What are Microplastics? 

Microplastics are tiny particles of plastic up to 5mm in diameter, commonly used in home and personal care products. Unfortunately, a growing volume of microplastics are now found in the environment, including the sea and even food and  drinking water. 

a global concern 

Microplastics are now considered pollutants of global concern. Several agencies and regulating bodies, such as UNEA and ECHA have proposed restrictions on microplastics to avoid their release into the environment. Additionally, there is growing consumer sentiment against the use of microplastics in home and personal care products.  

As a result, there has been a steady growth in the share of household care products with “microplastic-free” claims.  

table 1: products with microplastic-free claims, global  

microplastics-free ingredients 

We present high-performance ingredients that can be used in “microplastic-free” formulations as they are exempt or derogated from a microplastic classification, based on the criteria in the ECHA microplastics restrictions as of April 2023. 

• • download the full list of microplastic free ingredients

applications

• • stain removal with surfadone™ LP 100 wetting agent - a biodegradable wetting agent listed on U.S. EPA Safer Chemical Ingredient List (SCIL) and in conformance to European Detergent Regulation EC 648/2004. It spreads quickly and penetrates soil at very low concentrations, provides high solvency power for oils and greases, offers low foaming profile and is synergistic with anionic surfactants to reduce surface tension
    
    
  • color protection or dye transfer inhibition (DTI) with PVP K-30 - an efficient DTI agent that performs in lower temperatures
    
    
  • soil-release with sorez™ 100  – a biodegradable soil release & anti-soil redeposition polymer for synthetic and synthetic blend fabrics 
    
    
  • rheology modification with a robust portfolio of cellulose derived polymers - aqualon™ CMC (sodium carboxymethyl cellulose) , natrosol™ HEC (hydroxyethyl cellulose), klucel™ HPC (hydroxypropyl cellulose) and benecel™ MC and HPMC (methyl cellulose and  hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose)

• • softening boost and fragrance beads suspension with ecothix™ polymer - a novel polysaccharide system, and a sustainable alternative to synthetic polymers. It is vegan, has a natural origin content of more than 70% and contains more than 80% components that are either readily or primary, inherently biodegradable

• • enhanced wetting and cleaning with surfadone™ LP 100 wetting agent - a biodegradable wetting agent listed on U.S. EPA Safer Chemical Ingredient List (SCIL) and in conformance to European Detergent Regulation EC 648/2004. Suitable for bathroom, kitchen, glass and all-purpose cleaners, it spreads quickly and penetrates soil at very low concentrations, provides high solvency power for oils and greases, leaves no streaks or residue on surface, offers low foaming profile and is synergistic with anionic surfactants to reduce surface tension. It also exhibits good stability over time with hydrogen peroxide solutions
    
    
  • anti-fog performance for glass cleaners with gantrez™ S-97 polymer - it enhances the hydrophilicity of the glass surface, offers superior adhesion, prevents soil redeposition and promotes a long-lasting, streak-free surface
    
    
  • superior wetting and spreading with easy-wet™ 20 wetting agent – a biodegradable wetting agent that delivers high performance cleaning due to its ability to significantly lower the dynamic surface tension of the cleaning formulation at low use levels and solubilizes greasy soils enabling removal from a variety of surfaces
    
    
  • easy cleaning with sorez™ HS 205 polymer – it modifies surfaces by forming a barrier between common hard surfaces and foulants and reduces the tendency of soil to adhere to various ceramic, wood, metal, and plastic surfaces making next-time cleaning easier. May support product label claims such as “easy next time cleaning”, “surfaces stay cleaner longer” and “gloss” for household counters, surfaces and toilet bowl. It also allows consumers to rejuvenate surfaces from wear by enhancing shine and masking scratches.
    
    
  • vertical cling and rheology modification with natrasol™ 250HHR - such as in toilet bowl, shower and bath cleaners

• • enhanced cleaning in auto-dish with surfadone™ LP 100 wetting agent - a biodegradable wetting agent listed on U.S. EPA Safer Chemical Ingredient List (SCIL) and in conformance to European Detergent Regulation EC 648/2004 it spreads quickly and penetrates soil at very low concentrations, provides high solvency power for oils and greases, leaves no streaks or residue on surface, offers low foaming profile and is synergistic with anionic surfactants to reduce surface tension 
    
    
  • enhanced cleaning, foam stability, and improved sensory in hand-dish with benecel™ E10M - benecel™ methylcellulose boosts foam in dilutable surfactant systems, enhances foam and foam stability of formulation, increases formulation rheology of detergent concentrates with a viscosity salt responses, reduces the surfactant requirement and imparts luxurious hand feel and texture to cleaning formulation
    
    
  • effervescent fizzing action in hand dish with stablefizz™ effervescent base – a highly compressible powder can be used in sustainable, solid product formats that dissolves quickly and completely when used in applications for home care. Allows you to delight consumer with effervescent tablets and powders for dishwashing and laundry without special climate conditions and special packaging. 
    
    
  • auto-dish rinse aid sorez™ HS 205 polymer - prevents water beading, spots and streaks 

• • thickening of low pH formulations with improved sensory performance with benecel™ methylcellulose and klucel™ hydroxypropyl methylcellulose

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