| Q: Why is Cascade taking phosphate out of your formula? |
| A: Cascade products will comply with Canadian regulations that prohibit the manufacturing and distribution of dishwasher detergents containing more than 0.5% phosphate by July 1, 2010. Cascade has chosen to remove all phosphates from our automatic dishwashing products, which means that by this date, all Cascade manufactured and distributed to retailers in Canada will be phosphate free. |
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| Q: What does phosphate do? |
| A: Phosphate is the main ingredient in most automatic dishwashing detergents and serves many functions. For example, phosphate helps with dishwashing performance by facilitating food removal, removing the calcium that binds these types of foods together and reducing spotting and filming during the wash cycle. Phosphate also aids in grease removal, helps control water hardness, and suspends soils within the wash water so they are not redistributed onto plates. |
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| Q: What impact does phosphate have on the environment? |
| A: Phosphorus supports the growth of plants, including algae. When too much is present, excessive amounts of algae can develop. This may lead to undesirable water quality impacts including reductions in aquatic life, poor taste and odors in drinking water. |
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| Q: So, is my phosphate-free Cascade better for the environment? |
| A: Scientific studies demonstrate that a noticeable improvement in water quality would be affected only through decreases across all phosphorus-contributing sources, including fertilizer (residential and agricultural), construction run-off, and poorly-treated municipal sewage. Although phosphate from automatic dish washing represents less than 3% of the amount in the environment, Cascade is doing its part.
The Cascade brand has designed the lineup to be phosphate free, while providing consumers the level of superb cleaning performance and value they have come to expect. Cascade products deliver excellent cleaning performance, and can reduce or often eliminate the need to pre-wash dishes, which may result in water savings.
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| Q: When will all phosphate free Cascade versions be available? |
| A: While you may begin seeing Phosphate free Cascade products as early as March 2010, the entire Cascade line will fully transition to phosphate-free by July 1, 2010 |
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| Q: Can I still use my old Cascade product? |
| A: Yes. Consumers can still use phosphate-containing automatic dishwashing products that they still have in their homes. The new regulations only prohibit the manufacturing and distribution of phosphate-containing automatic dishwashing products after July 1, 2010. |
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