Market and product

Compiled by Bao Hien

SEPAWA Congress — Europe's largest annual event for the detergent, cosmetics, and fragrance industries, held in Berlin, Germany — brings together thousands of professionals from more than 60 countries. At a recent edition of the congress, several major chemical companies unveiled new technologies for detergent manufacturing, reflecting three key trends shaping the industry: formula concentration, next-generation biological enzymes, and renewable-sourced raw materials.

Soil-Release Polymer for Concentrated Capsules

Clariant (Switzerland) introduced TexCare One Terra, a multifunctional soil-release polymer designed specifically for highly concentrated liquid laundry products and capsules. According to Christine Oberbillig, Global Marketing Manager for Home Care & Sustainability at Clariant, the laundry market is rapidly shifting toward ultra-concentrated, resource-efficient solutions, and TexCare One Terra is the company's answer to that shift.

Technically, soil-release polymers form a thin, transparent film on fabric fibers that prevents dirt and oil from bonding tightly to the fabric, making stains easier to remove in the next wash, while also helping water and detergent spread more evenly across the fabric surface. The product is marketed as effective even at low temperatures and low dosages, while offering high biodegradability and using waste-based feedstock.

Enzyme for Breaking Down Synthetic Fiber in a Circular Economy

IFF (United States) introduced Polyesterase, a next-generation enzyme designed specifically for the circular economy, aimed at caring for and extending the life of polyester — the most widely used synthetic fiber in fashion today thanks to its low cost, durability, and versatility. According to Tatiana Goncharova, Global Segment Leader for Laundry at IFF, even as consumers place growing value on sustainability, they still demand high-performing laundry products, and Polyesterase was developed to meet both requirements at once.

Nouryon's New Sustainable Cleaning Ingredient Portfolio

Nouryon (Netherlands) announced a new portfolio of ingredients for laundry, dishwashing, and surface-cleaning applications, marketed as delivering superior cleaning performance while using more sustainably sourced and produced raw materials. Brad Pearson, Vice President of Nouryon's Cleaning Goods business unit, said the portfolio demonstrates the company's leadership in cleaning ingredient solutions and marks a bold step in its mission to transform the cleaning industry.

Broader Trends: "Recycling Chemistry" and More Affordable Enzymes

Beyond individual product announcements, independent industry observers noted two broader trends shaping the sector. The first is the rise of what's being called "recycling chemistry" — a method of producing familiar molecules that have long been used in the industry, but from renewable feedstocks rather than petrochemical ones, giving manufacturers access to raw materials with a better sustainability profile without having to overhaul existing formulas. The second is a growing supply of more cost-competitive enzyme ingredients, making biological enzyme technology more accessible across market segments rather than remaining confined to premium products.

Overall, these announcements suggest the detergent industry continues to revolve around three core themes that have shaped it for years: reducing product volume and packaging through concentrated formulas, improving cleaning performance at low temperatures to save energy, and gradually shifting from petrochemical raw materials toward renewable or recycled sources.

Reference
1. GreenChem Finder, "SEPAWA Congress 2025: Where Chemistry Innovation Meets Sustainability." 
2. Personal Care Insights, "SEPAWA Congress 2025 live: Clariant unveils laundry ingredient boosting capsule performance and sustainability." 
3. Clariant, thông cáo báo chí "Clariant launches TexCare™ One Terra, a new polymer technology for ultra-concentrated laundry formulations." 
4. IFF, trang sự kiện "SEPAWA Congress 2025." 
5. Nouryon (qua GlobeNewswire), "Nouryon advances leadership of cleaning ingredient solutions, launches innovative sustainable technologies at SEPAWA Congress."