Life Cycle Assessment of Soap and Detergents

8/9/2019 Life Cycle Assessment of Soap and Detergents

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INSTITUTE OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE

MANAGEMENT

Urban Environment Management

GROUP ASSIGNMENT

LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS MINI PROJECT

Title: Life Cycle Analysis of Star Soap and

Detergents Factory

Submitted to: Ranavijai Baudur Sing !"d#$

%roup &embers 'D

(o

1. Million Getachew .. UECM!!"!!"

#. Tewel$e Ge%&e UECM!!'(!"

April) *+,-

Addis Ababa) .tiopia


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! Intro"#$tion

! Ba$%gro#n" to t&e mini 'ro(e$t

Ethiopian cities have been undergoing a tremendous transformation process and experiencing a

considerable growth rate particularly in the areas of small, medium and large scale industries.

However, managing and steering this process with respect to the environmental effects and

consequences has become more and more challenging task.

Industries by nature have high environmental impacts due to their utilization of vast amount of

inputs and release of environmentally unfriendly wastes. In pursuit of a better life,

industrialization is growing day by day leaving behind the pollutants on the environment.

Environmental pollution is inevitable consequences of economic and peoples desire to improve

their quality of life !"umar, #$$$%. &ccelerated water quality change due to industrial pollution

is one of the ma'ority environmental concerns throughout the world !"aren ( )ichael, *++%.

-leaning products play an essential role in our daily life by safely and efficiently removing soils,

germs and other contaminants. hey help us to stay healthy, care for our homes and make our

surrounding more pleasant.

/ow a days soaps and detergents are related to our day to day activities. here are different

types of soaps and detergents in use. 0oaps are derivatives of fatty acids and oils through series

production processes of the reaction between alkali and the fatty acids and customarily are made

of triglycerides. 0oap works essentially by allowing the insoluble oil and fat particles to become

soluble, so that they can be simply removed away with water. )any manufacturers remove all or

some portion of glycerin to prepare different types of soaps and detergents.

here are a number of soap and detergent industries in &ddis &baba metropolitan -ity but 0tar

0oap and 1etergent Industries 23- is selected for 3ife4-ycle &nalysis of mini pro'ect.

0tar 0oap and 1etergent Industries 23- is one of the sister company of )I156- Ethiopia

group manufacturing plants and was established in #$$# in a #*ha land area located at &kaki4

"ality 0ub -ity in "ebele *$7**, south of &ddis &baba. he -ompany commissioned its plant

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with an initial capital of 8$ million Ethiopian 9irr !equivalent of *$ million :0 dollars at the rate

of exchange at the time% and created employment opportunity to more than *8$ workers.

he main products of the industry are toilet and bar soaps, detergent powder and liquid

detergents. he plant was designed for annual production of ;*8 tons of laundry soap and ;


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o examine the material content of the product

o identify the main environmental aspects related with life cycle of the product

o forward suggestions on how to minimize the environmental problems of the life cycle

of the product

Aith respect to the scope of the pro'ect, the study focuses on all the stages of the life cycle and

environmental aspects of the industrys product. he data necessary to accomplish this mini

pro'ect are utilized both primary !i.e. interview with factory staffs and observation% and

secondary !i.e. internet, reference books and unpublished documents from the factory% sources.

he time to accomplish the pro'ect takes B$ days.

.! Li*e $+$,e an" 'ro"#$t -+-tem in Star -oa'- an" "etergent- in"#-trie-

he main elements of soap and detergent life cycle areC raw material importing, manufacturing,

storing and selling, and disposing after consumption in the form of liquid waste.

)ost of the raw materials for 0tar soap and detergents industries are imported from foreign

markets and enter through port of 1'ibouti. &ccording to the production manager of the factory,

+$D of the raw materials are imported from external market. 6nly *$D of the raw materials are

purchased from local market.

0oaps and detergents in the factory come in three principal forms soap bars, powders and

liquids. he first step in the manufacturing process of the cleaning products is the selection of

raw materials. 5aw materials are chosen based on a number of criteria. he critical criteria are

human and environmental safety, cost, compatibility with other ingredients, and the form and

performance characteristics of the finished product. &ccordingly, oil from palm tree is the raw

material to 0tar soap and detergent industries.

he stages to make soaps and detergents in the specified industries are as follows.

Bar -oa'- 4 9ar soaps are made from palm oils which are reacted with inorganic water4soluble

bases. he main source for palm oil is palm tree which is the principal oil used in soap making.

he raw materials are to be pretreated to remove impurities and to achieve the color, odor and

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performance features desired in the finished bar. he chemical processes for making bar soap

are

Saponification of oils his method involves heating of oil and, reacting it with a liquid alkali to

produce soap and water !neat soap% plus glycerin.

he next processing step after saponification is drying which involves removing of glycerin from

the soap by using vacuum spray drying machine to convert the neat soap into dry soap pellets.

In the final processing step, the dry soap pellets pass through a bar soap finishing line. he first

unit in the line is a mixer, called an amalgamator, in which the soap pellets are blended together

with fragrance, colorants and all other ingredients. he mixture is then homogenized and refined

through rolling mills and refining plodders to achieve thorough blending and a uniform texture.

Eventually, the mixture is continuously extruded from the plodder, cut into bar4size units and

stamped into its final shape in a soap press.

Diagram -&o/ing bar -oa' man#*a$t#ring 'ro$e--

Po/"er "etergent- 4 2owder detergents are produced in the process like bar soaps but it

involves spray drying, agglomeration, dry mixing or combinations of these methods.

In making powder detergents the processes include combining the dry and liquid ingredients into

slurry, or thick suspension, in a tank called a crutcher.

he slurry is heated and then pumped to the top of a tower where it is sprayed through nozzles

under high pressure to produce small droplets. he droplets fall through a current of hot air,

forming hollow granules as they dry.

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he dried granules are collected from the bottom of the spray tower, where they are screened to

achieve a relatively uniform size.

Diagram -&o/ing 'o/"er "etergent man#*a$t#ring 'ro$e--

Li0#i" "etergent- 4 liquid detergents are produced in the same process like bar soaps and

powder detergents however, this process involves batch and continuous blending processes to

manufacture liquid cleaning products. 0tabilizers may be added during manufacturing to ensure

the uniformity and stability of the finished product.

In a typical continuous process, dry and liquid ingredients are added and blended to a uniform

mixture using in4line or static mixers.

Diagram -&o/ing ,i0#i" "etergent man#*a$t#ring 'ro$e--

Pa$%aging 4 his is the last step in the manufacturing process of soaps and detergents in the

factory. 9ar soaps are either wrapped or packed in carton in single packs or multi packs.

1etergents, including household cleaners, are packaged in cartons or bottles. he selection of

packaging materials and containers involves considerations of product compatibility and

stability, cost, package safety, solid waste impact, and ease of use.

&fter packed, the products will be stored in the factory warehouse not for more than a day.

&ccording to the sales department of the factory, the products will be distributed to wholesalers

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on agreed price. hen the wholesalers will distribute it to different retailers found in different

corners of the country. Finally consumers will get the product from these retailers. For regular

customers like big hotels and industries, the factory uses direct channel of distribution by using

the transportation services it has.

-oncerning to use and maintenance, the factory has different technical experts who maintain and

ensure the proper functions of each system.

In relation with waste management, there is no any waste associated with manufacturing stage of

the products. &ccording to the interview made with production manager of the industry, every

effluent of the products is reused. his is due to the efforts made by the factory in introducing

new techniques of processing that are environmentally friendly. &s a result, there is no any waste

product to be disposed outside to the environment. For this achievement, the factory has got

recognition from the federal environmental protection authority. In contrary to this, the factory

has a long way to minimize carbon dioxide emission that is released during the production

process, importing of the raw materials and distribution of the end products. In addition to this,

there is pollution of the environment associated with consumption of the productsC i.e. foam

during cleaning.

&fter passing through a number of processing stages by using different raw materials and gets

the final output, the industry uses cartons, plastics, and bottles to achieve the desired outcome.

1! Materia, $ontent o* -oa' an" "etergent-

0urfactants and builders are the ma'or components of soaps and detergents. 0urfactants are also

called surface active agents, which are organic chemicals that change the properties of water by

lowering the surface tension of waterC surfactants enable the cleaning solution to wet a surface

more quickly, so soil can be easily removed with the aid of mechanical action. 0urfactants also

bind oily soils and keep them dispersed and suspended so they do not settle back on the surface.

6n the other hand, builders are chemicals that enhance or maintain the cleaning efficiency of the

surfactant. he primary function of builders is to reduce water hardness. his is done by

sequestration. -omplex phosphates and sodium citrate are common components of sequestering

builders.

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Generally, the material contents in which soaps and detergents in the factory are made up of are

listed in the table below

able*. )aterial content of star soap and detergents

/& not available

0ource production department of 0tar soap and detergents factory

&s stated earlier, oils are the raw materials for making soaps and detergents. he only

environmental aspect or impact related to the raw material is emission of phosphate during the

,

0oap type Ingredients Dageshare Aeight in gram 2roduct perday in tons9iggest )edium 0mallest

3aundrysoap

1istilled palm fatty acid!12F&%

2alm oil

-austic soda

0odium silicate

0oap perfume and color

/& ;$$ B;$ #;$ #*

oilet soap 0oap noodles

0oap perfume and color

0odium hypochlorite

0odium ash

/& *;$ 4 ;$ >

1etergent 3inear alkyl benzene

sulphonic !3&90&%

0odium tri4phosphate

!02%

0odium 3auryl ether sulfate

!03E0%

-austic soda

Fragrance

eolite

Aater

/& *;$$ 4 4 *.;


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process of extracting oil from palm tree which is a renewable resource. &ccording to &merican

cleaning institute, #$*#, efforts are on progress to find environmentally better options of the used

material.

2! Environmenta, -#-tainabi,it+ a-'e$t-

&s stated above, +$D of star soap and detergent factorys raw materials are imported from

foreign countries. he factory uses the oil generated from palm tree. &ccording to &merican

cleaning institute, #$*#, only the leaves of the palm will be used to obtain oil. his makes easier

to the tree to reproduce again than being cut down. he environmental problem related to this is,

the emission of phosphate. 2hosphate is released during the process of obtaining oil from palm

leaf. 2hosphatecan create phosphoric acid !acid rain% if react with water.

he other environmental problem related with the raw material is, carbon dioxide emission

during the transportation of the raw materials from port of 1'ibouti to &ddis &baba. his has a

significant impact on the environment.

Aith regard to manufacturing process of soap and detergent, star soap and detergent factory had

applied modern waste management system, i.e., reusing the wastes again and again. his could

be a good lesson to other soap and detergent factories.

he factory uses electricity and steam engine as source of energy. he daily electric consumptionof the factory is 8;$ to *$$$ kilowatt. 9eyond this, ;;$ to ;>; liters of fuel is burned daily by

the steam engine to boil the palm oil. his emits a significant amount of carbon dioxide to the

environment. his is considered by the factory as main environmental treat of the production

process. 9ut they are in search for mechanisms to minimize the carbon dioxide emission. For

instance, the industry has greened its surrounding with different types of trees which have the

potential to absorb carbon from the ambient environment as initial work.

3ast but not least, environmental issue concerned with soap and detergents life cycle is, itsconsumption. 0oap and detergents are formulated to be used with water. his makes it drain into

water bodies through different sewerage systems that have detrimental impacts on animals,

plants and micro organisms.

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3! Li*e $+$,e in*ormation 'rovi"e" b+ ot&er 'ro"#$er-

Fats and oils are the raw materials for making soap and detergents. he fats and oils used in soap

making come from animal or plant sources. 0oap and detergent manufacturing consists of a

broad range of processing and packaging operations. he size and complexity of these operations

vary from small industries employing a few people to those with several hundred workers.

he main sources of fats are beef and mutton tallow, while palm, coconut and palm kernel oils

are the principal oils used in soap making.

0aponification is the first process used in soap and detergents manufacturing. It is the process of

chemical reaction that occurs when a vegetable oil or animal fat is mixed with an alkali. he

products of this reaction are soap and glycerin. here is water but it is not utilized in the

chemical reaction rather it is only used as a vehicle for the alkaliC otherwise it will be a dry

powder.

he oils used in process of soap and detergents are carefully chosen by the industries for the

character they need on the final products. 1ifferent oils can be used for specific reasons.

he alkali used in modern soap is either potassium hydroxide, which is used to make soft soap or

liquid soap because of its greater solubility, or sodium hydroxide, which is used to make bar

soap.

he second step is to remove the glycerin. his process is to blend soap pellets with fragrances,

colorants and other ingredients. 0oap purification and cutting it in to bar size is the final

manufacturing process of the production.

Generally, the manufacturing process of star soap and detergents for bar soap, powder detergents,

and liquid detergents is similar with other soap and detergents producing industries. he use of

palm oil as raw material makes the industry unique from other manufactories reviewed.

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5ecently, more concentrated soap and detergent products have been introduced in to the market.

1espite the actual production processes may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, all

producers of soap and detergents pass through the same processing stage.

In general, the information gathered from different sources show that, except the difference in

technologies applied, there is no much variation in the stages of the life cycle of soap and

detergents.

4! Con$,#-ion an" Re$ommen"ation-

4! Con$,#-ion

/ow a days soap and detergents are necessity goods that are related to the day to day activities

of human life. Even though they have a number of benefits, they have pollutant impacts if they

are not properly used.

his mini pro'ect does have incorporate many ob'ectives but the main ob'ective is to analyze the

life cycle of 0tar soap and detergents industries.

3ife cycle &nalysis of products is mainly important to assess the environmental aspects from raw

material extraction to consumption stages. hus, life cycle of soap and detergents passes through

different stages. he main stages areC raw material transportation to the industry, manufacturing

i.e. 0aponification, drying, soap purification, cutting to bar sizes and products packaging, and

distribution of products to consumers. 6n the other hand, although there are a large number of

ingredients in the products of soap and detergents, surfactants and builders are the basic

components.

0ince 0tar soap and detergents industries mainly use imported raw materials, the environmental

impacts that are associated with the life cycle of the products are confined with the release of

phosphate during oil extraction from palm tree, and the emission of carbon dioxide at the time of

processing and raw material and product transportation. In addition to these, there is also at some

extent environmental pollution related with consumption.

9ased on information reviewed from various literatures, all soap and detergents industries pass

through the same production processes but they may vary in the utilization of raw materials and

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ingredients. In line with this, while many soap and detergents industries use fats and oils but 0tar

soap and detergents industries use palm oil as raw material.

4!) Re$ommen"ation-

&s explained in the introduction part, industries have pollutant effects on the environment. o

minimize the problems related with life cycle of soap and detergents, the following

recommendations are forwarded.

he soap and detergent industries should help consumers to have better understanding

how to use the products and dispose wastes through different )edias.

he factory should state precautionary statements related to environmental safety on the

product packages.

he soap and detergent industry has to be committed to understand the impacts of its

products. hus it has to come up with reducing the ingredients which have critical

impacts on the environment.

he factory should search for best alternatives to reduce carbon dioxide emission from

the production and transportation process.

he management of the industry has to maintain and protect the green areas inside and

around the industry.

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Re*eren$e-

&lbert 0treet. !#$**%. 0oaps and detergents. 0oaps and detergents association, -anada.

"umar, 5. !#$$$%. &pplication of Environmental 9iotechnology in waste water

monitoring and treatment. Institute of Genomics ( Integrative 9iology. /ew 1elhi.

"aren, "., ( )ichael, 3. !*++%. extile process waste water permits. &n update and

0trategies. &frican dye stuff reporter. :niversity of Georgia. &thens.

0usan 0. !*++;%. 2ollution 2revention in -orporate 0trategy. /ational 2ollution

2revention -enter for Higher Education. :niversity of )ichigan.

:.0. Environmental 2rotection &gency. !#$$B%. 0oaps and detergents manufacturing

2oint source category. 5esearch paper, /ew Jork.

5eb -ite-

AAA.cleaninginstitute.orgKcleanlivingKsoapdetergentssafety.aspx, 0oaps and detergents

environmental safety, access date &pril $#, #$*B.

AAA.starsoapplc.com0tar soap and detergents industries !00&1I% plc.

1)
http://www.starsoapplc.com/http://www.starsoapplc.com/


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Life Cycle Assessment of Soap and Detergents

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