The future of cleaning formulations:
From fossil-based to bio-based performance

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A changing landscape

Cleaning products have traditionally been built around fossil-based ingredients and well-established formulation systems. For many years, the focus has been on balancing cleaning performance, cost, stability and user expectations.

That balance is now being challenged.

Across Europe and North America, new expectations are emerging. Regulatory frameworks are evolving, sustainability requirements are becoming more specific, and end-user expectations continue to rise. At the same time, formulation teams are expected to maintain, or improve, performance.

For detergent producers, this creates a practical question:

How do we adapt formulations to meet sustainability requirements in a way that is both technically sound and commercially viable?

Environmental regulations are no longer a distant concern

Regulatory developments are moving from long-term signals to near-term requirements as environmental concerns are sustained across industries.

What has historically been voluntary or market-driven is increasingly becoming mandatory, with substantiated sustainability claims emerging as a prerequisite for market access rather than a differentiator.

For formulators and decision-makers alike, this translates into a growing need to ensure that product design, raw material selection, and communication are aligned from the outset. Sustainability is no longer a downstream communication exercise, but an embedded part of formulation and business strategy. There is increasing focus on:

  • Documentation and transparency
  • Substantiation of environmental and performance claims
  • Traceability of raw materials
  • Alignment with evolving frameworks such as ESPR and Digital Product Passports

Individually, none of these requirements are new. What is changing is the level of detail and consistency expected.

For cleaning product manufacturers, this means that compliance is becoming more closely linked to formulation choices. Ingredients, documentation, and claims must align.

A formulation that performs well today may still require adjustment to remain compliant tomorrow.

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cleaners-preformance-expectations

Performance expectations are shifting

In parallel with regulatory developments, performance expectations continue to evolve.

Consumers and professional users increasingly expect products to deliver strong results while using fewer resources. Lower energy consumption, reduced water usage, shorter cleaning cycles, and more concentrated formulations are becoming common targets.

At the same time, cleaning challenges remain demanding.

Formulations must often perform under conditions where:

  • Contact times are reduced
  • Water quality varies
  • Deposits and residues become more difficult to manage
  • Surface appearance and long-term cleanliness are increasingly important
  • Product stability must be maintained across a wider range of formats

This places greater importance on how ingredients work together within the formulation.

Maintaining performance under these conditions is not simply a matter of increasing dosage or adjusting one parameter. It requires a broader view of formulation design.

Bio-based ingredients
are evolving

Bio-based ingredients have been part of cleaning product development for many years. However, they have often been associated primarily with sustainability rather than performance.

That perception is changing.

Recent developments have made it possible to design bio-based materials that contribute directly to cleaning efficiency, formulation stability, soil dispersion, deposition control, and surface performance. These bio-based materials can replace traditional components while also reducing the environmental impact of the formulation.

This opens new possibilities for formulation teams. The discussion is no longer limited to “bio-based versus synthetic”, but rather how different materials can support both performance and compliance.

From renewable
to circular

Another shift is taking place in how raw materials are evaluated.

Renewable sourcing remains important, but there is growing attention on circularity. This includes the use of materials derived from existing industrial processes, where value can be created from side streams.

For cleaning product manufacturers, this represents an opportunity to:

  • Reduce dependency on fossil-based inputs
  • Improve the overall sustainability profile
  • Strengthen the credibility of product claims
  • Support broader circular economy objectives

At the same time, it introduces new considerations around product consistency, availability at scale, and documentation.

The reality of reformulation

While the direction is clear, implementation is not always straightforward.

Many companies have already gone through reformulation cycles. Resources are limited, and there is often caution around making further changes unless there is clear value. Common challenges include:

  • Uncertainty about performance impact
  • Lack of comparable data
  • Concerns about cost or supply
  • Complexity of integrating new ingredients
  • Balancing multiple performance requirements simultaneously

This creates a need for practical approaches. Reformulation does not always require a complete redesign. In many cases, targeted adjustments can deliver meaningful improvements.

A more structured way forward

The combination of regulatory pressure, performance requirements, and sustainability considerations requires a more structured approach to formulation development.

This includes:

  • Understanding where the current formulation stands
  • Identifying the most critical gaps
  • Evaluating alternatives based on both performance and compliance
  • Planning changes in a controlled and efficient way

A step-by-step approach reduces risk and helps ensure that adjustments deliver the intended outcome.

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cleaners-future-ready

Moving toward future-ready formulations

The transition taking place in the cleaning industry is not about choosing between performance and sustainability. It is about aligning:

  • Technical performance
  • Regulatory requirements
  • Material sourcing
  • Documentation and transparency

Formulations that succeed in this environment will be those that are designed with these factors in mind from the outset.

For formulation teams, this means working with materials and partners that support both performance and transparency.

Where to start

For many companies, the first step is understanding their current position.

  • Where are potential gaps in substantiation or documentation?
  • How robust is the sourcing and traceability of key raw materials?
  • Which parts of the formulation may require adjustment in the future?
  • Which ingredients could help improve both performance and sustainability.

Answering these questions provides a foundation for informed decision-making.

Next step

To support this process, Borregaard has developed a Regulatory Readiness Assessment for detergent formulations. The assessment reflects Borregaard's perspective on key factors that may influence regulatory preparedness and provides a structured framework for evaluating current approaches and identifying areas for improvement

Take the assessment to understand where you stand, and what steps may be relevant for your formulation going forward:

 

Contact us about bio-based cleaning ingredients