Are sustainable products cost effective? Part 1: Laundry Detergent

This is a sustainable change that our household has not yet made. To be honest, I needed to do this research on the cost effectiveness. Some of these products have some serious sticker shock! So I wanted to pass along what I found within my research of five laundry detergents.

Fun fact, according to treehugger.com "A horrifying one billion laundry jugs are discarded in the United States annually. Once empty, only an estimated 30 percent of these high-density polyethylene (HPDE) jugs are recycled. The remaining 70 percent ends up in landfills, or clogs oceans and waterways."

#1 Tide Pods

A well known laundry detergent that we are currently using in our household. We currently buy a container that contains 72 pods for $18.00 at our local supermarket. These pods come in a large plastic container that I hate to say, before this month, we had never recycled. Although this is one of the cheaper options you may find, the sustainability factor is low.

Average Cost: $0.25/ per load

#2 Dropps (pods)

A lesser known laundry detergent with the same concept of Tide pods. The one major difference being: packaging. Dropps is delivered to your door in a 100% recyclable cardboard box. Personally, I find the storage aspect of the cardboard box much easier than the large plastic jug. You can order the pods in quantities ranging from 56 loads to 804 loads, this allows you to cut down in shipping as you order larger quantities.

Average Cost: $0.22/ per load

#3 Gain Liquid Detergent

Another well known detergent option. Personally, we do not use the liquid detergent as it takes up a great deal of space and is generally messier than pods. This detergent can be found in a jug containing 64 loads for $11 at a store near you. This is by far the cheapest detergent I included. However, there are some clear downfalls to this detergent. As many know, these liquid detergents contain a great deal of water to make them more appealing to the eye in terms of cost effectiveness. I am victim to this marketing scheme as well. I see a huge jug of detergent for $11, what a steal! But these large jugs often sit in landfills for longer than we are alive. Is it really worth the $0.10/ per load that you save?

Average Cost: $0.17/ per load

#4 Better Life Liquid Laundry Detergent

Another sustainable laundry option, this time in liquid form. I thought it was important to include this in the list as an eco-friendly option for those liquid detergent lovers. Most of the sustainable options I have found tend to steer away from liquid forms of detergent. But I know the feeling of wanting to stay in your comfort zone and this may ease some of you into the making the jump. This liquid detergent comes in a biodegradable jug with 64 loads for $16.00. The detergent is also made using plant based ingredients. To make things more interesting, when looking at cost effectiveness, this detergent is even with the cost of Tide pods.

Average Cost: $0.25/ per load

#5 The Simply Co. Laundry

Powder

This is the most expensive option I am going to talk about. But I love the packaging in the glass jar. This is so much more sustainable for the environment and it looks crisp and clean in the laundry room. To use the laundry powder, you use one tablespoon of detergent for small loads and two tablespoons for large loads. The glass jar comes with 60 loads for $18.00. Personally, I have never tried powdered laundry detergent. But this product definitely stuck out as a sustainable choice.

Average cost: $0.30/ per load

#6 Tru Earth Laundry Strips

Another fairly pricey option, but when bought in bulk, pretty comparable with well known brands. If you only buy a pack of 32 strips, you pay $20, averaging almost $0.63/ per load. Now that is a bit of a jump compared to the $0.25/ per load we are currently paying for Tide pods. But if you buy a pack of 384 strips, meant to last you a whole year, you pay $109, making the price $0.28/per load. Much more realistic. Still, I find laundry sheets to be a foreign concept. I know what dryer sheets are, but I had never seen these laundry sheets. One huge advantage this product may have is ease of travel. Laundry sheets would be really convenient for those who travel for business or pleasure. The ability to do laundry without buying detergent when you get there or finding a way to pack pods or liquid, seems like a great advantage to this product. It's definitely a product that will take a commitment to make it cost effective but I would love to hear your thoughts, especially if you have tried something similar.

Average Cost: $0.28/ per load

Hopefully you aren't overwhelmed with information. I thought it was important to start talking about the real difference in cost when making sustainable choices. Be on the look out, my plan is to put a post out at least once a week discussing the cost effectiveness of a sustainable product. This is my attempt at creating real behavior change in the field of sustainability.