No. 13 (February 2001)

■The basic policy of the Detergent Committee

Synthetic detergents have gone through a tough history to obtain a social acceptance in Japan, which began from a critical suds issue in drain systems with ABS, the surfactant first used in these products. In this context, "Harmony with the environment" has become the keynote of the strategies of the Committee. With detergents being used on a daily basis in every household and the market maturing in recent years, it has become more important for the committee members to set a right direction through broader outlook based on the latest information for the future market when dealing with associated issues. In line with this basic policy, the committee has been conducting surveys and studies on a variety of issues that directly concern the soap and detergent industry, including trends in the detergent market both in Japan and abroad, habits and practices for home laundry, trends of fabric and dish washing machines, house cleaning, and refillable products. The following provides some examples of its accomplishments.

■Promoting the reduction of container resources and energy

Today, most of the synthetic granular detergents sold in Japan are compact types. However, not so long ago, detergents came in bulky boxes that took up a lot of space and were inconvenient to carry around. A technology was developed in 1987 for compact laundry detergents, resulting in a package one quarter their previous size. This innovation quickly spread to fabric softeners and dish washing liquid, and this led to an introduction of synthetic laundry detergents in the form of sheet, cubes and tablets in 2000. Member manufacturers also promote material resource reduction and energy savings via marketing refillable products and use of recycled paper and plastics for their product containers.

■Right amount of detergent use

Along with compact product development, "the proper volume of detergent dosage per wash" is an important issue defined by JSDA. As part of its consumer education drive, the Association encourages consumers to always use measuring spoons so as not to overuse detergents.
A Sub-committee for the Laundering Science set up within the Detergent Committee is conducting a series of surveys on the use of washing machines at home. One recent issue is how much detergent to use per wash as washing machines get bigger and fully automatic types become more popular. Washing capacity per machine has increased to 5-7 kg from the previous 2-3 kg, reducing the ratio of water to clothes as a result. Instructions on the detergent package have up to now stated the amount of detergent as a proportion of the volume of water used in the wash, but this now no longer applies. It is now necessary to determine and display the right amount of detergent in relation to the weight of laundry, not the volume of water in the washing machine. This matter is under consideration by the sub-committee in cooperation with the Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association.
The type of clothes has also changed. For instance, some clothes with a "Dry Clean Only" label can in fact be washed at home. Because of this, the committee is also calling on the apparel industry to refrain from using over-protective labels on clothes.
From the viewpoint of protecting life on our planet, every possible effort should be made to reduce household waste. The Detergent Committee will continue to devote itself to the protection of our environment.

【Is housekeeping shared by husbands?】

With their husbands spending most of the day at home after their retirement from work, some changes in sharing housekeeping tasks can be naturally expected. Our survey found that the husbands on average spend about 60 minutes a day doing housekeeping tasks, whereas their wives spend 217 minutes, about 4 times longer.
Of these husbands, 82 percent said that they now spend more time on housekeeping than before their retirement. But only 26 percent of the wives felt that they now spend less time doing housekeeping. Interestingly, 32 percent of the wives responded that they now spend more time doing housekeeping than before. These results point to a wide gap in the perception of work sharing between wives and their retired husbands.

As for their perception of housekeeping, more than a half of the husbands and wives held the opinion that it is more practical to share them, with nearly 60 percent of the husbands saying that they would not mind doing some housekeeping tasks. On the other hand, a large proportion of husbands still seemed to take the traditional line that housekeeping tasks are the wife's sole responsibility. Some husbands, about 25 percent, said that they would be willing to help, but did not know how.

【Wives award 50 points for their husbands' performance】

The husbands in the survey awarded themselves 48.3 points for their performance in doing housekeeping after their retirement from work, which is nearly double their average score, 26.7 points, before their retirement. This self-assessment is about the same as the average 50 points (30 points before retirement) the wives gave to their husbands for their contribution to housekeeping. When asked about the sharing of housekeeping tasks, some husbands said that they mainly did such housekeeping tasks as washing dishes after meals, cleaning the windows, and shopping for daily items. But the percentage of wives who felt that their husbands did those things well was lower for all of these activities. Again, this result shows a gap in perception between husbands and wives. To the wives, their husbands' work may often seem sloppy or lacking flexibility, making it difficult for them to take seriously their husbands' efforts doing housekeeping.

【Wives also want to retire】

It appears that the preparation of lunch is no small matter at home where the husband is there all day long after his retirement from work. For the wife, she now has to prepare two meals, which can be much more work than fixing a simple lunch for herself. If she has a job outside, she may have to prepare a meal for her husband before going out to work, which is an added burden both mentally and physically. "Retirement from housekeeping": if Japanese husbands are to heed these growing demands from their wives, they may do well by starting to acquire some basic daily skills and adopt a more energetic lifestyle so that they can lead a less dependent life. It is not enough to just give an occasional helping hand to their wives in doing housekeeping.

★Nakano Elementary School (number of pupils: 240), Miyagi

The pupils have been cleaning up areas around the school and nearby beaches for over 30 years. Over 100 birds now fly over to their area, partially due to their environmental cleanness efforts.

★Sanze Elementary School (121), Yamagata

Began using bamboo charcoal, a local special product, seven years ago to improve the water quality of local rivers. Posters and signboards they set up play an important role in heightening the residents' awareness of the importance of clean rivers.

★Josai Elementary School (1149), Fukushima

The pupils regularly clean up a river near the school and the area along it throughout the year. Weeding and stocking the river with carp are also part of their area cleaning-up activities, turning the dry river beds into a good recreation area for local people.

★Egawa Elementary School (13), Fukushima

The pupils have been picking up litter from roadside ditches for over 20 years. Their cleanup activities have now been adopted by the entire community.

★Shinmachi Boy Scouts (31), Okayama

For thirty-five years, the troop has been picking up litter and weeding in local parks. They also plant saplings in spring and summer.

★Mizuho Elementary School (167), Shimane

The pupils clean up nearby rivers and surrounding areas as a school-wide project. They also take part in local efforts to clean up libraries and other public facilities in the region.

★Ohdori Elementary School (13), Yamaguchi

Nine years ago, they began picking up litter every Saturday from areas around their school, along the roads, and from streams. Once a month, all the students, together with their parents, get together to clean up areas around local shrines and bus stops.

★Imamachi Elementary School (250), Fukuoka

Every month, together with local people, they sow flower seeds along nearby riverbeds as part of their community's "all flower" drive.

★Sakano City Elementary School (387), Oita

The pupils began sowing flower seeds along nearby riverbeds nine years ago. They have also improved the condition of an abandoned pond to the point that water creatures now thrive there.

★Jonan Elementary School (261), Kagoshima

Their environmental beautification efforts in and around their school have continued for 36 years. In cooperation with the townspeople, they also engage in the recycling of empty cans and disposable chopsticks.

★Tachiki Elementary School (5), Yamagata

The pupils have been monitoring the water quality of a local river and cleaning up areas along it for eight years now. They also stock the river with trout that they raise at school.