Phosphates have low toxicity in the environment but cause nutrient pollution, a major water quality problem in many watersheds.Phosphates in water cause eutrophication of algae which creates conditions favourable to formation of harmful algal blooms. These blooms prevent light and oxygen from getting into the water, leading to the death of organisms in the ecosystem.

The UK decided to limit the weight of inorganic phosphate expressed as phosphorus in domestic laundry detergents to no more that 0.4% of the weight of the detergent.

The Detergents Regulation is the retained EU law on detergents that applies in Great Britain, following the UK's exit from the EU on 31 March 2020 and the end of the transitional period on 31 December 2020. To ensure that the detergents regulatory regime continues to operate effectively in Great Britain after the end of the transitional period, the EU Detergents Regulation - has been amended by the Detergents EU Exit Statutory Instruments (SIs), that is: • the Detergents (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/672) • the Detergents (Safeguarding) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/671) • the Detergents (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1617)

There are alternative solutions that are biodegragable that are replacements for phosphates lets take the lead and ban in detergents