Microplastics Are in Our Detergent, Dish Soap and Toothpaste…
What Can We Do About It?
I hate to say this but microplastics are most likely in your detergent, dish soap, shampoo and toothpaste if you are using major brands. Why? Because They reduce the foam and ensure the dirt is eliminated more efficiently. Just because you cannot see the plastic in your shampoo or detergent doesn’t mean it’s not there.
I remember my parents told me that microbead cleansers (containing tiny pieces of polyethylene plastic) and toothpastes can no longer be sold in the US. I even wrote an article about President Obama signing the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 a couple months ago. I know it's off-topic but did you know that microbeads can still be used in deodorants, lotions and makeup!? What is going on?
So, It turned out we need more knowledge about microplastics in what we use daily. And lucky you! You are reading this article and you can take action today!
Let’s pick the case of detergent from Plastic Soup Foundation article:
In Austria, an environmental agency (GLOBAL 2000) and a consumer organisation (AK OÖ) together tested 300 detergents for microplastics and it turned out microplastics were found in 119 detergents out of 300.
And it turned out in the US, more than half of detergents contains microplastics. Once these microplastics are released they will pollute our rivers and oceans and harm not only the marine food chain but also our own. Worst of all it’s not required for detergent companies to publish all ingredients on their products. Just like chewing gum, they don’t say it’s plastic, they just say “gum base”. Tricking people is not nice but people who have been tricked can eventually wise-up. Let’s find out how we can choose environmentally safe companies!
Oh, by the way, if your parents are using the “pod” detergent, the packet films are made of polyvinyl alcohol, which is plastic. Again, if companies say it’s safe to use, do you believe it? I don’t. There is no way plastics are safe in our ecosystem. Click here to read the pod article
No need to freak out! There are so many companies who care about the Earth nowadays. But I understand you don’t want to get greenwashed or have no time to research each one of them whether it’s really a good brand or not.
Here are some sustainable plastic-free detergents which I have picked for you. There are more eco-friendly detergents available but they come in solid plastic bottles or contain some synthetic ingredients so I decided not to put those names on the list.
Blueland: a tablet detergent which is free of plastic such as PVA/PVOH (polyvinyl alcohol)
ETEE: a concentrated laundry detergent which is free of plastic such as PVA/PVOH
MELIORA: a laundry powder which is free of plastics such as PVA/PVOH
Miracle Made: dissolvable plastic free sheet detergents that only contain five natural ingredients.
simply.co: laundry Detergent (available exclusively at @packagefreeshop)
To be honest, it is so hard to find 100% plastic-free packaging AND ingredients. But I would like to say those listed are the best choices and I really hope more companies will begin to make Earth-friendly products.
Those companies also offer a lot of other plastic-free household products which you should check out.
I wanted to research more about eco-friendly products. So I asked my mom to take us to some retail stores. And I found out there are eco-friendly options if you look! Read the next article to find out more!