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Dishes may sparkle less with Virginia phosphate ban | Richmond Times-Dispatch

By STEPHEN HOLZER

Don't blame your dishwasher if your eating utensils seem a little less squeaky-clean these days.

On July 1, a law banning phosphates in dishwasher detergents went into effect in Virginia as part of a Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan. Phosphorus, a primary cleaning agent in detergents, causes excessive algae growth in bays and lakes, choking off sunlight and oxygen that organisms need to survive. Environmental experts say the ban will reduce one of the bay's most significant contaminants.

via www2.timesdispatch.com

The article goes on to say that a prior ban in Washington caused consumers to shop in other States without the ban because the quality of the phosphate-free products was so poor. The article suggests--but does not outright claim--that the indsustry has since cured the defects in the phosphate-free detergents.

The way the article is written causes one to wonder whether the defects have been cured or whether the consumer is going to make up for defective "environmental-frindly" prodcuts by turning to alternatives that have their own environmental problems.

Full post as published by Environmental Legal Blogs on July 17, 2010 (boomark / email).