Mr. Weissman

Eco-Friendly Practices

Sustainable Products: The Skinny on Laundry Detergent

By Arthur Weissman, President and CEO, Green Seal, Inc.

As bedroom services, hotel properties first and foremost are in the trade of changing linens and doing laundry. While many properties outsource their linen supply and laundering, they command a significant enough supply to exert an influence on their laundry service. They can, in short, seek to ensure that their most plentiful commodity is cleaned in the most environmentally responsible way possible.

This largely concerns the selection of laundry detergent, the subject of this article. Certainly, hotel policies regarding changing linens for multiple-night guests can significantly affect the environment by reducing the load and therefore the energy, water, and waste produced. A previous article in this series explored the towel/linen reuse concept and how it can best be implemented. Also, more efficient laundry equipment can affect the amount of water and energy used. But the quickest way to gain environmental benefit in this area is to use an environmentally responsible laundry detergent.

These are the main attributes of an environmentally responsible laundry detergent, as we will discuss below:

Non-Toxic to Humans and Biota

A responsible laundry detergent should not present a short-term or long-term threat to human health. Detergents should not contain known or possible carcinogens, mutagens, or reproductive toxins. The presence of such ingredients is not only unnecessary but also may create exposures that could be harmful to health. Also, ingredients that could cause sub-acute toxicity - such as for respiratory or other functions - should be avoided, as the materials on which detergents are used come into intimate and prolonged contact with humans.

From a broader environmental perspective, laundry detergents are chemical mixtures that always get disposed into the environment. Thus, they should not contain ingredients that are harmful to aquatic life, the medium to which they are relegated. Discharged wastewater from laundry operations that contains toxic ingredients can harm fish and other aquatic organisms, pose aesthetic problems, as well as possibly contaminate drinking water sources. While wastewater treatment systems often remove some of the pollutants, they may eventually wind up somewhere else in the environment or may pass through untreated.

Unfortunately, determining toxicity is not easy. There is a limited amount of toxicity information provided on a product's Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), mandated by law. For more extensive data, the manufacturer may have to be consulted, or the work of an independent evaluating organization like Green Seal may be available.

Biodegradable

Each of the organic ingredients in a laundry detergent should decompose into their basic mineral components in a reasonable time. There are sophisticated test methods to measure biodegradability that manufacturers typically use, and this information should be readily obtained from them or the MSDS.

If the ingredients in a laundry detergent do not degrade quickly and completely, they can persist in the environment and possibly reach levels that are toxic for aquatic life. Residual ingredients can also create foaming problems and interfere with water treatment operations.

Phosphate-Free

While residential laundry detergents have reduced or eliminated phosphates, phosphate compounds are still sometimes found in commercial detergents. Phosphates contribute to eutrophication in freshwater by providing an otherwise limiting nutrient to bacteria to multiply out of control (the bacteria then die en masse and their decomposition de-oxygenates the water).

Given the volume of laundry (and therefore detergent) cleaned by hotels, the detergent should be phosphate-free. Our rivers and lakes support aquatic communities and provide freshwater sources that could be easily contaminated by artificial fertilization.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) less than 10%

Laundry rooms tend to be crowded and warm, and ventilation may not be the best. The use of laundry detergents containing lower concentrations of VOCs, which evaporate during their use, can reduce worker exposure to these compounds, which may cause sensory and central nervous system irritation. Lower emissions also reduce the overall contribution of VOCs to the atmosphere, which cause smog and other unhealthful effects.

Without endocrine disruptors, dyes, or optical brighteners

Although their use has decreased due to bans in many other countries, alkylphenol ethoxylate surfactants (APEs) continue to be used in laundry detergents in the U.S. APEs biodegrade into persistent byproducts that have a high aquatic toxicity and for which there is strong evidence of endocrine disruption. The use of dyes in housekeeping cleaning products helps to differentiate the various types of cleaners (e.g., glass from general-purpose), but there is no functional need for their use in laundry detergents.

Optical brighteners are a group of chemicals that make the treated material appear brighter and whiter than it would otherwise naturally appear to the eye and are commonly found in laundry detergents. The concerns about optical brighteners range from biodegradability issues and potential developmental and reproductive effects, to aquatic toxicity and potential skin and eye reactions (mainly from residue left on items from detergents). As a result, optical brighteners are prohibited in criteria for laundry detergents and cleaning products by several ecolabeling programs and by the Carpet and Rug Institute and WoolSafe certification programs for carpet cleaners.

In concentrated form

The advantage of using laundry detergent in concentrated form is that it avoids the packaging and transportation of water, which adds significantly to the energy and waste impacts of the product. Concentrated products may have a higher potential for skin and eye impacts, but these potential effects can be minimized through the use of dispensing system packaging or solid formats that reduce the risk of worker exposure.

Works in warm or unheated water

Life-cycle studies have shown that energy required for using hot water with general cleaning products contributes a significant portion of the environmental impacts of these products. For laundry operations, much larger quantities of water are used and therefore heated.

Linen reuse programs tout the energy savings from reducing the amount of laundry generated, and the use of a detergent that works effectively at lower temperatures can further reduce energy impacts. Where possible and appropriate, such as for lightly soiled loads or in conjunction with an ozone system, avoiding the use of hot water with an effective low-temperature laundry detergent can contribute to energy savings.

Free of bleaches, especially chlorine

The use of white towels, linens, tablecloths, napkins, and uniforms brings with it the need for bleach. As a start, colored fabrics can help reduce the need for both bleaching and optical brighteners. Anyone who has owned a white car can attest to the level of washing required to avoid its looking dirty or dingy. A tan vehicle, on the other hand, requires fewer trips to the car wash. Colored fabrics require the use of "color-safe" bleaches, which tend to be based on oxygen and not chlorine. Chlorine-based bleach, like any chlorine-based cleaning product, can form hazardous gases when mixed with other cleaning agents and may form toxic organochlorines in the environment. Over time it can also weaken fabric fibers, which may reduce fabric life and generate excess lint (a potential fire hazard) during drying. Some guests may also have allergic skin reactions to towels and linens bleached with chlorine.

Conclusion

The choice of laundry detergent is a critical if neglected aspect of hotel operation. Properties launder hundreds or thousands of pounds of linens and towels each day. Many properties also have smaller, residential-size washing machines on property for guest laundry or housekeeping cloths. Selecting detergents that meet these same guidelines for such laundry is also important.

Overall, if properties use environmentally preferable laundry detergents as described above in their in-house laundry services, or if they request the same of their contract laundry services, they will contribute significantly to reducing the environmental impact of lodging services. In several respects, they may also provide a healthier environment for their guests.#

Arthur B. Weissman, Ph.D., is President and CEO of Green Seal, Inc. He has experience in environmental science, policy, and standard-setting in public and private sectors. He has led the non-profit's resurgence as a force to make the economy more sustainable. He served as an international convener in developing the ISO 14000 standards for environmental labeling, and was the first Chair of the Global Ecolabeling Network. He has developed policy for the Superfund waste-cleanup program, served in the U.S. Senate as a Science Fellow, and worked for The Nature Conservancy. Mr. Weissman can be contacted at 202-872-6400 or aweissman@greenseal.org Extended Bio...

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