Cintas Switches to Cleaner Detergent
Uniform suppler Cintas is transitioning all of its washing facilities to use detergent that biodegrades faster and has less impact on the environment than its previous detergent.
Cintas, a major supplier of uniforms, is cleaning up its cleaning operations by switching to a new detergent in its laundry facilities.
The company is completely switching away from detergents based on nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), a cleaning agent. NPEs are a concern because they do not fully biodegrade in most wastewater treatment plants and can metabolize into more toxic and less degradable substances that can harm aquatic environments and animals. The European Union has banned NPEs in detergents except in very small doses, and some companies including Procter & Gamble and Unilever have stopped using them.
A number of Cintas' 175 facilities have already made the switch, said Heather Trainer, Cintas corporate communications manager. The rest are expected to change by the end of the year. "It's pretty much a drop-in replacement," she said. "The transition is very simple."
Cintas is switching to Washing Systems' Eclipse detergent, which uses plant oil derivatives instead of NPEs. For competitive reasons, the company does not disclose what plant oil is used. The detergent is touted as having improved biodegradability with fewer toxic byproducts, and it includes surfactants endorsed by the EPA's CleanGredients program. "As a good corporate steward, it was the right thing for Cintas to do," Trainer said.
Washing Systems, Cintas' supplier, had been testing NPE-free detergents for the past three years, Trainer said, and they developed an NPE-free product that does not require the use of extra water, formula or energy. There's also no extra cost with the NPE-free option, Trainer said.
The company is completely switching away from detergents based on nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), a cleaning agent. NPEs are a concern because they do not fully biodegrade in most wastewater treatment plants and can metabolize into more toxic and less degradable substances that can harm aquatic environments and animals. The European Union has banned NPEs in detergents except in very small doses, and some companies including Procter & Gamble and Unilever have stopped using them.
A number of Cintas' 175 facilities have already made the switch, said Heather Trainer, Cintas corporate communications manager. The rest are expected to change by the end of the year. "It's pretty much a drop-in replacement," she said. "The transition is very simple."
Cintas is switching to Washing Systems' Eclipse detergent, which uses plant oil derivatives instead of NPEs. For competitive reasons, the company does not disclose what plant oil is used. The detergent is touted as having improved biodegradability with fewer toxic byproducts, and it includes surfactants endorsed by the EPA's CleanGredients program. "As a good corporate steward, it was the right thing for Cintas to do," Trainer said.
Washing Systems, Cintas' supplier, had been testing NPE-free detergents for the past three years, Trainer said, and they developed an NPE-free product that does not require the use of extra water, formula or energy. There's also no extra cost with the NPE-free option, Trainer said.
