Bill Newton Dunn Liberal Democrat MEP for the East Midlands wins Environment Committee backing for his call to limit phosphorus in household detergents
Originally published by East Midlands Liberal Democrats
The European Parliament Environment Committee today voted to limit the amount of phosphorus permitted in household detergents. This follows the line proposed by LibDem Euro-MP for the East Midlands Bill Newton Dunn, who is charged with managing the Parliament's work on the file.
The European Commission had proposed to restrict the use of phosphates and other phosphorus compounds in household laundry detergents only.
That decision was uncontroversial - from the point of view not only of the European Parliament, but also the Council and Commission.
Phosphorus leaked into European lakes streams and rivers can lead to eutrophication - the overgrowth of algae which can starve fish and other plant life of oxygen. Phosphorus coming from household detergents makes up about 25% of the current phosphorus load in domestic wastewater. Many, if not most, laundry detergents currently on the market are already low in phosphorus. So, it makes sense to take the relatively easy and cost-effective step of controlling this source of eutrophication
However, Bill Newton Dunn proposed to go further, to extend the limitation to detergents for household automatic dishwashers.
He underlines:
"The Commission was not ambitious enough in its proposals. We have to seize every opportunity we can to do something good for our threatened natural environment.
"It is true that, compared to the market in laundry detergent, less progress has been made so far on formulating household dishwasher detergents that are both low- phosphorus and at the same time high-performance. It is also true that we need to ensure small and medium sized enterprises have time to adapt to these requirements without excess burden.
"Nonetheless, phosphate-free dishwasher detergents are available on the market already, and manufacturers are innovating all the time. It is therefore reasonable to expect that in the next four years until my proposed ban comes into effect, the vast majority, if not all, will have been able to make the switch, and to offer products that meet the expectations of consumers in terms of cleaning performance.
"So I am delighted that the Parliament's Environment Committee today backed my approach. The Commission's proposal for only a report on dishwasher detergents would have delayed progress, whereas setting a date for a ban will require manufacturers to step up their efforts to produce less polluting formulations.
"I look forward now to taking this forward in negotiations with the Council"