Phosphate review splits industry

Date: 10/12/1998

By Chris Johnstone

SIGNALS from the European Commission that it wants to review a series of national and voluntary bans on phosphates in detergents have sparked a mixed response from industry.

The Commission claims that local measures restricting the use of this key raw material may be difficult to reconcile with the EU's single market and appear to be increasingly outdated in light of developments in wastewater treatment.

But although the idea of a review has been welcomed by phosphates producers, which have been faced with a static market in recent years, the European detergents lobby is lukewarm about the possibility of fresh Commission proposals.

Italy has taken the toughest stance on phosphates within the EU, with a ban on their use in detergents, while other member states such as the Netherlands and Austria have voluntary codes with industry which severely limit their use. Non-EU trade partners Norway and Switzerland also have prohibitions in place.

The wave of bans and voluntary restrictions was sparked in the early 1990s by concerns that phosphates, which are mainly used in the production of fertilisers, were contributing to the excessive growth of algae in lakes and rivers which suffocated other forms of life.

However, the patchwork of national measures now in place has made life difficult for phosphate producers and poses a problem for big multinationals such as Unilever and Procter & Gamble, which have been forced to choose between manufacturing phosphate-free products for sale across Europe or establishing tailor-made formulae for their detergents to suit each national market.

"There is no harmonised market at the moment," said one Commission official. "We are just starting to look at this issue."

Industry Commissioner Martin Bangemann signalled recently that the time may have come to lift the restrictions on phosphates, saying the latest evidence suggested that they were easier to extract during the treatment of waste water than alternatives.

EU rules taking effect by the end of this year will require all member states to treat waste water and extract phosphates where populations exceed 10,000. There are, however, signs that the urban waste water directive will be implemented inadequately or late in many countries.

In spite of this, the industry is developing technology which would allow phosphates to be recovered during treatment and reused, mostly for fertilisers or animal feed.

Recovery rates from waste water of between 50% and 80% could be possible within 10-15 years, according to industry experts, who add that the recovered material could also meet up to a quarter of the needs of the detergents industry.

The Commission has already accepted the principle that phosphates are used in both washing machine and dishwasher detergents in the criteria it has laid down for such products to be awarded the right to carry 'eco-labels' showing they are environmentally friendly, according to Christopher Thornton of the industry's research arm, the France-based Centre Européen d'Etudes des Polyphosphates.

He says phosphate producers are keen to see the Commission take action to tackle the issue, adding: "Obviously we would welcome anything that would allow us to increase our sales."

However, the European lobby group for the detergents industry - the Association Internationale de la Savonnerie, de la Détergence et Des Produits d'Entretien (AISE) - representing 1,200 producers, insists there is no need for the Commission to intervene.

"It is a local matter," said AISE secretary-general Anne-Marie Rodeyns. "This issue was looked at in the past and it did not seem appropriate for European legislation."