American Cleaning Institute
Encyclopedia
The American Cleaning Institute (ACI formerly The Soap and Detergent Association – SDA) is an organization representing producers of household, industrial, and institutional cleaning products, their ingredients and finished packaging; oleochemical
producers; and chemical distributors to the cleaning product industry.
Established in 1926, ACI's goal is to advance public understanding of the safety and benefits of cleaning products, and protect the ability of its members to formulate products that best meet consumer
needs. ACI develops and shares information about industry products with the technical community, policy makers, childcare
and health professionals, educators, media
and consumers.
ACI includes over 100 manufacturers who make approximately 90% of all cleaning products produced in the United States
, at the household, industrial, and institutional level. (The cleaning products industry is a $30 billion a year industry in the U.S.)http://www.cleaninginstitute.org/about/default.aspx In addition to companies that manufacture soap
s and detergent
s directly, the association also includes producers of oleochemical products and other chemicals used in producing cleaning products, as well as companies that produce packaging and labeling for cleaning supplies.
Like many trade association
s, the ACI aims to facilitate the exchange of information and best practices among its members. It also acts as the industry's liaison with academia
, the government, and the general public. In recent years, a good deal of the ACI's activities have focused on issues about which the government and the general public are concerned: safety standards and the environmental impact
of soaps and detergents. These concerns about human safety and environmental concerns lead the ACI to be in frequent contact with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission
, and the Food and Drug Administration
.
Oleochemical
Oleochemicals are chemicals derived from plant and animal fats. They are analogous to petrochemicals derived from petroleum.The formation of basic oleochemical substances like fatty acids, fatty acid methyl esters , fatty alcohols, fatty amines and glycerols are by various chemical and enzymatic...
producers; and chemical distributors to the cleaning product industry.
Established in 1926, ACI's goal is to advance public understanding of the safety and benefits of cleaning products, and protect the ability of its members to formulate products that best meet consumer
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
needs. ACI develops and shares information about industry products with the technical community, policy makers, childcare
Childcare
Child care means caring for and supervising child/children usually from 0–13 years of age. In the United States child care is increasingly referred to as early childhood education due to the understanding of the impact of early experiences of the developing child...
and health professionals, educators, media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
and consumers.
ACI includes over 100 manufacturers who make approximately 90% of all cleaning products produced in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, at the household, industrial, and institutional level. (The cleaning products industry is a $30 billion a year industry in the U.S.)http://www.cleaninginstitute.org/about/default.aspx In addition to companies that manufacture soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
s and detergent
Detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." In common usage, "detergent" refers to alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are less affected by hard water...
s directly, the association also includes producers of oleochemical products and other chemicals used in producing cleaning products, as well as companies that produce packaging and labeling for cleaning supplies.
Like many trade association
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
s, the ACI aims to facilitate the exchange of information and best practices among its members. It also acts as the industry's liaison with academia
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
, the government, and the general public. In recent years, a good deal of the ACI's activities have focused on issues about which the government and the general public are concerned: safety standards and the environmental impact
Environmental degradation
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife...
of soaps and detergents. These concerns about human safety and environmental concerns lead the ACI to be in frequent contact with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission
Consumer Product Safety Commission
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is an independent agency of the United States government created in 1972 through the Consumer Product Safety Act to protect "against unreasonable risks of injuries associated with consumer products." The CPSC is an independent agency that does...
, and the Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
.