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Sustainability - Industry Charter sets standards

A number of voluntary initiatives in the domain of sustainable development have been developed by A.I.S.E. and Cefic. A.I.S.E.’s ‘Charter for Sustainable Cleaning’ is the most important initiative for soaps, detergents and maintenance products sold across Europe.

Charter for Sustainable Cleaning

The A.I.S.E. Charter for Sustainable Cleaning was launched in 2004 in all EU countries plus Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. It covers all product categories of the soaps, detergents and maintenance products industry, both in the household and industrial/institutional sectors. This voluntary initiative broke new ground by encouraging the adoption of sustainability management practices at all stages of the product life cycle.

Companies that adhere to the Charter must submit to external independent verification, and annual EU-wide assessment against certain Key Performance Indicators that measure economic, social and environmental aspects. The overall results are published by A.I.S.E. in an annual sustainability report.

The Charter seeks to go beyond legislative requirements to ensure that products - along the life cycle - are manufactured in the safest and most environmentally responsible manner possible. It also seeks to make sure that products are safe for their intended use, and that all relevant safety and best-use information is made available to consumers. The objective is to move towards more sustainable production and consumption patterns.

Links

Charter Consumer website
Charter Leaflet
1st A.I.S.E. Sustainability Report 2006 (2005 data)
2nd A.I.S.E. Sustainability Report 2007 (2006 data)
3rd A.I.S.E. Sustainability Report 2008 (2007 data)
4th A.I.S.E. Sustainability Report 2009 (2008 data)
5th A.I.S.E. Activity and Sustainability Report 2009-2010 (2009 data)

Each year,  A.I.S.E. will share progress in its Sustainability report on average GJ of energy consumed per tonne of production, and kg of CO2 emitted per tonne of production for the industry in Europe!

Voluntary Initiatives

A.I.S.E. and Cefic have developed a number of voluntary initiatives in the domain of sustainable development. The purpose of these initiatives is to disseminate information and encourage sustainable use of cleaning and maintenance products in the home and at work. For information on other voluntary initiatives, please go to the Initiatives section.