Mr. Green Takes on Mr. Clean by Stacy Mitchell Consumers are demanding household cleaning products that are safer for the environment and their health. The demand has opened up new markets for plant-derived cleaners, which are inherently more benign than those made from petrochemicals. Synthetic, petroleum-based surfactants and solvents first came into wide use in the 1950s. These agents were more versatile, outperformed traditional vegetable-based soaps, and quickly dominated the household cleaners market. These new cleaning agents, however, proved to be a significant source of pollution.
Cleaners represent the largest volume of hazardous substances in a typical household.
Approximately 500,000 tons of liquid cleaners alone are washed down U.S. drains annually. Thousands of petroleum-based surfactants, solvents, and other chemicals are present in these products. Some are acutely toxic. Others do not biodegrade, but rather accumulate in ecosystems and can reach levels lethal to fish and other organisms. Some are known carcinogens.