Detergents & Biodegradability
A detergent can be defined as a chemical compound that cleans. It applies to all products which clean textiles or hard surfaces, in other words, any detergent/cleaning product with a cleaning function. It is intended to be tough on dirt but as gentle as possible on the surface and the environment.
Ensuring the protection of man and the environment is imperative to the whole soaps, detergents and maintenance products industry. In household and Industrial & Institutional applications, laundry detergents, cleaning and care products are assessed in regard to product performance, material compatibility, stability and safety.
When speaking about detergents, biodegradability is a word typically associated. But what is meant by biodegradability? This term refers to the ability of a material to be broken down by the action of bacteria and other living organisms such as fungi. Biodegradable products are of less concern than non-biodegradable ones because they do not remain in the environment, for e.g. in waterways or water treatment plants.
