Top Themes & Innovations from ACI 2025

Listen to  Victoria Talk About ACI 2025 Here:

• The cautious optimism of 2025: chemical industry pulse at ACI
• The 5 trends shaping cleaning and chemical industries in 2025
• Innovations driven by consumer archetypes and their needs like water protection, reduced waste, and performance
• The future of cleaning: water-free formulations with Jim Griffin of SCT
• AI’s role in chemical innovation with Ned Weintraub of NobleAI

Killer Quote: “The theme that came through is sustainability is great, but the products in use really need to perform. It’s not enough that there’s a green label, it’s that it needs to perform and meet what customers want.” –Victoria Meyer

Watch the ACI Recap Here on Youtube:

Top Themes & Innovations from ACI 2025

Hi, welcome back to The Chemical Show. I just wrapped up a great week in Orlando, Florida with the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) at its annual meeting and convention. For those of you that attend, you know that it is a busy nonstop week with representatives from the cleaning industry, whether they be consumer products companies, chemical companies, formulators, fragrances and more. So it’s always a great kickoff to the year and also an opportunity to really get a pulse of what’s going on across the industry, what some of the key themes are and what some innovations are. And that is what I’m bringing you today. So both key themes and innovations from ACI, both on stage in press briefings and in meeting rooms.

Plus I’ve got some special guests to discuss what they are hearing and seeing as it relates to the cleaning industry, that includes Jim Griffin, who is the technical director at SCT and Ned Weintraub, who is the chief commercial officer at Noble AI. Both will be sharing some insights and innovation, so stay tuned.

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Now I’m going to just start with a little bit of a market sentiment because everybody said, oh, I’m optimistic. And what I would actually say is, cautiously optimistic. I think you see that in your business. I know that I see that in mine and I see it as we talk to people across the industry. We’re sitting here at the beginning of the year, currently the first week of February as I’m recording this and a lot’s happening. A lot of political action is taking place in conjunction with market economics, and supply chains that are still recovering in some ways from the challenges that we saw in 2024. So what I would say on an overall sentiment is cautiously optimistic.

With that though, I think the trends and the themes coming out of ACI would lead us to more optimism and certainly a lot of action and innovation and focus on the future. So what I’m going to talk today about is about the five key trends and innovations that I saw coming out of ACI 2025.

The first is performance focus. So performance was a word I kept hearing over and over again. Companies and consumers are looking for performance and functionality of their ingredients and cleaning products. So it’s a bit of this message that, pricing is important, but it still has to perform. Sustainability is important, but it still has to perform. Supply chains are critical and yet they still need to perform. So more on that, especially as we talk about some of the products and innovations that are coming out into the market, currently in 2025 and heading into 2026, A lot of discussion, particularly with the executive teams and on an executive panel, around supply chains and how supply chains need to perform.

What we’re seeing is smarter supply chains and performing supply chains and shifting supply chains, not just due to tariffs. I know tariffs are in the discussion, and I think none of us really know how that’s going to shake out. We’ve seen that people are prepping and were prepping ahead of time before Trump took office.So definitely some discussion on supply chains and smarter supply chains and not just being around smarter technology, but just having products in the right place, understanding what it takes to potentially avoid tariffs, manage through tariffs, understanding the cost and the time.

So we definitely saw some supply chain disruptions in 2024 that affected the time. And frankly in 2021, 2022 and 2020. I have said this before, I’ll say it again, the 2020s are the decade of the supply chain. There is no doubt about that. But it really goes back to performance, and having supply chains that perform. In fact, one leader from the stage said, we will never get back to “just in time” supply chains. There’s too much vulnerability in the current business and market environments. So that is one aspect of performance.

The other aspect is around sustainability and the theme that came through is sustainability is great, but the products in use really need to perform. It’s not enough that there’s a green label. It needs to perform and meet what customers want. So that’s actually a great segue into my second key theme, which is sustainability with a small S. So what I mean by that is, I think we’re in a transitory period where we were talking for the past several years about sustainability with a big S. So big numbers, big targets, big promises, a lot of work and a lot of innovation along the way to try to meet that. But where we are today is about sustainability with a little S. Sustainability in practice, going back to what the real meaning of sustainability is. So having sustainable long lasting business models and business plans, being able to be in business and have a robust business for a long time. Connecting sustainability to consumer value.

A lot of what I heard and what we’re going to talk about today is around that connection to consumer value. Chris Hyder from Clorox said this really well on the industry leaders panel. What he said was customers don’t ask for sustainability. They ask for products that help them feel safer and are less wasteful. They want to buy from a company that meets their values. I think that it’s sustainability with a small S, we are shifting from the big S. In fact, in a lot of ways there was not much discussion about sustainability.

I sat in on several innovation sessions where leaders were presenting some of the technology and innovations that their companies are bringing to market. Yeah, there’s a sustainability and a green component, but it was absolutely much more about innovation. It was much more about meeting consumers needs and the need for acceleration and support to do so. Take that as you will, sustainability with a small S.

The next key theme that really came through was alignment to values. So there was a lot of conversation and presentation and discussion around really meeting the values that first of all, employees have. That relates to attracting and retaining talent. How do we build that talent supply chain and value chain? It’s about the values of business customers and individual consumers. So dsm firmenich developed a sensorium. My first time experiencing it was very cool. It’s a multi sensory experience. And of course, if you don’t know dsm firmenich, they are largely a fragrance house. They probably do some more things than I think. But I think of them, and certainly in the context of ACI, it’s around fragrances and the fragrances that are going into cleaning products. Whether they be laundry detergent, dish detergent, hand detergent. Whatever people are using, right?

What I thought was really fascinating is they created four archetypes based on global consumer research, really seeking to understand the values, the interests, and the aspirations of customers globally. Then they created archetypes and fragrance profiles to meet those consumer values and those consumer archetypes. Those four archetypes were social seekers, healthy heroes, grounded realists, and brave explorers. Now, I’m not going to get into all of that. ((I’m hoping to get permission from them to share some of their high-level overview.  Watch this space!!) 

One of the ones that stood out for me, and it actually ties again to our next theme. and I think it was in healthy heroes. They talked about really being interested in, being less wasteful. Protecting water. One of the things they had in the sensorium room, which was this hydroponic gardening because of this realization of the need to protect water.

So that really gets into my next theme, which is being less wasteful of water, protecting water. A couple of things that came out of that. Number one, I’ve certainly seen this all over my social media, you’ve probably seen this on your social media and in the news, a real concern about microplastics in water. I think a lot of us attribute it to the plastic water bottles, plastics and use. So I see a lot of that. What I found fascinating was Proto presented some research that talked about microplastics in water. And they said their research shows that one third of the microplastics in our global water systems are due to synthetic fibers in our clothing.

So if you think about polyester clothing, all kinds of different, innovative materials that do a lot of great things. Yet when they go through the laundry, they break down. And, again, the research that they uncovered and that they shared stated that one third of the microplastics in the water supply globally are due to synthetic fibers in our clothing. That was eye opening to me. And so protecting water is clearly a key value. It’s actually a key value and a priority of ACI, but it’s also across all of its member companies. And Crota, when they talked about this, they also shared that they’ve identified a biopolymer, so back to a green product, laundry additive that prevents fibers from breaking down in laundry thereby reducing microplastics. I suspect that based on some of this, there may be other companies doing some similar things, but I thought that was pretty fascinating. When we think about just this whole theme, especially in cleaning, when I think of cleaning I do think of water, but also this aspect of protecting water and reducing water.

The other piece of this is around less water usage and water scarcity. I had a great conversation with Jim Griffin, who is the technical director at SCT about this trend and how SCT is responding. So I’m going to insert that part of that conversation here and let Jim share that with you in his own words.

Jim Griffin, SCT

So when you think about the trends that you guys are focused on, what’s your excitement, where are you guys focusing and what products are you bringing to market to support that?

Jim Griffin: Depending on the market or depending on the application, it’s for hand dish, it’s going to be like amine oxides, that really don’t have any prop 65 ingredients in them. And they’re the primary foamers in that green chemistry. It’s one of the things that’s happening all around industry. it’s a regulatory world we’re living in now. And things like Prop 65 freeze has been a thing for a while.

Which is a California proposition, but it of course it affects the whole US.

Yeah, it started as a drinking water standard and now here we are. So there’s a heightened awareness of downstream and upstream. People want cleaner, greener type products. And depending on the brand, it means different things to different people.

Yeah, and so in addition to clean water, there’s also a focus on less water usage, right? So that’s where, we were talking before we just jumped in here, you guys are rolling out a new product that’s really aiming at low or no water cleaning. Is that right?

Yes, it is called SOPAL Zero and we’ve reimagined cleaning with solid surfactant technology. It’s fully formulated. It’s provided in a granule or flake form and it’s water free. And in the case of bars, it can be pressed into bars. So that means there’s no water involved and the companies that are out there and the prototypes that we’re providing are not packaged in plastic, they’re packaged in compostable paper.

Got it. That’s cool.

ACI defines sustainable cleaning as reduced water, reduced energy, and reduced waste. And the product that we rolled out addresses all of that.

I love that. So when we talk about less water, I’ve been in the cleaning industry and I’ve been around ACI for a long time, from my time at Shell and Clariant, I personally don’t do laundry because my husband’s the laundry guy, just for the record. But I think about laundry, I think about dish cleaning, water is inherently part of that process.

So when we talk about a water free formulation, this is about getting it to the consumer without the use of water. Is that the interpretation?

That is correct.

Got it. So it can be formulated in a dry format.

Correct. It also can be used as is because of the granular form. Powdered cleansers are emerging once again.

Are they? I didn’t know that.

Yes, what’s old is now new.

My fifth theme that I want to share with you coming out of ACI was around balancing innovation. Sometimes we could say we’re balancing innovation on a knife edge. I see it as this innovation tug of war between desires and intents, product capabilities and corporate and company and manufacturing capabilities and speed. So companies are desiring innovation, but not just companies, consumers too, we’re all seeking this. Whether it’s sourcing ingredients in an evolving environment, whether it’s developing and bringing out greener, more sustainable products to meet some of these other trends that I’ve just discussed. Think less water usage, that requires some different products. Protecting water, that requires some different products.

Of course, there’s this desire. And that’s one part of this. The second piece is around capabilities and performance. So again, I started this conversation around things with performance. I’m going to talk about that again. Because, it’s not easy. You guys know this. I know this. In fact, one of the words that kept getting referenced too is, oh, this product has multifunctional capabilities. So the balance of these innovation capabilities is multifunctional. And my lingo is code word for it is, not a drop in replacement. You should not be shocked by this. I am not shocked by this. There are no easy drop ins. Part of this is, it’s hard to replace decades of continuous improvement and innovation in a heartbeat.

I think if we look at today’s formulations, they’ve come together over time. They’ve evolved. We are seeing the same thing. The desire for innovation and new products, and the capabilities of those products. So having to find new ways to put them together, maximizing performance across that value chain. Then the third piece is around speed. So it’s one thing to innovate quickly. The flip side of this and this drag, frankly, on speed that has been the topic of conversation at ACI. It’s been the topic of conversation at other industry events I’ve been to as I talked to leaders for the past several years, is difficult regulatory timelines.

And the need for the EPA to be effective, the need for TSCA to be effective. We need to be able to bring the products into market that the market wants. In order to do that, we need to be able to have much quicker regulatory approvals. They are taking, I think they have sped up a little bit from 12 to 18 months to now less. But for TSCA, a lot of this stuff is supposed to be approved in three months, and we’re certainly not seeing that. Now, again, overlaying this concern around the changes that the new Trump administration is bringing down on government agencies, including the EPA, what the effects of DOJ are, and how we’re going to start reshaping.

So balancing innovation is definitely a theme that is coming through when we talk about that. 

I had a great conversation with Ned Weintraub from Noble AI. I’m sharing part of that here with you as we talk about this challenge of timing, of replacements, of finding suitable replacements and innovations, and how AI and specifically Noble AI are helping companies navigate that. So here’s Ned.

Ned Weintraub, Noble AI

What are the key trends that you are seeing and hearing that chemical companies and cleaning products companies are looking for today?

Ned Weintraub: Yeah, there’s really two big ones that are big takeaways for us. Number one is around regulatory and sustainability issues, a continuation from last year, but really a heavier focus on regulatory issues that are coming down the pike. And, really understanding how these companies can be more proactive in avoiding risk, avoiding potential issues.

Then number two is, the market is heating up in terms of getting products to market. How can they get products to market faster, more profitably, and more sustainable?

Yeah. Two big takeaways, that makes sense and I’m hearing a lot about that as well. So how does AI fit in and support that?

The old saying, how do we do more with less? AI certainly checks that box. This is a way that companies from tip to tail, from ideation all the way out to scale out and optimization can leverage machine learning to solve a lot of these problems long before you ever have to go to a bench and do any kind of chemistry or any kind of production. A lot of these problems can be solved in a computer.

Makes sense. AI know I’m embracing AI more and more every day. It is what it is. Noble AI is obviously a young company, it is an innovative company. What new innovations are you guys rolling out this year that we should be looking for?

We do pride ourselves on pushing the envelope and being cutting edge. And that’s what our customers expect from us. What we’re seeing are ways that again, what can customers do better without having to hire their way out of a problem or becoming a leader. So for us, it is number one, building products around helping them be more agile around potential regulatory issues. Again, becoming more proactive. And number two is really helping from tip to tail, from the first ideas of a product all the way through each step, and helping where AI can insert and optimize.

We’re not replacing anything, but we are optimizing in areas that normally have not been.

And you guys are rolling out a new solution this year, is that true?

We certainly are. It’s called RAIR. RA is risk assessment, IR is ingredient replacement. And this goes to this notion of some of these companies have thousands and thousands of ingredients. Certainly, hundreds and hundreds of products. How can they quickly assess those formulations for potential risks? So that number one, they’re avoiding those risks. And then number two, it’s not just enough to tell them that you’ve got a problem. People don’t want to hear problems. They want to hear solutions. So our idea is not only do we tell you what the risks are, we have an opportunity then to help identify potential replacement ingredients.

Which is half the battle, right? It’s easy to say what you don’t want in your formulation, it’s harder to find what you do want sometimes.

Some great insights from Ned Weintraub. Again, I’m going to just restate the five themes that have really come through from the ACI 2025. And that is performance focus. Secondly, a shift to sustainability with a small S. Three is alignment to values, both employee and consumer values. The fourth is protecting and reducing water, right? And water is definitely in focus. And the fifth is balancing innovation grants desires, capability, and speed.

So that’s it for me for this week, and I’d love to hear what did you hear at ACI this year? What stands out for you? What did you pick up on? What am I missing? Shoot me an email. Send me a message on LinkedIn or leave a message on The Chemical Show page on LinkedIn and would love to hear from you. Thanks for joining us today, we will talk to you again soon.

About Jim and Ned:

Jim Griffin

I have 38 years of surfactant experience in personal care, home care, and industrial. I am currently the technical director for SCT, and I have held that position for 9 years. Prior to SCT I worked at Solvay for 29 years. Some of my areas of expertise include innovation driven R&D, product development and industrialization, formulating, and applications. My most recent innovation was the creation and industrialization of a fully formulated product supplied in a granular or flake form targeting the zero-waste market segment. When I’m not in the laboratory I can be found on my mountain bike riding the trails in some local parks, surfing, or exploring this countries great national parks. 

Ned Weintraub

Ned Weintraub brings a history of success in achieving and beating objectives for revenue growth to his role as Chief Revenue Officer at NobleAI, a pioneer in Science-based AI solutions for chemical and material informatics. Prior to joining NobleAI, Weintraub was Senior VP, World Sales for 7SIGNAL, an enterprise SaaS Wifi monitoring solution provider, where he helped the company achieve 70% year-over-year annual recurring revenue growth. He also drove revenue growth, developed go-to-market strategies, forged global partnerships and built enterprise sales teams as Vice President of Sales at Virtana, a leader in hybrid cloud infrastructure, and Aternity, a provider of application performance and end-user monitoring tools. His deep domain experience additionally spans sales roles at HP Cloud, Savision BV, Trellia Networks and Lumeta Corporation, as well as an Executive Advisor engagement with Undock, where he provides mentorship on sales strategy and execution.