Blueland: Plastic-Free Laundry Detergent

Blueland Laundry Detergent is plastic-free, sold as a starter kit with a blue tin, and then just buy refills (the fragrance is naturally derived, and there’s a fragrance-free version too for pregnancy, babies, pets etc).

Along with oxygen bleach boosters and refills. Just add one tablet to the washing machine, or two tablets for heavy loads. We only recommend their unscented items, as scented ones contain fragrance oil.

Choose unscented laundry detergents if pregnant/nursing and for baby/pet bedding (and higher temperatures for weak immune systems). Use natural oxygen bleach for stains. And use a microfibre filter, for synthetic fabrics.

Avoid Most ‘Biodegradable Laundry Sheets’

Most ‘biodegradable laundry sheets’ contain PVA (plastic polyvinyl alcohol). Plastic Pollution Coalition wants a ban on such terms being used, to greenwash consumers.

The law says that if 60% of something degrades into carbon dioxide and water within 28 days, it ‘passes the test’, even if the other 40% of plastic is still present, and leaches out to sea, after wastewater system treatment. As an example, salt also biodegrades, but it’s still in the water. Just like plastic pouches.

One environmentalist writes that in order to ‘trust items made with PVA’, she would want to know when, where and for how long PVA is coming into contact with such processes, as biodegradation needs certain times and temperatures, in order to safely break down. And as no company can promise this, she avoids them.

Got chemical laundry products under the sink? You can bin empty containers (don’t rinse). For half-full items, take them to toxic waste at your local refuse centre.