Almost every household uses laundry powder detergent to clean and sterilize linen, however, detergent packaging effects are environmental hazardous on earth.
ko-Test examined 26 best powder laundry detergents marketed in supermarkets and budget retailers.
Verify washing efficacy, stain removal, and environmental effect.
Merely 15% of detergents scored highly, while most, including well-known brands and low-cost alternatives like Aldi's and Lidl's powder detergent, scored only sufficient.
Many detergents include harmful components like synthetic polymers and perfumes, which lowers their environmental score.
Plastic compounds are water-soluble but weakly degradable, so purification plants can't filter them and they wind up in irrigation systems and the oceans.
According to producers, intensive detergents have no alternative to synthetic polymers.
Depending on the polymer, they have diverse functions, however, they are commonly used in detergent to minimize foam and remove dirt better during washing.
4 of 26 tested detergents don't contain problematic plastic components.
detergents include polluting optical brighteners.
These whiten laundry but are damaging to the environment and hard to remove.
If they move from fibers to skin, they might trigger allergic responses under sunlight.
Even laundry scents affect the environment.
Primarily, the Lilial scent, which may impact reproduction, caused a bad outcome.
Some perfumes are hazardous to aquatic species and aren't biodegradable.
A difficulty considering that manufacturers and customers value fresh-smelling laundry.
Sonett contains no smell, optical brightener, or plastic ingredient, according to ko-Test.
Ecover Universal Waschpulver, Shetlan Vollwaschmittel Super Compact (Penny) and Tandil Ultra-Plus (Aldi Süd) follow.
Ariel features synthetic polymers and optical whitener, no comprehensive label, and average washing performance.
German publication proposes eco-friendly detergents without synthetic polymers.
Consumers can't tell whether a product contains these compounds since the labels use difficult chemical names. Consumption detergent dispensers that let you balance product use depending on laundry volume and water hardness.
Best powder detergent packaging effects on earth
Phosphates and NPE surfactants are the effects of powder detergent packaging chemicals on the earth.
1 Chemical generated from petroleum is also an issue.
Surfactants are the best to help soil float away from clothes by forming a micelle that surrounds it and takes it away.
They are poisonous to fish and aquatic creatures.
2 Proctor and Gamble (Tide, Gain) discontinued using nonylphenol ethoxylate surfactants some years ago, and several states have outlawed phosphates in laundry detergent for many years.
Plastic packaging has an environmental effect.
Most large manufacturers utilize plastic containers that may be recycled and typically incorporate post-consumer recycled plastic.
Even better for the environment are detergents without plastic packaging.
ECOSNEXT is a liquidless detergent that embeds plant-based cleaning components in a sheet that dissolves in the wash water.