CLEAN

The market and the detergent products change rapidly as the need to take more and more into account environmental aspects. The project had the main objective to increase the consumer organisations’ knowledge on environmental impact of detergents as well as over misleading claims and commercial practices on those products.

New methodologies were developed and shared in the network of consumer organisations. The output aimed to support the future eco-design of detergent products, the on-going discussion with the producers as well as the future policy developments on key topics, as for instance micro plastics.

The CLEAN project had as overall objectives to:

• rightfully inform consumers over performance and environmental impacts of detergents;
• warn consumers and report misleading or not-proved environmental claims;
• support consumer using and trusting existing environmental labels more than self-declared claims;
• carry out advocacy at European and national level to reduce misleading environmental claims and green claims.

To be able to reach these ambitious targets, the consortium thoroughly reviewed their test protocols on dishwasher products, hand dishwasher products, all-purpose detergents and bathroom cleaners. Thanks to the project, robust test methodologies have been developed, than can be used in the future by all consumer organisations but not only. Dialoguing with association of manufacturers (e.g; A.I.S.E.) and producers the consortium intends to have an improvement of their commercial practices as well as of the methodology for the testing.

• Project name: Developing methodologies that combines performance and environmental impacts (CLEAN)
• Grant agreement ID: 951671
• Duration: June 2020 – May 2021 (12 months)
• Euroconsumers partners: OCU | ALTROCONSUMO | TEST-ACHATS / TEST- ANKOOP
• Coordinator: OCU

This project was funded by the European Union’s Consumer Programme (GA no. 951671)