This post was updated in November 2023. Read the update.
QUESTIONfrom Amy K, Los Altos, California: I like to use those dishwasher pods in the disposable clear packs, but I want to make sure they break down in the environment. Do they?
MOM DETECTIVE ANSWER:Thank you for this important question. It’s not as simple to answer as it seems.
Laundry and dishwasher pods are made ofpolyvinyl alcohol (PVA). PVA is a synthetic polymer (plastic) that is marketed as dissolving in water, leaving you with the perfect amount of detergent. In that regard, pods do save you from overloading your laundry or dishwasher. PVA is a vinyl polymerthat is touted by industry for being the only vinyl polymer known to get broken down by microorganisms—if certain conditions with the right bacteria present exist.
PVA and other similar blends, such as PVOH and PVAI, are used increasingly in consumer products to package laundry pods, power the laundry “sheet” or “tab,” and enrobe dishwasher gels or solutions. They’re all synthetic plastic polymers that seem to disappear in the wash process.
The good news about these inventions is that they reduce the amount of water needed in products and can lower the travel footprint of products.
The downside is that most PVA does not break down and disappear. Instead, these manmade materials change into smaller micro-bits of plastic that you can’t see. They are so small that they wash down the drain. Then the particles wind up in our environment, contributing to plastic pollution. It’s been calculated that detergent pods contribute to 8,000 tons of PVA that goes into the environment annually. To give some context, that equates to 600 million plastic soda bottles worth of plastic, yearly. And only 75% of the PVA material gets broken down.
One way to think about how PVA works is to think about dissolving sugar in water. The sugar crystals will disappear, but when you drink the water, you know that there is sugar present from the very taste of it. Similarly, even when PVA disappears when mixed with wash water, it’s still present in the water. And it still contributes to plastic pollution.
And there are numerous ways PVA can cause environmental pollution. Once PVA plastic particles enter the sewage system, some will escape and enter the environment, where they can wind up in the air or soil, while others will become sewage sludge or end up in our wastewater treatment systems.
Beyond pollution, we don’t yet know the true cost of having these chemicals widely circulating in our air, water, soil, and eventually, our bodies. We know microplastics can harm the health of the animal and plant worlds. For example, when coral ingests and interacts with nanoplastics, it is associated with bleaching and other signs of disease and ultimately death. We also knowbirds (and other marine life, even whales) that ingest plastic can have adverse health issues and even death.
Here are a few ways to avoid PVA:
- Steer clear of “dissolvable” pack/packaging and don’t fall for “degradable” plastic claims. Almost all plastic requires special conditions that homes and/or recycling facilities don’t have.
- Look for products that are “concentrated” and use less space per volume.
- Find products that can be mixed with water at home to cut down on the financial and environmental cost of shipping.
- Look for powder detergents that can be packaged without the need for plastic.
- Write your legislators and ask for real and effective plastic pollution legislation.
As plastics continue to be part of our daily lives, we can also stop using them and spread the word demanding cleaner products that truly break down in the environment, not pollute it.
Tell Congress: Support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act
