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Thread Number: 79700
/ Tag: Detergents and Additives
Detergent Capsules and plastic |
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| Post# 1035897 6/21/2019 at 06:20 (1,763 days old) by liberatordeluxe (UK) | ||
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Hello, Does anyone know if the concentrated laundry capsules such as Persil 'Powercaps' contain plastic? Just got me thinking after watching the 'War on Plastic' on BBC One. | ||
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Post# 1035905 , Reply# 1 6/21/2019 at 07:45 (1,763 days old) by Launderess  (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Short answer is yes
Pods are made from synthetic polymers, which are a type of plastic.
grist.org/living/detergent-pods-... Some claim the things clog up their drains, but that isn't a wide spread concern. However at least for laundry there are reports of the things not dissolving in the wash, lasting through rinse. If not caught before drying the "plastic" can bake onto laundry. Happened once when using a St. Croix detergent pod in the famous water stingy AEG Lavamat. Ruined a nice white t-shirt.. | ||
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Post# 1035917 , Reply# 2 6/21/2019 at 08:58 (1,763 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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| Post# 1036191 , Reply# 3 6/23/2019 at 14:40 (1,761 days old) by perc-o-prince (Southboro, Mass) | ||
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Have pulled... plastic from Cascade d/w pods out of spray arms on Miele dishwashers when folks claim washability issues. That, and the pods are way too much soap. Chuck | ||
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Post# 1036192 , Reply# 4 6/23/2019 at 14:55 (1,761 days old) by ozzie908 (Lincoln UK) |
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As we wage war on plastic | ||
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Post# 1036246 , Reply# 6 6/24/2019 at 06:32 (1,760 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Powders are done for, IMHO
Given the push towards warm to cool or even cold water on wash day, formulating powdered detergents that work at such low temps is a challenge. Yes, TOL offerings such as Persil (Henkel or Unilever) and certain commercial products manage when the dial is turned down to 85C or so, but others can and do fail.
Detergent powders still relying upon heavy amounts of soda, borax, Zeolites and so forth may not dissolve properly in cold water. Besides giving a poor wash, you end up with streaks or bits of powder every where. Big push is towards pods and liquitabs, and yes liquids. P&G, Henkel, et al want to get away with using less water for their liquid detergents. But the thicker things get you have issues with dosing. All of us who tried Ariel gel faced that issue at one point or another I reckon. Ariel's failed "powergems" attempt shows the difficulties of formulating a compact powdered laundry product that gives pods/liquidtabs a run for their money. Tablet laundry detergents staged a brief comeback awhile ago, only to have that platform once again abandoned as history repeated itself. | ||
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Post# 1036252 , Reply# 8 6/24/2019 at 08:01 (1,760 days old) by ozzie908 (Lincoln UK) |
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Sad to say that as far as the War on Plastic goes | ||
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Post# 1036258 , Reply# 9 6/24/2019 at 09:55 (1,760 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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Detergent Pods Are Made From PVA
They break down completely and are even approved for coverings on food, it is often used in dietary supplements for the capsules.
The bits of plastic that all us service folks often see stuck in DW wash arms is NOT from detergent pods but rather from careless users letting bits of plastic wrappings get in their DWs. John L. | ||
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Post# 1036275 , Reply# 10 6/24/2019 at 13:54 (1,760 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Consider also local water quality
Liquid/gel detergents seem to have a far easier time coping with hard water than most powders. Again there are premium industrial/commercial products that are effective in moderately to water so hard one can chip a tooth by drinking, this even when not using Zeolites, but on average your typical soda and other salt laden products will are another matter.
Of course if phosphates were still allowed, that would put a completely different complexion on things. | ||
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Post# 1036343 , Reply# 12 6/25/2019 at 07:26 (1,759 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Plastic bags are streets ahead of paper containers
For sort of powder, especially those that will absorb moisture and or degrade by that process. Plastic containers make powders of all sorts far more shelf stable, and in the home or wherever as well.
Then there is the whole "green" issue; as Edwina Monsoon would say plastic is "kind to forests" why "because they (the containers in this case) ain't made of bloody wood". *LOL* | ||
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Post# 1036368 , Reply# 16 6/25/2019 at 15:42 (1,759 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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IIRC Tide powder detergents (if you can find them), are still sold in boxes. So is Persil (Henkel/Germany), and probably a majority of laundry detergent powders still sold in USA. Again there aren't many and or products don't seem to be in wide or deep distribution. Most stores have barely any shelf space left dedicated to powdered detergents. You *may* find the odd boxes of Tide, but usually only one version .
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Post# 1036396 , Reply# 19 6/26/2019 at 01:44 (1,758 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc) |
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Refill package---you are still throwing out ANOTHER container!What would be better is a bulk container at your store you fill YOUR detergent container from.Then there would truly be LESS containers being thown into the waste system. | ||
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Post# 1036397 , Reply# 20 6/26/2019 at 01:56 (1,758 days old) by thomasortega (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula) |
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Well, comparing in terms of volume... nope.... A plastic bag is far less "plastic waste" than a plastic bottle... If people have the chance to reuse a single plastic bottle for several months or years, then the plastic bag refill is an excellent choice. HOWEVER.... We all know not everybody's brain work like that, specially those "walmart" consumers. | ||
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Post# 1036416 , Reply# 21 6/26/2019 at 08:31 (1,758 days old) by ozzie908 (Lincoln UK) |
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@ liamy1 | ||
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Post# 1036437 , Reply# 22 6/26/2019 at 15:43 (1,758 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Haven't yet to try any American detergent pods | ||
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Post# 1036443 , Reply# 23 6/26/2019 at 17:25 (1,758 days old) by LowEfficiency (Iowa) |
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>> tolivac wrote:
>> Refill package---you are still throwing out ANOTHER container!What would be better is a bulk >> container at your store you fill YOUR detergent container from.Then there would truly be LESS >> containers being thown into the waste system. I'm not a fan of all of the disposable plastic either, but when weighing environmental impact, you really do have to look at the bigger picture. Cardboard boxed products are rarely "just cardboard". Almost always they have plastic or waxy coatings, inside and out, to block moisture and improve durability. Those coatings make them very difficult to recycle, so they go straight to the landfill. They cost more to make too, due to the variety of materials and the steps to produce a formed multi-material box. Plastic pouches, on the other hand, are single-material packaging, and therefore MUCH easier to recycle. In addition, they use less energy to produce, use less overall material, and are smaller for a given amount of product contained. Their deformable shape allows for more dense packing when put in cases for shipping to retailers, all of which reduces the environmental impact of the transportation of goods from manufacturer to distributor to retailer. Bulk product dispensers of course are an even better solution for the environment, but they add hassle and mess for the retailer, and are perceived as less convenient for consumers, so selling product that way is an uphill battle. | ||
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