The second A.I.S.E. "Product Resource Efficiency Project for household liquid laundry detergents” (PREP-L2) resulted as previous projects on laundry detergent compaction in remarkable benefits for the environment. Compared to the dosage situation before PREP-L2, the detergent tonnage reduction achieved as of 2019 is estimated to be 179,000 tonnes per year. This is an annual reduction by 11-12% relative to the ‘no compaction’ benchmark, that is materialised year after year following the compaction step. This was achieved to an equivalent proportion relative to the market size in Western Europe (163,000 tonnes/year) and Central Europe (16,000 tonnes/year). In addition, the packaging waste reduction is estimated at nearly 17,500 tonnes per year, including over 10,000 tonnes of plastic. The estimated annual truck transport reduction is 210 million tonne.km per year. This is equivalent to over 240 times around the earth with a heavy truck.
PREP-L2 was opened in April 2016 and implemented during one year from April 2017 until March 2018. It covered the European Union in addition to the four EFTA countries. The main commitment of the initiative was a compaction of liquid laundry detergents leading to a reduction of the standard recommended dose down to maximum 55 ml/wash. The product scope included traditional liquid detergents (heavy and light duty) as well as mono-dose capsules. In parallel, companies committed to keeping fill levels (as a minimum) in line with the situation before compaction. To ensure correct product use, clear communication of the dosage changes had to be implemented on pack, by means of standardised visuals.