Coming soon: Even 'greener' laundry detergents

With more hotels moving to the more sustainable fabrics in sheets, towels and other hotel linens, the next generation of eco-friendly laundry detergents needs to work even better with those sustainable fabrics.

"Our products don’t operate in a vacuum — they obviously interact with the laundry and towels," said Steve Kovacs, R&D section head for Procter & Gamble Professional. "As those linen manufacturers come up with new sustainable solutions, we’ll get our laundry detergents to work with those newer sustainable products."

While Kovacs isn’t able to say specifically when Procter & Gamble is introducing new laundry detergents to the professionals marketplace, he did say the company is working on them now.

Sunburst Chemicals also is looking toward the future of “greener” laundry detergents. Tim Laughlin, VP of product development, said the company focuses on a holistic approach to hotels’ laundry operations — not just a chemical one.

“We find out what is green from the customer’s perspective — what does sustainability mean to them?” Laughlin said. “As our technology gets better, we have more resources to develop better detergents.”

Sunburst is developing more biodegradable detergents to work on those newer fabrics. Phosphates—often found in non-environmentally friendly detergents—are tremendous cleaners and whiteners but don’t break down in water. The chemicals in nonsustainable detergents have harmful effects on wildlife and water quality, and also can cause problems for humans.

Regardless of newer detergent technology coming out, Laughlin and Kovacs agree that compaction is an industry trend that will continue. Procter & Gamble Professional has been focusing on concentrates in its professional laundry detergents—concentrates that not only use 44 percent less water, but also use fewer materials to make and have less plastic packaging. Sunburst is focusing on solid detergent technology—by making the detergent a cake or tablet, there are immense packaging, shipping and handling and storage benefits.

For green ideas, visit www.HospitalityWorldNetwork.com/laundrytips.