Sodium Tripolyphosphate (STPP) is a solid inorganic compound used in a large variety of household cleaning products, mainly as a builder, but also in human foodstuffs, animal feeds, industrial cleaning processes and ceramics manufacture. STPP is widely used in regular and compact laundry detergents (powder, liquid, gel, tablets), automatic dishwashing detergents (powder, liquid, gel, tablets), toilet cleaners, and surface cleaners, and provides a number of functions including sequestration of “water hardness” enabling surfactants to function effectively, pH buffering, dirt emulsification and prevention of deposition, hydrolysis of grease, and dissolving-dispersing dirt particles. In the year 2000, the total consumption of STPP in these applications was estimated to be approximately 300 000 tonnes in Western Europe and this is estimated to represent 90-95% of STPP use in Europe.