Ditch the Plastic Laundry Sheets - A Greener Approach to Cleaning

Are Laundry and Dishwasher Pods and Sheets Plastic? Yes, unfortunately the majority are. We have even seen cases where the Companies are saying "plastic free" but below the surface they have 30-40% PVA!!!!

Laundry and dishwasher pods and sheets are made with or wrapped in petroleum-based plastic called polyvinyl alcohol, also referred to as PVA or PVOH. This plastic is designed to dissolve, but it doesn't disappear. Pods are plastic.

What is PVA? PVA, also known as polyvinyl alcohol or PVOH, is a plastic polymer used in most dishwasher and laundry pods and sheets. PVA is the thin plastic wrapping around pods and is woven into laundry sheets to keep them intact. PVA is designed to dissolve, but it doesn't disappear. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 20 billion PVA wrapped dishwasher and laundry pods are used every year. These pods dissolve and wash down our drains, but just because they dissolve doesn't mean they disappear. Over ~75% of plastic PVA particles persist in oceans, waterways and soils after they dissolve, leaving fully intact PVA particles to pollute the environment.

Is PVA Plastic? Yes. PVA is a synthetic, petroleum-based plastic that is often used to make thin layers of plastic wrapping and lining, like the wrapping of dishwasher and laundry pods and sheets. Many brands will sell "plastic-free" laundry or dishwasher detergent. However, if you look closer and see PVA, PVOH or Polyvinyl Alcohol as an ingredient, you'll know it can't really be plastic-free. PVA is a plastic polymer that is being washed down our drains.

Does PVA Biodegrade? PVA is designed to dissolve in water so it is often out of sight and out of mind. However, research is starting to show in USA that over ~75% of PVA from plastic pods persist in the environment after they've dissolved in dishwashers and washing machines and washed down the drains.

It is possible for PVA to biodegrade, but it requires extremely specific conditions in order to break down. PVA is only biodegradable with the presence of certain PVA-adapted microorganisms and a specific amount of time needed with these microorganisms for the plastic to degrade.

CR chemist Eric Boring confirms that PVA is biodegradable—under the right conditions. “Specific enzymes and microorganisms that can metabolize PVA need to be present. These enzymes/microorganisms may or may not be present in the environment,” Boring says.

So these invisible plastics get swollowed/eaten and drank? Probably by our sea life for sure.

What Happens when PVA is Released Back into the Environment? Research on PVA is just getting started. Once it's in the environment, PVA has the potential to exhibit bioaccumulative properties, which means it could carry other toxic chemicals or heavy metals up the food chain. Like other forms of plastic pollution, PVA has the potential to cause harm to the environment, plants and animals. A recent study has even found PVA in human breast milk.

What Can You Do About PVA? Join our campaign against PVA, and recognize that Pods Are Plastic. Despite the appearance of PVA, it is a plastic that is being released back into our environment. Sign our petition to request that the EPA regulate PVA, and require further environmental health and safety testing. In addition, we're asking the EPA to remove PVA from the EPA Safer Choice List, until such testing is complete. Read our full petition here.

It's time to ditch the plastic laundry sheets and pods and opt for a greener, more sustainable approach to cleaning. Let's work together to keep PVA out of our waterways and environment.