Detergents are all those products that are commonly used for washing and cleaning of textiles, dishes, floors and other hard surfaces, whether it be for household or professional use.

Because detergents mostly end up going down the drain after use and are dealt with in water treatment plants, biodegradability is important and is strictly regulated in Europe, specifically through this Regulation :

REGULATION (EC) No 648/2004 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE

COUNCIL of 31 March 2004 on detergents Amended by Regulation (EU) No 259/2012 of the

European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2012.

The regulation establishes common rules to enable detergents and surfactants to be sold and used across the EU, while providing a high degree of protection to the environment and human health.

It stipulates that surfactants used in detergents must be fully biodegradable. In addition, it regulates how products should be labelled with ingredient and dosage information in order to protect human health (e.g. skin allergies) and avoid overuse of detergents.

This Regulation was updated by Regulation (EU) No 259/2012 which imposes a ban on inorganic phosphates in domestic laundry and dishwasher detergents. Laundry detergents manufacturers must comply with it since 30 June 2013 and dishwasher detergents manufacturers at the latest by 1 January 2017.