P&G To Use Cellulosic Ethanol in Tide Coldwater

Throught a partnership with DuPont, Procter & Gamble says it will use cellulosic ethanol in North American Tide laundry detergent, making Tide Cold Water the first brand in the world to blend cellulosic ethanol in a scalable and commercial way.

Although this initial pilot with Tide Coldwater is limited to North America, it has huge potential for other markets and products—and could be a catalyst for the industry, according to DuPont and P&G.

DuPont will produce the renewable, cellulosic ethanol its new biorefinery which is under construction in Nevada, IA. 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.

Tide Cold Water “powered by nature” will re-purpose more than 7000 tons of agricultural waste a year—equivalent to the power needed to do all the washing in homes across California for more than a month.

“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.”

 “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,” said James Collins SVP DuPont. “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.”

Collins and Procter & Gamble’s Ciserani both spoke at the World Conference on Fabric and Home Care in Montreux, Switzerland this week.