Source: Service Management
21 February 2022

Raw material scarcity threatens empty shelves and less effective cleaning products

Problems in raw material supply persist. Stocks are running out and temporary solutions no longer offer relief. Shortages of cleaning products, price increases and reformulation with less suitable (or less sustainable) raw materials is the only option in many cases. Users of cleaning products, both consumers and professionals, are increasingly starting to feel the effects of these problems. The industry association NVZ warns of this in a press release.

The causes of the ongoing problems are recognisable for many supply chains: on the one hand, the high dependence on Asia and the production and logistics problems there. On the other hand, continuously rising energy and transport costs,” writes the association for manufacturers of cleaning agents and materials.

Bigger problems expected for the future

For the short term, there is no prospect of this situation improving, NVZ said. Indeed, still more production of raw materials and finished products seems to be moving to Asia. “If you ask importers when the problems will be solved, you invariably get the answer: we don't know,” he says. As with computer chip shortages, dependence on Asia cannot be solved in the short term."

The problem only threatens to get worse for raw materials, according to NVZ. The EU is constantly moving to adjust regulations around the production and use of chemicals. “Often with good reasons: we want to be as safe and sustainable as possible. However, the question is whether current regulatory developments, including those from the European Green Deal, are proportionate to the potential risks to humans and the environment. Making regulations unnecessarily burdensome only encourages the relocation of production to cheaper places such as Asia.”

Bringing production back to Europe

According to the industry association, priority should be given to promoting sustainable production of safe raw materials in the EU. “All efforts in sustainability should not result in even more production moving outside the EU, totally losing grip on the level of sustainable production. It is time for politicians to take a holistic and realistic look at a safe and sustainable Europe that is less dependent on imports.”