DuPont, P&G in pact to bring cellulosic ethanol into Tide detergent

DuPont will supply cellulosic ethanol for use in Proter & Gamble's laundry detergent brand, Tide Cold Water, to make a first of its kind detergent product.

The two companies  today said they would collaborate to use cellulosic ethanol in North American Tide laundry detergent, adding Tide Cold Water will be the first detergent brand in the world to blend cellulosic ethanol in a scalable and commercial way.

Ethanol has long been a key ingredient in the Tide formulation, allowing for stability of the detergent formula and better washing performance. The substitution of the current corn based ethanol with cellulosic is the latest innovation in the companies' 30-year partnership, making it easier for consumers to make sustainable choices in their everyday lives.

DuPont will produce this renewable, cellulosic ethanol at the company's new biorefinery, currently under construction in Nevada, Iowa. Once completed, the plant will be the world's largest bioethanol refinery, producing 30 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year – a process with zero net carbon emissions.

Procter & Gamble said that consumers, now more than ever, are focusing on how their personal behaviour and the goods they buy impact the environment. However, as research shows, while about 70 per cent of shoppers want to be sustainable, they can't or won't make tradeoffs on performance, citing a Procter & Gamble / Nielsen LOHAS Consumer Sustainability Study,  conducted in October 2013

P&G's Tide Cold Water  will re-purpose over 7,000 tons of agricultural waste a year. This will be equivalent to the power needed to do all the washing in homes across California for over a month. The company is making its products better, so it is easier for everyone to make a small change every day to care for the environment.

''We believe that actions speak louder than words in the area of sustainability and this partnership with DuPont demonstrates we are doing just that'' said Gianni Ciserani, Procter & Gamble group president of global fabric and home care.  ''As one of the world's largest laundry manufacturers, we have a responsibility to lead renewable sourcing in products. We do this by ensuring consumers still get the great Tide laundry performance they want, while further reducing the impact on the environment.  In January, we committed to removing phosphates in our laundry products. This partnership on renewables is one more step in our journey.''

Building on DuPont's strategic advantages in agriculture, biotechnology and processing technology, the commercial-scalability of cellulosic ethanol represents a technological breakthrough which has been ten years in the making.

DuPont senior vice president, James Collins said ,  ''It was a natural decision for us to take this next step forward with Procter & Gamble in an area which is so critical for each of our companies – sustainable technologies for processes and products. With this collaboration, DuPont is also taking the first step to diversify its markets for cellulosic ethanol beyond fuels. As we build on our integrated science capabilities, we will continue to seek out new opportunities and new collaborations to transform value chains with  more sustainable solutions.''