While you may ask yourself where a P&G product goes after it's used, rest assured that the scientists at P&G's Environmental Science Department (ESD) are asking themselves the same question. When the ingredients in Tide® and Crest®, for instance, disappear down the drain, where do they end up?

This is just one of the many questions that P&G's ESD asks of our products. Part of the science of assessing the ecological risk of any product is "fate research," or determining where a product goes in the environment after use, and how much goes there. Another question we ask is what impact, if any, a P&G ingredient will have on plants, animals and bacteria. Decisions to use an ingredient or not are based on Environmental Risk Assessment, which combines fate and effects research. All P&G ingredients must pass Environmental Risk Assessment before they are safely cleared for the market.

Since the 1960s, when scientists first realized that detergents could have a significant impact on waterways and wastewater treatment plants, P&G has been analyzing the effects that ingredients in our products have on the environment. As one of the first companies in the world to actively study the environmental impact of high-volume ingredients in consumer products, we remain committed to improving the environmental quality of P&G products, packaging and operations around the world.

Learn more about P&G's Environmental Science Department.