DuPont, P&G collaborating on Tide

A new cellulosic ethanol plant under construction in Iowa will supply Procter & Gamble with part of the formula for Tide Cold Water laundry detergent.

DuPont's biorefinery in Nevada, Iowa will repurpose more than 7,000 tons of agricultural waste a year - primarily corn stover left over after harvest - to make ethanol for Cincinnati, Ohio-based P&G. That's equivalent to the power needed to do all the washing in homes across California for more than a month.

When completed, the DuPont plant will be the world's largest bioethanol refinery, producing 30 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year - a process with zero net carbon emissions.

Tide Cold Water will be the first detergent brand in the world to blend cellulosic ethanol in a scalable and commercial manner. Ethanol has long been a key ingredient in the Tide formulation, allowing for stability of the detergent formula and better washing performance.

The substitution of cellulosic for corn-based ethanol is the latest innovation in DuPont and P&G's 30-year partnership.

Gianni Ciserani, president of P&G Global Fabric and Home Care, said the company believes actions speak louder than words in the area of sustainability.

'As one of the world's largest laundry manufacturers, we have a responsibility to lead renewable sourcing in products,” Ciserani said. 'In January, we committed to removing phosphates in our laundry products. This partnership on renewables is one more step in our journey.”

James Collins, DuPont senior vice president, said the P&G collaboration is the first step in DuPont's market diversification for cellulosic ethanol beyond fuels.

'As we build on our integrated science capabilities, we will continue to seek out new opportunities and new collaborations,” Collins said.

DuPont Industrial Biosciences operates a plant in southwest Cedar Rapids that transforms corn into industrial enzymes used to boost the cleaning power of laundry detergent and dish soap.