Who doesn't look forward to laundry day?
It's an inevitable part of every weekly routine: toss your clothes in, suds them up, and give them a nice hot trip to the dryer. About that sudsy bit though, you may be giving your clothes a good clean, but it's not exactly great for the planet.
Yes laundry detergent may be doing double duty on the stains on your favorite pair of jeans, but it's also doing some serious damage to the planet. Don't worry, we're not going to tell you to skip laundry day, but there are some ways you can make your laundry routine a bit more eco-friendly.
Why is laundry detergent bad for the environment?
In the USA alone, 2.5 million plastic bottles are used every hour (laundry bottles being one of the most common offenders). In fact, 700,000,000 plastic laundry jugs are dumped into landfills across North America every year. Added to that, 14% of plastic packaging is recycled and that might as well be 0% of detergent bottle due to the fact that plastic must be completely cleaned in order to be recycled.
Yep... that big bottle of Tide that is 'empty' is not going to be recycled if there is still a bit of Tide on the inside. And let's be honest, how many of us thoroughly wash out our detergent bottles before tossing them in the big green bin?
That’s not to mention the chemicals, non-biodegradable surfactants, and plastic pods used by most conventional laundry detergent brands…
Fortunately, you can put a sustainable spin on the spin cycle with some eco-friendly alternatives to traditional laundry detergent.
What are eco-friendly ways to wash clothes?
So the classic plastic tub of laundry detergent is out, what can you replace it with? Fortunately there are plenty of eco-friendly ways to keep your clothes clean, stain-free, and smelling fresh. They come in a few common forms:
- Laundry powders
- Laundry sheets
- Laundry pods
Browse the selection of eco-friendly laundry detergents and start cleaning up your laundry routine.
The best eco-friendly laundry detergents
1. EcoRoots Laundry Detergent Sheets
Price: $19.19 for one box
Materials: Made of biodegradable detergent strips with natural fragrances, oils, and extracts.
Brand ethics: EcoRoots is a small business with a big mission, to bring zero/low-waste products to mass market. EcoRoots is committed to sustainable products, plastic-free shipping, and donating a portion of sales to environmental causes.
These ultra-concentrated, lightweight, hypoallergenic, and super easy to use, laundry detergent strips pack a ton of cleaning power into a tiny, pre-measured strip of detergent. No measuring, no mess, dissolves in both hot and cold water and works great in all washing machines. Each sheet = 2 loads meaning a package of these sheets can support 64 loads of laundry. What's more, EcoRoots packages their laundry sheets in compostable packaging. Save space and the planet with these laundry detergent sheets
2. Dropps laundry detergent pods
Price: $19.50 for 64 pods
Materials: The pod membrane is made of a water soluble casing called Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), which dissolves upon contact with water. The detergent inside is a natural blend of soap and fragrances.
Brand ethics: Dropps is committed to creating sustainable, plastic-free products to offer alternatives to a variety of common household items.
Dropps laundry detergent pods look and function just like Tide pods, minus the BS (bad stuff). They're made from a mix of plant-based ingredients and synthetic fragrances with a commitment to sustainability. Dropps ships in compostable containers and uses carbon neutral shipping options to give you a waste-free laundry experience. Thanks to the pre-portioned detergent pods (which dissolve in water) there is zero plastic in this product.
3. Meliora laundry powder
Price: $18.99
Materials: Made from a blend of natural powdered soap and fragrances.
Brand ethics: Meliora is a certified B Corp, they donate 1% towards environmental causes, and are committed to sustainable products that are good for the planet.
Skip the liquid detergent packed in a bottle and go for powder packed in a recyclable steel canister. This laundry powder can be sed in place of liquid detergent, it's naturally made and free of synthetic fragrances, brighteners, or preservatives. Simply scoop 1/2 tablespoon into the washer and let it spin.