India, Aug. 12 -- Walk into any supermarket today and many shoppers can be seen turning over cereal boxes, checking skincare labels and comparing ingredient lists before making a purchase. Yet, when it comes to home care products, many consumers still shop the way they did years ago choosing the one that promises bright whites, stain removal or a fresh fragrance.

But around the world, that habit is beginning to change. Not because detergents have stopped cleaning well, but because consumers are beginning to ask a different question: what happens after the wash is over?

Every load of laundry eventually makes its way into rivers, lakes and wastewater treatment systems. While modern detergents are designed to clean effectively, scientists ...