After Rigorous Scientific Review, U.S. EPA Gives AkzoNobel Green Chemistry Designation for Dissolvine GL

Design for the Environment label helps consumers find the safest detergents and cleaning products

CHICAGO, Nov. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week gave AkzoNobel's Dissolvine GL®, the company's biodegradable and biobased chelate, the EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) label to recognize the product as being a safer ingredient for consumers and the environment. 

EPA awards the DfE designation only to chemicals that pass the strict DfE criteria after the agency's scientific team screens each ingredient for potential human health and environmental impacts. The DfE mark helps consumers and commercial businesses identify products that are determined to be effective and safe according to the DfE assessment program. Some 2,800 products have received the DfE designation.

Dissolvine GL, which is derived predominantly from U.S.-grown corn and readily biodegradable, is used by the leading makers of cleaning products as a chelating agent to control hard water ions. Dissolvine GL is used in household detergents and dishwashing products, as well as in personal care and cosmetics products. In detergent, for example, it helps boost the cleaning power and is highly effective at stain removal, even at higher temperatures.

"We're pleased to receive this DfE designation and the recognition from the U.S. EPA that Dissolvine GL is green and performs highly effectively," said Prasanta Dutt, AkzoNobel's Business Manager for Functional Chemicals Chelates Americas. "Sustainability is a high priority for AkzoNobel and is integrated into every piece of our business, as evidenced by our number one ranking for the last two years on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices and our commitment to have our eco-premium solutions deliver 20 percent of our revenues by 2020."

Dissolvine GL is used as a builder for cleaners and detergents as an alternative to phosphates, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA).

Manufactured in AkzoNobel's ISO 9001 and 14001 certified facilities, Dissolvine GL also earned certification as a biobased product in 2010 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

More than a dozen AkzoNobel products have achieved DfE designation, including fabric softener Armosoft DEQ and Berol PBX, a formulated cleaning compound for carpets.

For more on Dissolvine GL: http://www.akzonobel.com/dissolvinegl/

For more information about the EPA Design for the Environment program: http://www.epa.gov/dfe/

About AkzoNobel
AkzoNobel is a leading global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals. We supply industries and consumers worldwide with innovative products and are passionate about developing sustainable answers for our customers. Our portfolio includes well-known brands such as Dulux, Sikkens, International and Eka. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we are consistently ranked as one of the leaders in the area of sustainability. With operations in more than 80 countries, our 50,000 people around the world are committed to excellence and delivering Tomorrow's Answers Today™.

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SOURCE AkzoNobel