Proctor & Gamble to Eliminate Phosphates Globally
Congratulations to SAJB member, Liberty Lake Sewer & Water District for leading the way in phosphorus removal from laundy detergent & dish washing products. Proctor & Gamble plans to eliminate phosphates from laundry detergent globally within the next 24 month. LLSWD_Phosphorus _PressRelease
“Oh what a difference a small District in Washington can make…”
Proctor and Gamble (P&G) has come a long way since it last visited Liberty Lake. Recently P&G announced the“…plan to eliminate phosphates (P) from all of our laundry detergents globally within the next 24 months.” (Nil-P: When Action – and Science – Speak Louder than Words to Eliminate Phosphates, https://news.pg.com/blog/science-stories) Since phosphorus ruins water bodies, this is a huge win for lakes, rivers and streams around the world as trumpeted by the North American Lake Management Association’s recent January 2014 NALMS Notes (Source https://www.triplepundit.com/2014/01/procter-gamble-commits-removing-phosphates-laundry- detergents/). P&G supplies 25% of the global market, the largest single share.
In May 2005 P&G travelled from Cincinnati Ohio along with the Soap and Detergent Association from Washington D.C. to testify in opposition to a Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District (LLSWD) Board resolution to ban phosphorus in automatic dishwasher detergent. A first for the state, and among the first in the nation, LLSWD’s ban precipitated a statewide ban and a national trend.
Area residents’ immediate response was to buy only phosphorus free dishwasher detergents by Ecover and Seventh Generation. Long before the law took effect Albertsons and Safeway managers were buying phosphorus free product from outlying retailers to stock their shelves in Liberty Lake! It was a great example of the power of the consumer and the amazing citizens that comprise Liberty Lake. This wasn’t the first time Liberty Lake took the lead.
A 1989 LLSWD Resolution was one of the first in the Nation to ban phosphates in laundry detergent. As a result, since 1993 all laundry detergent sold in America is phosphorus free, by law. Read more: https://www.ehow.com/facts_7669969_phosphate-banned- detergent.html#ixzz2sZj9NQob.
An article in the Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/proctor- gamble-remove-phosphates-laundry-soap) points out that P&G already removed phosphates from laundry detergents sold in the U.S. due to the 1993 nationwide ban. However, many developing countries lack phosphate regulation and this is where the biggest impacts will occur.
P&G will eliminate close to half a million metric tons of phosphorus per year. The reasons for P&G’s decision is because of its “strong commitment to innovation, research and development,” Not to mention having been influenced by the people of Liberty Lake!
The Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District would like to congratulate the Liberty Lake community for their role in having successfully persuaded P&G’s decision regarding phosphorus free laundry detergent worldwide within 24 months.