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Polyphosphates, primarily sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) are used in detergents for laundry, dishwashers and other cleaning products, for households, hospitals and commercial or institutional laundries. In detergents, phosphates fulfil a number of different functions, so that if they are not used several different chemicals must be added to replace them. Polyphosphates are also used in various industrial and technical applications, in particular in ceramics, and are an authorised food ingredient.

Polyphosphates are based on the element Phosphorus, which is essential for all living organisms, plants, animals and man. Phosphates are present in sewage from both detergents and (the main source) from human foods, transferred into human wastes; and also in animal manures, food industry wastes. Phosphates can be recovered from these sources and recycled back into industry, into fertilisers or into detergents. Pilot projects have shown this to be feasible, and a number of full scale installations are now operational (see the P-recovery website) .This makes phosphates, today, the only recyclable ingredient of detergents.

CEEP, a Sector Group of CEFIC is the joint research association of the European detergent and industrial polyphosphates industry, sponsors research into phosphates and the environment and into phosphate recycling, and publishes the SCOPE Newsletter.