Which states allow phosphates

Phosphorus is a naturally occurring nutrient that is necessary for plant growth. In aquatic ecosystems, phosphorus along with another essential nutrient, nitrogen, supports the growth of algae and aquatic plants, which provide food and habitat for fish and other organisms. However, high nutrient levels can jeopardize water quality by fueling overgrowth of algae — or algal blooms — which can have serious impacts on the environment, human health, and our economy. So why focus on dishwasher detergents?

In an attempt to curb this source of nutrient pollution, many of the laws that took effect in limit phosphorus in household dishwasher detergents to 0. Already industries are getting innovative in reformulating their products with phosphate alternatives. In Spokane, officials reported a Some have criticized the low-phosphate formulas as not working as effectively in areas that have hard water. Eco-friendly dishsoap alternatives, like the Seventh Generation and the Method brand , have been growing in popularity.

Meanwhile, Clorox has launched a Green Works product line that has won the endorsement of the Sierra Club while Unilever is seeing its eco-friendly dishsoap products boosting sales.

For limit facilities, the magnitude is approximately 0. Finally, we use the Minnesota data to quantify how effective these bans are at reducing phosphorus effluent. Using our econometric estimates and theoretical predictions, we bound elasticity at no-limit facilities between 0.

Using the share of influent at limit and no-limit wastewater treatment facilities in Minnesota, we find that for every one percent decrease in phosphorus influent, phosphorus effluent across all facilities falls by 0.

However, when we examine waterways that were impaired by nutrients in , for every one percent decrease in phosphorus influent, phosphorus effluent falls by only 0. If Minnesota is representative of other ban states, these results imply that phosphate bans in aggregate yield 41 to 76 percent of the expected effluent reductions. More striking is the fact that these bans yield only 20 percent of the expected effluent reductions in the most polluted waterways.

This occurs because limits to control phosphorus effluent have already been implemented in many impaired waterways. Finding efficient and effective solutions to phosphorus pollution is not easy—the US has struggled with cultural eutrophication for several decades. At first blush, banning phosphates in automatic dishwasher detergent may appear to be a clear solution to this problem.

Common intuition is that banning a pollutant leads to an improvement in environmental quality. This was the case when phosphates in household laundry detergent were banned in the s. However, since that time, phosphorus limits have been introduced at many wastewater treatment facilities.

Several manufacturers of laundry and dishwasher detergents in countries around the Baltic Sea insist on using polluting phosphates in their products, despite the fact that there are alternatives available. Some companies sell phosphate-free products in countries with stricter regulations, while they refuse to sell the same alternatives in others.

Phosphates are a major contributor to eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. Earlier this year, WWF and partner organizations around the Baltic Sea contacted manufacturers of detergents and asked for a voluntary ban on phosphates in their products.

After some months of dialogue, a number of companies have now agreed to switch to phosphate-free alternatives for their laundry detergents. We will continue to negotiate with these manufacturers and we aim for a total phase-out of phosphates, preferably this year.