own-brand is made by McBride, so it is covered on the table and receives McBride's rating.

What's in it?
According to its labels, washing-up liquid is made of surfactants (i.e. detergents). However, they can also contain hormone-disrupting phthalates, phosphates, synthetic colourings and musks. Due to labelling standards and a poor response from manufacturers about their products, it is very difficult to ascertain which brands are using which chemicals. Bio-D(14) and Ecover(22) were the only companies to respond to our requests for information about chemicals. Information about ingredients in the other best buys was found on company websites. The European Union (EU) is giving the impression of being concerned that some everyday chemicals may contain toxins that build up in the body and environment. However, the October 2003 draft EU chemicals legislation is about testing chemicals' toxic effects, not clear labelling or phasing out toxins.(5) The Women's Environmental Network advises consumers concerned about the impacts of washing-up liquid to use less and wear rubber gloves.(5)

Environmental impacts
The active ingredient in washing-up liquid is its surfactant which lifts the grease off the plates. If the aquatic environment is not to be harmed it is vital that surfactants biodegrade quickly. Consumers should beware of labels simply saying biodegradable, as non-biodegradable ingredients have been outlawed for years. Vegetable-based surfactants will be quickest to biodegrade; all of the best buys are vegetable based. If surfactants are not plant-based, they will be derived from petroleum, which is a non-renewable resource and may be harmful to aquatic life.(8)

Health concerns
Other unlabelled ingredients are synthetic perfumes (petroleum-based) and phthalates. Phthlates may cause liver, kidney and testicular damage in children, and six types have been banned from teething toys. (10) Artificial musks provide the scent in most washing-up liquid. New research from the Netherlands has found that synthetic musks impair the oestrogenic function in fish. (11) The scientists found that two polycyclic musks used in cleaning products (liable to end up in water) "could be significant endocrine disruptors." (11) Greenpeace has found them in human breast milk, blood and fatty tissue. (10) Greenpeace's website singles out Fairy as likely to contain artificial musks.10 The best buys use natural plant extracts or aromatherapy oils to scent their products. Surcare is unscented.(9)

Antibacterial
Due to these concerns, you might think that manufacturers would approach new ingredients with caution. However, anti-bacterial washing-up liquids are almost a sub-sector of their own, accounting for 49 per cent of total liquid value sales.(1) Procter & Gamble's Fairy anti-bacterial (recognisable by its 'naturals' range label), claims to kill E-coli, salmonella and campylobacter. (12) There are fears that indiscriminately attacking germs will accelerate their mutation into forms which we will be unable to combat. These worries are based on the growing number of medical conditions which are showing antibiotic resistance. (12)

Animals
The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) says the EU's proposed new chemicals policy "amounts to nothing more than a futile data gathering exercise," and advocates new non-animal tests instead.(6) A recent seven-year study compared the results of rodent acute toxicity tests to the results of real human exposure, and found that these experiments were able to predict toxicity in humans with only 65 per cent accuracy. In contrast, a series of human cell line tests were found to predict human toxicity with 84 per cent accuracy.(21) BUAV urges supporters to write to their MEP to insist on non-animal testing. Information about how to do this is in the links section.

Packaging
80 per cent of plastic packaging ends up on landfill sites. (13) Washing-up liquid bottles are generally made out of HDPE plastic, which can be recycled. Information on availability in your local area is available by contacting Wastewatch (see links). Bio-D claims that its new bottles contain 22 per cent recycled material. (14) Another option is refilling old bottles. Bio-D1(15) and Ecover(16) provide reduced price refills in shops. Caurnie will also refill bottles at one of the twelve farmers' markets it is sold at. (17) Information about local refills can be found by calling the companies.

Alternatives

Soaking difficult pots and using an abrasive cloth will help you use less washing-up liquid. An alternative is herbal vinegar, but make sure you rinse dishes well afterwards. (19)

References

1 Mintel Dishwashing Detergents, 07/03
3 Colgate-Palmolive website, 23/10/03
4 www.group4falck.com 16/2/04
5 Conversation with a representative of WEN, 27/2/04
6 BAUD, 27/2/04 www.stopeuchemicaltests.com
8 Ethical Consumer 81, March 2003
9 ECRA shop search, 25/2/04 10 'The Chemical Home,' Greenpeace 09/2/04
11 The Ecologist, 02/04
12 Ethical Consumer 63, March 2000
13 'Plastics,' 25/2/04 www.wasteonline.org.uk
14 Letter from Bio-D, 16/2/04
15 Conversation with owner of Bio-D, 25/2/04
16 Ecover business ethics, 25/2/04 www.ecover.com
17 Conversation with owner of Caurnie, 25/2/04
18 Red Pepper, 1/5/03
19 'Natural Housekeeping', Beverely Pagram, Gaia Books Ltd, 1997
20 Caurnie Soap Co, 27/2/04, www.caurnie.com
21 BUAV, 27/2/04
22 Eco Lino email and website, 25/2/04
24 Times Online, 25/2/04,
25 'Procter & Gamble Blood on your hands,' Uncaged website, 6/2/04
26 Procter&Gamble website, 15/10/03
27 5/3/04
28 Prison Privatisation Report International No53, 1/2/03
29 Peta factsheet: Companies that test on animals, 6/2/04
30 Reckitt Benckiser PLC Global Operations, 19/2/04
31 The Guardian, 9/5/03
32 Boycott List 25/2/03
33 viewed 4/7/02
34 The Guardian, 1/8/03 35 Red Pepper, 1/5/02
36 Naturewatch 1998
37 ENDS Report, 30/4/00