A guide to the sustainability rules reshaping cleaning and hygiene products, and what they mean for your food production site.

The sanitisers, disinfectants and cleaning chemicals used at your food production site are made from ingredients that are coming under stricter regulation across the UK and EU.

If these ingredients become restricted, reformulated or discontinued, the effects will reach your site. You could face new ingredient lists, price increases or reduced availability of the cleaning and hygiene products you rely on.

This guide explains the key changes ahead, from chemical restrictions and packaging reform to carbon reporting and greenwashing.

Chemical Review: PFAS and Microplastics

Regulators across the UK and EU are reviewing a wide range of chemicals used in cleaning and hygiene products, with particular focus on PFAS, a group of persistent chemicals used in some surfactants and performance ingredients, and microplastics, which can be found in ingredients such as encapsulated fragrances.

PFAS and microplastic ingredients under regulatory review in food hygiene cleaning products

What this means for your site:

Some cleaning and disinfecting products may be reformulated, discontinued or replaced over the next few years. Speak to your suppliers now to understand their plans and identify suitable alternatives, rather than waiting until a product is no longer available.

Biocidal Product Approvals Are Slowing

During the pandemic, approvals for biocidal products were fast tracked to help keep disinfectants available. That flexibility is now being scaled back under both the EU Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) and GB BPR, with active substances undergoing re-evaluation, stricter environmental risk assessments and longer authorisation timelines.

Biocidal disinfectant products affected by EU and GB Biocidal Products Regulation

What this means for your site:

Disinfectants used as part of your food safety programme may face longer approval times or require reformulation. Build this into your supplier review process now, rather than waiting until product availability becomes an issue.

Packaging Rules Are Getting a Lot Stricter

Requirements for the UK

The new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules mean businesses will now pay fees based on how recyclable their packaging is, with much more detailed reporting required.

The existing Plastic Packaging Tax will also continue to apply to plastic packaging containing less than 30% recycled content.

Requirements for the EU

The Packaging and Waste Regulation (PPWR) takes things a step further. It will introduce mandatory recycled content targets for plastic packaging components, encourage the use of single-material packaging designs and set targets such as 100% reusable packaging for business-to-business transport by 2030.

Recyclable packaging materials affected by UK EPR and EU PPWR regulations

What this means for your site:

Review your current packaging materials and speak with suppliers about upcoming changes. Understanding where your packaging may need to be redesigned, replaced or reported differently will help you to avoid unexpected costs and compliance issues.

Carbon Reporting Is Reaching Further Down the Supply Chain

Large EU companies are now required to report their Scope 3 emissions under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This includes emissions generated throughout their supply chain, not just from their own operations.

As a result, smaller UK food producers, including those that do not sell directly into the EU, may increasingly be asked by customers and supply chain partners to provide carbon emissions data.

Carbon and Scope 3 emissions reporting for food production supply chains

What this means for your site:

Start collecting basic carbon and sustainability data now, even if no one has asked for it yet. Taking a proactive approach will make it easier to respond if customers begin requesting this information.

Wastewater Standards Are Tightening

If your site uses clean in place (CIP) systems or discharges wastewater, the standards governing what can be released into the drain are becoming stricter. For manufacturers supplying industrial and institutional cleaning products, there is increasing focus on how quickly cleaning chemicals biodegrade and their impact on aquatic life.

Wastewater discharge from a clean-in-place system at a food production site

What this means for your site:

Ask your cleaning chemical suppliers whether their products meet the latest biodegradability and aquatic toxicity requirements. It’s also worth reviewing any clean in place or wastewater discharge processes that could be affected as standards continue to evolve.

Green Claims Are Under Increased Scrutiny

Both the UK and EU are cracking down on greenwashing, where products or operations are presented as more environmentally friendly than they really are.

Requirements for the UK

The Green Claims Code, introduced by the Competition and Markets Authority, has applied since April 2025, with fines of up to 10% of global turnover for misleading environmental claims.

Requirements for the EU

The Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive must be implemented by member states by March 2026, followed by a six-month period before the new rules apply.

The Directive bans vague claims such as “environmentally friendly”, carbon neutrality claims based solely on offsetting, and sustainability labels that are not supported by approved certification.

Sustainability and green claims on packaging under UK and EU greenwashing regulation

What this means for your site:

Review the sustainability claims on your packaging, website and marketing materials to make sure they are accurate, specific and supported by evidence.

Practical Steps for Food Producers

  • Ask your cleaning and hygiene suppliers whether their products contain PFAS or other substances under regulatory review.
  • Confirm supplier timelines for the reformulation and reapproval of key disinfectants.
  • Review your packaging against upcoming UK and EU recycled content requirements.
  • Start collecting carbon and emissions data, even if customers have not requested it yet.
  • Check that the sustainability claims on your packaging and marketing materials are accurate and supported by evidence.
  • Discuss these changes with your procurement and compliance teams now, rather than reacting when a product is discontinued or a new fee is introduced.

How Klipspringer Can Help

We work closely with our customers to understand their sustainability commitments and support their Scope 3 ambitions. There are several areas of our range to consider, including:

Klipspringer sustainable and recycled hygiene equipment for food production sites
  • A trade-in scheme that lets you upgrade ageing instruments without adding to landfill, all while making a saving on new equipment.
  • SegriCovers: a heavy-duty, reusable alternative to single-use plastic film for equipment protection during washdowns and deep cleans.
  • Cloud-based quality management systems: helping sites move away from paper-based checks and cut unnecessary waste.
  • Recycled and sustainably sourced equipment across parts of our product range, developed to reduce environmental impact without compromising on food safety standards.

We’re also a member of Sedex, the ethical trading platform, and hold ourselves to the same standards we help our customers meet. If you’re reviewing your suppliers as part of your sustainability planning, get in touch with our team to find out more.

Explore our range of Sustainable Solutions

Regulatory changes are moving fast, but if you start talking to your suppliers now and keep track of the right information, you won’t be caught out.

For any questions about the updates mentioned throughout this article or the sustainability solutions provided by Klipspringer, contact us on 01473461800 or sales@klipspringer.com. Alternatively, you can fill out the contact form below and we will be in touch.

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