A.I.S.E. is the international Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products (www.aise-net.org) covering 34 countries and about 900 companies, ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises to large multinationals.
Procter & Gamble is a very active member and has always given significant support to the A.I.S.E. initiatives. This should not be a surprise since A.I.S.E. has a long history of activities in the areas of Safety and Sustainability since its foundation in 1952. One of the first examples was the industry collaboration towards improving the biodegradability of surfactants in the 1960s and 1970s.
The 1980s and 1990s were the period when a uniform human and environmental risk assessment methodology was developed for detergents, cleaning products and their ingredients, and this was also a period of collaborative multi-stakeholder dialogue which resulted in the broad acceptance of the risk assessment methodology.
Since the mid 1990s, A.I.S.E. has established a leadership position in the area of sustainable development.
Some examples of the industry's voluntary sustainability initiatives include:
- The A.I.S.E. Code of Good Environmental Practices programme (1996-2001; laundry detergents) resulted in significant savings of packaging materials, non-biodegradable ingredients and energy.
- The 'Washright' campaign is in place since 1999 to promote sustainable consumer washing habits (www.washright.com). It is best known via the T-Shirt.
- Since 1997, several rounds of detergent compaction were executed by many European detergent producers in programmes coordinated by A.I.S.E.. Procter & Gamble has supported these compaction programmes.
- In 2004, A.I.S.E. launched 'The A.I.S.E. Charter for Sustainable Cleaning', covering the majority of product categories in the entire A.I.S.E. region. The second sustainability report was published in 2007 and is available at www.sustainable-cleaning.com.
- In 2006 A.I.S.E. created the 'Save Energy and Water (Automatic Dishwashing) initiative; (www.saveenergyandwater.com). The initiative was launched to encourage consumers to save energy when using their dishwashers by choosing the lowest appropriate temperature, more often (50-55 oC).
- For more information: www.aise-net.org.
For example, there are numerous well-placed displays with simple tips and instructions across the manufacturing plant, which creates awareness and provides practical help to reduce energy consumption.