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The Sustainable Cleaning Products Summit returns to North America this summer. Industry experts will convene in Midtown Manhattan on July 11 and 12 to debate some of the pressing sustainability issues facing the detergent and cleaning product industries.

The 1.5-day program comprises two seminar sessions and an interactive workshop. In the opening session, Melissa Grande from the American Cleaning Institute will give an industry update. She will show how cleaning product companies are approaching sustainability, as well as highlight the challenges ahead. A leading home care brand will share its experiences in measuring and reducing its impacts. Howie Fendley from McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry will show how companies can go beyond simply reducing impacts. He will introduce the Cradle-To-Cradle (C2C) design concept and how it creates positive impacts. Method, Frosch, and Greenspeed are some of the companies with C2C certified cleaning products.

Plastic pollution is a major industry concern, with an estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic waste entering the ocean each year. Anthony Rossi from TerraCycle will show how home care and cleaning product companies can close their packaging loops. He will give examples of ocean plastic being used in product packaging, as well as the new Loop platform. Launched in January, the new shopping platform enables consumers to use refillable packaging for consumer goods.

The second session showcases developments in green ingredients and labeling schemes. Allergy Standards will give an update on allergens in home care products. Details will be given of its Allergy Standards certification scheme, as well as other emerging labeling schemes for home care products. A leading natural brand will go through the pitfalls of formulating cleaning products without contentious chemicals. Other topics include sustainable feedstock for detergents, green fragrances, sustainable innovation case study, and moving towards zero-waste cleaning.

The summit concludes with a workshop on bio-based surfactants. The workshop leader will highlight the various bio-based surfactants that are available for cleaning products. A review will be undertaken of their performance and costs compared to conventional surfactants. Details will be given of renewable feedstock, synthesis, as well as future possibilities. Examples will be given of products using such bio-based surfactants.