What kind of laundry detergent should we seek out, as ethical consumers? Thanks to Lisa for the suggestion to cover this topic in the New! GSP! Ethical Guide! I wrote two posts about this, back in 2017 (Year 2 of the End Times; Just kidding – we’re going to be fine!) but there have been some developments since then.

In revenge of the pods, I looked at the development of laundry pods from a risk vs. reward point of view. The main risk from an environmental perspective is the material used to make the pod coating – polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). An environmental assessment of any product/material has to consider the risks from the cradle to the grave. There has been a lot of focus on the grave: how well PVA breaks down in aquatic systems and whether it poses a threat to life.  However, we also need to consider the cradle – the chemical that PVA is made from – Vinyl acetate (VA).

Since then, a 2025 paper reported “compelling evidence” for carcinogenicity of VA, with its breakdown to acetaldehyde (a known carcinogen) proposed as the main mechanism. Here’s a figure from that paper, with my annotations 😉

At their December 19, 2024, meeting, [California’s] Carcinogen Identification Committee (CIC) voted unanimously (11 yes, 0 no) to add VA to the Proposition 65 List for cancer. – Carcinogenicity of vinyl acetate (2025).

During production of the detergent pod polymer PVA, most of the unreacted VA monomer is removed “by vacuum drying, steam sparging, and/or washing.” Where does it go? Is the small amount of VA that remains associated with the PVA a problem? Is the PVA itself a problem?

That last question is still up for debate. PVA doesn’t magically disappear during our laundry run. Even if it completely dissolves, that doesn’t mean that it completely breaks down, even in wastewater treatment plants. Even a decade ago, a paper on The Mediterranean Plastic Soup reported that PVA constitutes around 1.2% of the microplastics floating in the Med.

Biodegradation of PVA under marine conditions seems to be negligible – Assessment of Toxicity and Biodegradability of PVA-Based Materials in Marine Water (2021).

This all needs to be viewed in a risk versus reward light. If we were talking about small amounts of PVA used for something critical like heart valves, I wouldn’t be concerned. But laundry isn’t heart surgery and the pods aren’t solving a problem that can’t be fixed by other means (see below). The convenience of pods comes at the price of communities and habits such as those around Cancer Alley. Also consider how communities are impacted when spills occur – for example, the 2023 freight train derailment in Ohio that spilled vinyl chloride, the monomer used to make PVC.

In addition, most laundry detergent pods have to be packaged in elaborate plastic child-proof containers to reduce the number of accidental poisonings that skyrocketed when pods were introduced. I argued before that the benefits of pods are not worth the risks and I still feel the same way. Even more so, actually!

Is PVA justified for laundry detergent sheets?

The same PVA that’s used to make pods is also used to make laundry detergent sheets. There’s obviously a bigger value proposition here – laundry sheets are extremely light and can be packaged in small cardboard boxes. But almost all of these products are held together with a substantial amount of PVA – even bestselling brands like Earth Breeze. (Ah there’s nothing like a nice Earth breeze – so much more refreshing than a Mars or Uranus breeze!) I appreciate the idea of sticking it to the multinationals that have dominated the laundry detergent space for decades, but when it involves PVA it doesn’t feel like a win. If you plan to order from Earth Breeze, check out this warning about the checkout process.

At least Earth Breeze is somewhat accountable (and is actually a certified B-Corp). I checked Amazon’s bestselling laundry detergents and (after a bunch of Tide products) position #18 is held by a brand of laundry sheets called Fisroa. A completely opaque brand (no functional website) that claims to be plastic-free but almost certainly contains PVA. Amazon lists the ingredients as “low-foaming, safe, and clean ingredients” – are you kidding me, Amazon?! That’s illegal. It astounds me that so many are still willing to shell out for Prime.

Anyway, back to detergent… Laundry sheets are attractive in several ways but most appear to contain around 50% PVA, posing environmental threats that outweigh their benefits.

However, there’s now one prominent brand of laundry detergent sheets that’s PVA-free – it’s called Proofed! This company uses “microplastic–free patented technology that utilizes naturally-sourced plant based binders” to form their laundry sheets. I was going to try them out but then decided to try laundry tablets instead.

Best options for laundry: powder, concentrate, and tablets

The last time I wrote about laundry detergent I was using powder from Biokleen and recommended it as a responsible choice. I just checked Biokleen’s website and see that they no longer make powder, which is a shame. I assumed this was a response to low consumer demand but the company changed hands in 2019 so there may be other factors at play.

I still think that laundry powder is one of the best choices, and there are plenty of powder-based products to choose from. Chicago-based Meliora and Australia-based resparkle look like good options, both focused on responsible ingredients and packaging.

Liquid laundry detergent is also an option if it’s concentrated (around 64 loads per liter), made by a company that’s worth supporting, and packaged responsibly (e.g., Clean Cult and Dr. Bronner’s).

If you’re looking for the convenience of pre-measured doses combined with the efficacy of a powdered detergent, then I recommend PVA-free laundry tablets.

Blueland laundry tablets

I bought some laundry detergent tablets from the Blueland last week to try them out. I put them to the test with a heavy load of washing – bedsheets, a large bath towel and mixed clothes. I used just one tablet ($0.35) placed at the bottom of the drum, a little concerned that one tablet may not be enough. But I was actually really happy with the results – my clothes came out perfectly clean, smelled good, and were noticeably softer than normal.

But wait, there’s more – I checked my black clothes carefully and there were no traces of powder. White streaks from undissolved powder are occasionally reported for some products, usually laundry sheets.

Obviously laundry detergent, eco-friendly or not, should be functional. Keeping your clothes in good shape has large social and environmental benefits, so there’s no point in buying an inferior product that results in you trashing your clothes. So far, I’m totally happy with the performance of Blueland and I’ll update this if I discover any problems.

I should point out that (tempting as it is) I don’t use affiliate links or accept free products. The goal of the GSP and Ethical Bargains is to be objective. Speaking of EB, I’ll aim to do a full post on Blueland on that site, which is a collection of case studies in ethics. If there are any other laundry detergent products you’d like me to cover (or can recommend) post a comment below 🙂

Seeking ethical laundry detergents

We spent a lot of time on PVA, but I think it was time well-spent. Pods have really taken over, but are largely made by the usual suspects: P&G, Unilever, etc. The multinationals that dominated the detergent space for decades (the brands that we grew up with) have a lot to answer for and are best avoided. Issues range from unethical palm oil sourcing to animal testing and price fixing. Almost all of the better options are made by smaller companies.

 Here are some broad guidelines for seeking out an ethical laundry detergent:

• Avoid pods, mainly to avoid generating demand for vinyl acetate (VA), the carcinogenic precursor to PVA. We often focus on end-of-life and forget that some polymers begin their life as highly toxic monomers.
• If interested in trying laundry sheets (which offer some benefits) then seek out PVA-free brands such as Proofed! (That exclamation point is theirs, not mine!)
• Laundry detergent powder is still the best choice either as a loose powder (e.g., Meliora, resparkle) or in the form of pre-measured tablets (e.g., Blueland, Vave). Liquid can be ok if concentrated and responsibly made.
• Don’t forget the other wider aspects of the product/company. Look for certifications (e.g., cruelty-free) and commitments to green energy and responsible packaging.
• Remember that the surfactants used in laundry detergents are often made from palm oil. Unless a company shows a real commitment to sustainable palm oil (beyond RSPO) then I’d rather it’s made from something else, such as coconut. I can go into this a little more in when I cover hand soap. Not right away – I need a clean break from detergents for a while!