Page 161 - CW E-Magazine (27-2-2024)

News from Abroad

in 2023. Financial details of the trans- attractive technologies to its growing for us, offering great opportunities for
action were not disclosed. MRO (maintenance, repair, and over- innovative solutions that help protect-
haul) platform,” the company said. ing, retrofitting and digitally-enabled
The acquisition will help Henkel condition monitoring of infrastructure
meet growing demand for solutions “Seal for Life offers an attractive and at the same time contributing to
that enable the extension of asset life of and highly profitable portfolio in pro- sustainability. This transaction marks
infrastructure. tective coating and sealing, perfectly another building block in creating and
complementing our existing platform developing a growth platform in our
“With Seal for Life, which provides for the MRO market,” said Henkel MRO business,” added Mr. Mark Dorn,
proven innovative coating and sealing CEO, Mr. Carsten Knobel. Executive Vice President and respon-
solutions for both existing and new sible for Henkel’s Adhesive Techno-
build infrastructure assets, Henkel adds “MRO is a strategic growth market logies business.
PLASTIC POLLUTION
New York City mulls ban on laundry, dishwasher pods

New York City is considering limit- noted that the New York City proposal industries,” a ACI statement said. ACI
ing the types of laundry and dishwash- attempting to regulate a chemistry used also expressed disappointment with a
ing detergents. New York City Council in products sold across the US “is not campaign led by Blueland, which spe-
Member James Gennaro, a Democrat, only unnecessary, as PVOH use in cialises in eco-friendly cleaning pro-
introduced a bill that would make it cleaning products is regulated by US- ducts and focussed on eliminating
illegal to sell or distribute detergent pods EPA, but also would limit detergent single-use plastic, to discredit PVA use
or laundry sheets that contain polyvinyl manufacturers in creating significant in detergents.
alcohol, also known as PVA or PVOH. sustainable solutions that are delivering
If approved, the bill would take effect positive environmental impact and The campaigners’ previous claims
on January 1, 2026. progress in cleaning sustainability.” attacking the safety and biodegradabi-
lity of PVOH film used in detergents –
“The introduction of this bill is a The US Environmental Protec- in petitions filed with the US-EPA to
clarion call to rally the scientific com- tion Agency (EPA) includes PVA on restrict its use – were thoroughly rejected
munity, to help out in this public policy its ‘Safer Choice’ list, a programme by EPA in 2023, ACI said.
question about what do we do about the designed to encourage the use of less
fate of PVAs,” Mr. Gennaro said. harmful ingredients in products. The latest line of attack claims that
traces of the chemistry are found in
While detergent pods and sheets “The innovation of water-soluble breastmilk. According to ACI, to sup-
“dissolve” in the wash, PVA is ulti- films and laundry detergent packets is a port its claims regarding breastmilk, the
mately a type of plastic. The bill notes sustainability success story. They help campaigners cite a single Italian study
that microplastics (bits of plastic less consumers safely use, dose and store in which one PVA particle was identi-
than 5-millimetres long) and nanoplas- the products, making chores easier to fied in one sample drawn from one
tics (one-millionth of a millimetre) are do for everyone, including those with patient among 34 samples evaluated. Fur-
ubiquitous sources of pollution in US disabilities. They can be designed for ther, the identified particle by the study
waterways. Around the world, more cold water wash cycles, reducing the was brown in colour, whereas PVA de-
than 700-kt of PVA are produced annu- footprint associated with heating water. signed for detergent films is clear, noted
ally, according to a 2018 study, a figure They are also compacted – deliver- ACI. “In addition, PVOH film does
that’s rising 4% every year. ing a better clean as well as reducing not contribute to plastic or microplas-
shipping costs and transport emissions. tic pollution, nor does it persist in the
Industry’s reaction More than 50 years of published environment or contaminate recycling.
Reacting to the development, the science, including extensive reviews The grade of PVOH used in laundry
American Cleaning Institute (ACI), a by regulatory agencies from around the capsules is specifically designed to
trade body representing the entire US world – including the EPA – have sup- completely dissolve upon contact with
value chain of household, industrial, ported the environmental and human the water in the wash and biodegrade
and institutional cleaning products, safety of PVA/PVOH for use in diverse after it goes down the drain,” ACI said.

Chemical Weekly February 27, 2024 161

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