Cleaning up cleaning: a pathway to net zero for fast moving consumer goods chemical formulations

Abstract:

Household cleaning products and packaged chemicals sold by fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies contribute significantly to global emissions. Once used, these products largely enter wastewater systems and degrade into carbon-based greenhouse gases (GHGs). Such end-of-life emissions can account for up to two-thirds of the product's total, but are often overlooked in both environmental assessments and policy. Here, we examine the decarbonization of the FMCG chemical formulations sector, motivated by four questions. First, is it preferable to substitute fossil-based feedstock with bio-based feedstock, or to continue with fossil feedstocks but with capture and permanent storage of the corresponding atmospheric carbon dioxide? Second, how large are the current cost differentials between fossil-based and viable bio-based feedstocks? Third, what is the potential for cost reductions among bio-based feedstocks, given technology learning curves? Fourth, what carbon prices would make bio-based feedstocks competitive with their fossil-based alternatives? The paper concludes with a discussion of policy options to enable the competitiveness of bio-based feedstocks with their fossil carbon equivalents, opening up a pathway to net zero for household chemical formulations.