Book excerpt: Environmental considerations are increasingly shaping the development of many industries. This is an overview of surfactants and the environment. It goes on to look at new surfactants derived from renewable, "natural" resources such as sucrose, seaweed and starch. Other chapters review a decade of change in the surfactant industry and assess future market trends. Some of the developments in surfactant technology are presented, including "gemini" twin-chained surfactants, sulfobetaines, alkyl phosphates and the use of alkyl alkoxylates and alkyl glucosides in highly alkaline solutions. The volume takes a practical approach throughout.