Fairy's Approach to Environmental Safety
Protecting the environment is a responsibility we take seriously. We apply the same rigorous, risk-based scientific approach to environmental safety as we do to consumer safety guided by proven methods, stringent international standards, and leading industry guidance to ensure our products are not harmful to the environment when used and disposed of as intended.
We are constantly seeking ways to enhance our formulas and reduce our environmental impact through smarter chemistry and product design, like our single dose Fairy dishwashing tablets [Link to Article #5 - What's Inside a Fairy Dishwashing tablet]. This article explains the methods we use to measure the environmental impact of our products and answers your most common questions.
Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs)
P&G pioneered the use of LCAs over two decades ago to evaluate the full environmental impact of a product, from cradle-to-grave (Saouter et al., 2002, The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment). Over time, the methods have been refined (e.g., Van Hoof et al., 2013, The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment) and are now widely used across the industry (Golsteijn et al., 2015, Environmental Sciences Europe). LCAs are regularly applied to evaluate the environmental impact of different product formulations (e.g., Van Hoof et al., 2017, Journal of Cleaner Production) as well as the influence of consumer behaviour across the lifecycle of products (Mankad et al., 2025, Tenside Surfactants Detergents).
These studies consistently show that the “in-use” phase, primarily the energy required to heat water, is the largest contributor to the environmental impact of doing the dishes:
- Automatic Dishwashing: On average, in Europe, the in-use phase accounts for 77%* of the carbon footprint (Mankad et al., 2025, Tenside Surfactants Detergents)
- Hand Dishwashing: On average, in Europe, the in-use phase accounts for 93%* of the carbon footprint (Mankad et al., 2025, Tenside Surfactants Detergents)
This critical insight directly informs our product design. We formulate Fairy products to deliver an outstanding clean in all conditions empowering you to reduce your environmental footprint [Link to Article #9 - How Can You Reduce Your Carbon Footprint When Doing The Dishes] without sacrificing performance.
Biodegradability
Biodegradability refers to the ability of a substance to be broken down by microorganisms into simpler inorganic compounds and biomass under environmental conditions. This property is important because it reduces environmental persistence, lowers pollutant concentrations during wastewater treatment, and helps protect aquatic ecosystems.
- Required by law: The EU Detergents Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 requires the surfactants we use in our detergents to achieve high levels of biodegradability
- Verified by science: Surfactant manufacturers verify this using internationally recognized test methods (like the OECD 301 series), which evaluate “ready biodegradability” under controlled laboratory conditions.
While these tests provide standardized, science-based evidence that substances are likely to degrade efficiently, actual environmental degradation rates may vary depending on local factors such as temperature, microbial populations, and dilution.
Freshwater Aquatic Toxicity Assessments
Because our products are washed down the drain, we have developed extensive expertise in aquatic safety. As with human safety, we begin by assessing the intrinsic properties of the ingredients we use. We then model the fate and effects of ingredients and finished products after use.
A critically important consideration is that, for most consumers, wastewater is treated in wastewater management facilities. Our experts have access to such facilities and conduct technical biodegradation studies to predict the removal of ingredients before they are released into surface waters.
These two sources of information are combined to estimate environmental concentrations and ultimately assess risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. None of our products contain microplastics as per the definition in the EU Synthetic Polymer Microparticle Legislation.
The films used in our products are water soluble and completely dissolve upon contact with water during use. They meet all regulatory safety criteria and do not contribute to microplastic pollution, as per both the ECHA definition and that of the EU Synthetic Polymeric Microparticles Regulation. For more information see the following articles: A.I.S.E. research on the biodegradability of polyvinyl alcohol based film and P&G R&D Leverages Advanced Analytical Techniques to Differentiate Water-Soluble Polymers | P&G Research & Development.
When used as intended, these products do not pose a meaningful risk to aquatic life. This warning label is commonly found on concentrated products and refers to the potential hazard if a large quantity of the undiluted product were to be released directly into the environment, rather than its impact during normal daily use.
Consider a truck transporting a concentrated product. If the entire truckload were to spill directly into a river, it could indeed be harmful to aquatic life due to the high concentration of chemicals.
This scenario represents the hazard that the label is designed to communicate under extreme, accidental conditions. In everyday household use, products are diluted in water and washed down the drain to undergo treatment in wastewater systems, which significantly lowers any potential environmental risk. In fact, concentrated products are beneficial for the environment precisely because they use less packaging and require less energy for transportation.
No, Fairy stopped using phosphate builder in its formulations more than a decade ago.
1,4-dioxane is not an ingredient, but rather a by-product that can form in tiny (trace) amounts when making a variety of ingredients in some cleaning products.
The presence of 1,4-dioxane in our products is already well below established safe limits and is in compliance with all government requirements. For more information see: https://www.cleaninginstitute.org/cleaning-tips/ask-aci-14-dioxane-detergents.