Sustainability is a concept increasingly adopted by the industry and is becoming a key driver for strategic developments and innovation. However, it is measured using a wide range of metrics and methodologies. In the cleaning industry, biodegradability has traditionally been a key indicator for sustainability, as detergent products entering wastewater treatment plants must break down quickly and pose no harm to the environment.

However, biodegradability alone does not ensure a low carbon footprint or true circularity. Many conventional detergent formulations rely on fossil-based polymers, such as polyacrylates or polyaspartate, which are synthetic, petroleum-derived polymers used as dispersants and anti-redeposition agents to prevent soil particles and mineral deposits from resettling on fabrics or surfaces. While some of these materials can be designed to meet biodegradability criteria (1), their carbon backbone of fossil origin contributes to greenhouse gas emissions over their life cycle.

Similarly, first-generation agricultural-based polymers, typically derived from crops such as corn or sugarcane (e.g., modified polysaccharides or poly(itaconic acid)), are bio-based and often biodegradable. In detergent formulations, they can function as thickeners, dispersants, structuring agents and scale inhibitors. However, their production may involve intensive agricultural inputs, land use, and energy consumption, which can result in a significant overall environmental burden despite their renewable origin.

Interestingly, major detergent formulators such as Henkel (2), P&G (3), Reckitt (4) and Unilever (5) are including metrics based on renewable carbon and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into their sustainability criteria, moving beyond biodegradability as the sole benchmark. For example, Henkel “applies a mass-balance approach to shift from fossil to renewable feedstocks” and Reckitt aims for “50% reduction in product carbon footprint by 2050”. Similarly, P&G aims to “reduce supply chain emissions by 40% per unit of production by 2030, pilot and scale material from renewable carbon, recycled carbon and captured carbon technologies”.

These commitments show that sustainability is no longer a “nice to have” – it has become a business imperative. In this article we will show how wood-based polymers derived from sustainably managed forests can meet both performance and sustainability goals.

Companies across industries are under increasing pressure from regulators, consumers, and investors to reduce their environmental footprint and adopt circular practices. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, the IPCC’s most comprehensive evaluation of the state of climate science, impacts and mitigation pathways, industry accounts for nearly one-quarter of global direct greenhouse gas emissions (6).

In the cleaning industry, particularly within the household cleaning market,there is a clear demand and expectation from consumers to have more sustainable cleaning products. Surveys show that more than 80% of consumers prefer brands that demonstrate environmental responsibilityand thedemand for sustainable cleaning products is growing at double-digit rates globally (7), (8).

A joint study from Oxford University and Unilever highlights that one of the most effective strategies for reducing environmental impact of their products is to shift away from fossil-based ingredients toward sustainable carbon from bio-based feedstocks (9). This transition not only lowers the carbon footprint, but also reduces the dependence on fossil fuels, thus contributing to achieve global climate goals. Today cleaning products rely on synthetic, non-renewable ingredients like polyacrylates and phosphonates. The market value for polyacrylates was valued at USD 6.0 Billion in 2024 and is estimated to reach USD 9.5 Billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2026 to 2033 (10).

Polyacrylates are widely used as dispersants and thickeners in cleaning products. They enhance cleaning efficiency, prevent dirt from resettling, and stabilise liquid formulations. Phosphonates are mostly used as anti-scaling agents due to their strong complexing ability.

The European Union has set an ambitious program to achieve a climate-neutral, circular economy. Policies such as the Green Deal (11), the Circular Economy Action Plan (12), and the Bioeconomy Strategy (13) outline a future where bio-based solutions increasingly replace fossil-derived ingredients. The objectives are clear: reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase use of renewable raw materials, and foster innovation. However, regulatory frameworks and ecolabel criteria (15) are still evolving. Many current standards focus superficially on aspects like biodegradability or sustainable sourcing of raw materials like palm or kernel oil and their derivatives, overlooking the overall carbon footprint and environmental impact over the full life cycle of the products. This creates a gap between what is measured and what truly matters for sustainability.

For formulators and manufacturers, the challenge is to look beyond these shortcomings. Selecting a sustainable alternative to fossil-based ingredients requires considering the origin of the carbon (bio-based vs. fossil), as well as the energy required to extract, process, and manufacture the material, and the disposal of any end-of-life product. Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) provide a robust methodology to evaluate these factors and validate environmental claims.

Adopting this holistic approach not only aligns with the EU’s long-term vision but also ensures credibility as bio-based and low-carbon materials become central to future markets.

Developing and adopting strategies that anticipate future regulatory developments would benefit the innovative players, who will have the competitive advantage of having in place the structures and the appropriate technologies and who could present a credible image to a market already sensibilized toward sustainability. The objective is clear: replace ingredients based on fossil fuel with really sustainable alternatives. The challenge is there, for the attention of innovators, ready to reconsider traditional thinking.

A solution that has received increasing attention for replacing synthetic polymers relieson sugar-based polymers. These polymers are typically derived from agricultural crops, such as corn or sugarcane (first-generation sugars), making them bio-based, however replacing fossil-based ingredients with these first-generation sugar polymers presents several issues. Firstly, using agricultural biomass to produce chemicals competes with food production, raising ethical concerns (14). Additionally, large-scale cultivation can drive deforestation, biodiversity loss, and water stress (9). Furthermore, studies suggest that first-generation systems require the use of fertilizers, which have a significant environmental impact on phenomena like marine and freshwater eutrophication and terrestrial acidification. Therefore, when the full life cycle is considered, emissions from farming, fertilizer use, and transport often negate the sustainability benefits of these bio-based, renewable polymers (14), (15). This can be confusing to consumers who may be ledto assume that bio-based products are an adequate response to the demands for sustainability. To add to the confusion, these sugar-based polymers, along with some polyacrylates, meet biodegradability criteria under frameworks like EU Ecolabel. The fact that a product labelled “biodegradable” may still contain fossil-based ingredients and might not have a favourable environmental impact generates misunderstanding in consumers. This highlights the need for a more holistic approach in product labelling – one that considers the entire lifecycle of a product, from raw material sourcing to end-of-life disposal.

Sustainable alternatives to synthetic polymeric ingredients are emerging – particularly wood-based polymers such as cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose – manufactured in biorefineries. Unlike most synthetic polymers, which are created through synthetic processes, wood-based polymers are naturally occurring macromolecules. In wood, polymers such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are built by nature through biological processes. Industrial production of these materials does not involve polymerising small molecules; instead, these polymers are extracted from wood through mechanical, chemical, or enzymatic treatments. This means the polymer structure is preserved as found in nature, rather than being artificially assembled.

Additionally, wood-based polymers can be sourced from biorefineries that produce multiple products in an integrated way, valorising different parts of biomass feedstock and waste, therefore significantly lowering the environmental footprint per product (15). Wood-based polymers like lignin derivatives (water soluble anionicpolymers) offer multi-functional benefits in dishwashing, laundry, and hard surface cleaning formulations.
They prevent filming and spotting in auto dishwasher detergents and third-party tests have shown that lignin biopolymers perform similarly to synthetic anti-filming agents (16).

Figure 1. Glassware after 10 consecutive runs with water hardness of 350ppm (Ca:Mg ratio 2:1) using detergents with different anti-filming additives, as tested by CFT laboratory. The left image shows glass washed with a detergent without an anti-filming additive, the middle image the same detergent with a polyacrylate anti-redeposition agent, and the right image of the same detergent with lignin-based biopolymer. The glass cleaned with the detergent containing lignin-based biopolymer exhibits anti-filming performance comparable to that achieved with polyacrylate.

Lignin derivatives can also boost anti-greying in laundry detergent, thanks to their ability to disperse dirt and prevent it from redepositing on the fabric (17).

Figure 2. Cotton/polyester fabric specimens after immersion in a solution containing cooking oil and carbon black, followed by rinsing in water. The left image shows the fabric treated without lignin-based biopolymers, whereas the right image shows the fabric treated with lignin-based biopolymers. The specimen treated with lignin-based biopolymers appears significantly whiter, which is attributed to the biopolymer’s ability to keep dirt particles dispersed in water and prevent their redeposition onto the fabric surface.

In hard surface cleaners, these biopolymers facilitate soil removal in the next cleaning cycle – an effect known as “better next-time cleaning”. Cleaning of a surface with a cleaner containing 0.1 – 0.5% lignin biopolymer will modify the surface as an invisible monolayer of lignin is retained. This monolayer makes the surface soil repellent, making cleaning much easier on next wash. Improving cleaning efficiency allows for less water use, less chemical use, and a better cleaning effect (18).

Figure 3. Metal coupons pretreated with different cleaning solutions prior to soiling and rinsing. The left image shows a coupon pretreated with water (control), the middle with a commercial multipurpose cleaner without lignin-based biopolymers, and the right with the same cleaner containing lignin-based biopolymers. After pretreatment, coupons were soiled by baking a mixture of cooking oil and carbon black at 105 °C for 5 minutes, then rinsed under running water. The coupon pretreated with lignin-based biopolymers exhibits significantly improved soil removal, attributed to increased surface hydrophilicity that prevents dirt adhesion and facilitates rinsing.

Wood-based biopolymers, produced from sustainably managed forests and processed in advanced biorefineries, represent a significant step toward meeting EU sustainability objectives. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies, independently verified, show that lignin-based biopolymers can reduce carbon footprint by up to 70% compared to conventional synthetic dispersants over their entire lifecycle (19). Additionally, unlike first-generation sugar-based polymers, they do not rely on agricultural land, eliminating competition with food production and reducing associated environmental pressures mentioned previously.

These polymers are bio-based, derived from renewable biomass, and contribute to circular economy principles – lignin is typically a side stream from existing industrial processes and can be certified under schemes such as ISCC PLUS. Its documented lower greenhouse gas emissions and resource efficiency make it a credible alternative to fossil-based ingredients, aligning performance with long-term sustainability goals.

Leading the Transition: A First Commercial Application of Wood-Based Biopolymers

The long-term regulatory vision of a climate-neutral, circular economy is clear, and companies’ sustainability efforts are increasingly aligned with it. Investments in sustainable and bio-based alternatives are beginning to pay off, with many detergent manufacturers now achieving performance parity between traditional synthetic ingredients and sustainable, circular alternatives. Kiilto, a Nordic cleaning solutions company, exemplifies this transition, and has recently become first in the world to launch a laundry formulation using a wood-based biopolymer to replace phosphonates and polyacrylates. The switch to wood-based biopolymers not only eliminates fossil-based ingredients but also supports broader climate and resource-efficiency goals. Lignin biopolymers derived from sustainably managed forests enable reductions in carbon footprint and provide a renewable feedstock that fits into circular material flows (20).

By leveraging bio-based polymers, Kiilto demonstrates that sustainability and performance can go hand in hand.

The cleaning industry stands at a crossroad. The science is clear, consumer expectations are rising, and regulatory frameworks are tightening. Sustainability is no longer optional – it is a licence to operate.

Replacing fossil-based ingredients with bio-based alternatives such as lignin biopolymers offers a pathway to lower emissions, reduced environmental impact, and greater stability in supply chains as global resources become more constrained. Incremental change is not enough. There is a need to redefine industry standards, moving beyond compliance toward innovation that sets a new benchmark for sustainability.

Switching to wood-based biopolymers can become the foundation of these new standards, enabling products that are renewable, present low hazard for the environment, and are aligned with circular economy principles.
Companies that act now will not only meet compliance requirements but also gain a competitive edge. They will shape future standards, attract eco-conscious consumers, and secure long-term growth in a market increasingly controlled by sustainability requirements. The question is not whether change will happen – it is whether you will lead it.