Is Fairy washing-up liquid harmful to aquatic life? Understanding the warning label
When used as intended, Fairy washing-up liquid is not harmful to aquatic life. The warning “harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects” reflects the potential hazard if a large quantity of undiluted product were released directly into the environment, rather than its impact during normal use. During normal use, washing-up liquid is diluted in water and washed down the drain into the wastewater treatment system, where some ingredients can be removed or broken down before the treated water is discharged into the environment.
The need to differentiate between hazard and risk
Hazard classification and labelling requirements for household cleaning products are governed by applicable chemical regulations. In Great Britain, these include the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation. Products sold in the EU are subject to the EU CLP framework.
The warning “harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects” indicates that a product meets the criteria for this environmental hazard classification. The classification is based on the product's hazardous properties, rather than the likelihood of harm under every possible condition of use.
This is where the difference between hazard and risk is important. Consider a truck transporting a concentrated product. If the entire truckload were to spill directly into a river, the high concentration could be harmful to aquatic life. This tells us about the product’s potential to cause harm, or its hazard. Risk is different because it also considers how much of the product the environment is exposed to.
Environmental risk assessments therefore look at both the product’s inherent hazards and factors such as exposure, concentration, persistence and environmental fate to understand the potential risk under different conditions of use.
Concentrated products can have sustainability benefits
Concentrated products can require less packaging and take up less space during transport and storage, helping to reduce resource use and transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. However, concentration alone does not necessarily mean that a product has a lower overall environmental impact. The full picture also depends on factors such as how much product is used, its packaging, manufacturing and transport.
What happens when my product goes down the drain?
When washing-up liquid goes down the drain, it usually enters the wastewater system and is transported to a wastewater treatment plant. Physical, chemical and biological processes help remove contaminants before treated water is discharged into the environment.
What happens to the ingredients depends on their individual properties. The key actives in most cleaning products are surfactants, which are required by law to be biodegradable.
Biodegradability helps scientists understand whether microorganisms can break down a substance and is an important part of assessing how cleaning ingredients behave in the environment. However, it is only one part of the picture. Scientists consider biodegradability alongside environmental fate, exposure and potential effects to build a broader understanding of whether a substance can be used safely.
Learn more about biodegradability and the test methods that are used to measure it here.