Today we have so many options when it comes to washing our clothes. But is powder or liquid detergent better for the environment?
If, like me, you are looking to live a more sustainable life, then at some point you will turn to your laundry routine.
We use our washing machines a lot, some people wash several times a week, some do laundry every day, others even more often, especially if you have kids.
Either way, the amount of detergent we use is immense, so we should consider how it impacts on our environment.
In our quest to create an eco-friendly laundry routine, we might wonder, is powder or liquid detergent better for the environment? Let’s find out…
Find Your Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergent Quiz:
Answer 5 questions and get a personal recommendation.
Powder Vs Liquid
By directly comparing the two detergent forms, we will be able to get to the bottom of our question: is powder or liquid detergent better for the environment?
We will look at various categories, such as packaging, performance and production.
Production
Let’s start with the manufacturing of the detergents.
The main difference between liquid and powder detergent is the use of water. Liquid detergent consists of about 80% water.
Generally speaking, concentrated formulas, such as powder, are seen as more environmentally friendly, because they tend to be lighter and take up less space.
This means less energy is needed when being transported. It also takes less energy to manufacture powder detergent compared to liquid.
So when it comes to production, powder detergent is better for the environment.
Ingredients
While both detergents use the same groups of chemicals, such as fragrances and surfactants, the actual chemicals differ.
The surfactants used in powder detergents tend to break down easier, which means their impact on the environment is potentially smaller.
Products in powder form also have a longer shelf life than liquid ones, because the ingredients used are more stable when in a powder. So there is less chance of waste with powder.
Again, it looks like powder detergents have the upper hand. But we get to ingredients in more detail a bit later.
Performance
You might wonder why we discuss performance in an article that answers the question: is powder of liquid detergent better for the environment?
There are several reasons. Firstly, no matter how much better a product is for the planet, if it doesn’t do the job, you won’t use it, right?
And while both will clean your laundry, liquid detergents tend to be better for oil-based stains, such as food stains.
One big difference between powder and liquid detergent is their effectiveness in regard to temperatures. When it comes to washing with lower temperatures, liquid detergents work better, because they dissolve easier than powder.
As we all know, washing at lower temperatures, ideally cold or 30°C, uses less energy and is therefore better for the environment.
The problem is that at these temperatures, powder detergents don’t always fully dissolve. This doesn’t just make them less effective; it can also leave a white/greyish residue on your laundry.
This means you have to wash it again, using more water and energy, defeating the object of washing in cold water or at 30°C in the first place.
So in this category, the liquid detergent comes out on top.
Dosage
One thing that can be difficult with both detergent types is dosage. While the package will tell you how much to use, it’s not always easy to get the dosage right.
Also, if you have a smaller or bigger load than normal, it can be difficult to know how much detergent to use.
As a result, overdosing happens more often than not. This can lead to either residue left on the laundry, which means it needs an extra rinse circle, or being washed again.
Using too much detergent can also damage your washing machine, which can be costly for you and the environment, as it has to be replaced.
Neither of the two types of detergent comes out on top here.
To eliminate this problem you can buy laundry pods, which are already measured out. But laundry pods have their own issues when it comes to environmental-friendliness.
Top-Rated Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergents
| Laundry Products | Value For Money | Effectiveness | Sustainability | My Rating | Review | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Excellent | Excellent | Outstanding | 4.90 | Review | Visit |
 | Outstanding | Excellent | Excellent | 4.90 | Review | Visit |
 | Great | Outstanding | Excellent | 4.85 | Review | Visit |
Packaging
Another factor when it comes to the question “is powder or liquid detergent better for the environment?” is packaging.
Powder detergents are normally packaged in cardboard boxes, which can be recycled. While liquid detergents come in plastic bottles.
Even if these bottles are recyclable, which they aren’t always, plastic is less environmentally friendly than cardboard.
90% of plastic is made from petroleum, meaning fossil fuels, which is not sustainable and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
Even if the plastic bottles are recyclable, plastic can’t be recycled endlessly, as it loses its quality. As a result, most recycled plastic packaging is made into something inferior to plastic bottles.
Most plastic is only recycled once. Which means that it will go into landfill, where it can take hundreds of years to break down.
Cardboard also can’t be recycled endlessly, but more often the plastic. When it can’t be made into cardboard or paper any more, it will be made into tissues and toilet paper.
Once it can’t be recycled at all any more, it will break down much quicker than plastic. And as it does so, it breaks down into harmless substances.
Unlike plastic, which sheds microplastics as it breaks down, which get everywhere, even our bodies, where they can cause great harm.
Some plastics also break down into toxic substances, which are harmful for the environment.
So when it comes to packaging, powder detergent wins hands down.
Over all, powder detergent is considered the more environmentally friendly option. So here you go, you have the answer to the question: is powder or liquid detergent better for the environment?
But, there is something else to consider…
Powder Or Liquid? It’s The Ingredients That Matter
While powder is generally seen as a more environmentally friendly type of detergent, what really matters is the ingredients.
Because they are the main reason that laundry detergents are toxic for the planet and us. Wether you use powder or liquid, most conventional detergents contain a cocktail of harmful chemicals.
The biggest group of chemicals used in detergents, and other cleaning products for that matter, are surfactants. They are the main ingredients that help to clean your clothes: by:
- Lifting off stains from fabrics
- Keeping dirt contained to be washed away
- Ensuring the clothes get wet all over to allow the detergent to work
- Being used as foaming agents
Unfortunately, the majority of the surfactants used in conventional laundry detergents are harmful for the environment.
Once they reach our waterways, they can cause a lot of harm to aquatic life, even kill it.
Washing powders and liquids also contain fragrances to make our laundry smell fresh.
While it is impossible to say what actual chemicals are used, as it only says perfumes or fragrances on the label, it has been proven that they are harmful for the environment.
The most annoying thing is that these fragrances are not even necessary. We have been taught that only nice smelling laundry is clean.
But actually, clean doesn’t smell at all. And the fragrance chemicals don’t contribute to the cleaning of our clothes at all.
The same is true for dyes. Ever wondered why laundry detergents, especially liquid detergents, have different colours?
Dyes are added to match the colour of the detergent to the fragrance. This won’t make your clothes cleaner, but the liquid looks nicer.
But the problem is that many of the dyes used are harmful to the environment and aquatic life.
Another group of chemicals that are used in detergents, especially ones for white clothes, are optical brighteners. These chemicals reflect light to make your whites appear whiter than they are.
So they don’t make them whiter, just make them look whiter. But these optical brighteners, called Stilbenes, are toxic to aquatic life.
So when we ask if powder or liquid detergent is better for the environment, we should first look at the ingredients, as these are the main problem.
Non-Biodegradable, Petroleum-Derived Chemicals
The common chemicals used in laundry detergents are already bad news for the planet, but there is more. They are also petroleum-derived.
This means they are made from fossil fuels, which is, as we know, not sustainable and contributes to climate change.
And on top of that, most of these petrochemicals are not biodegradable. So they stay in our environment for a very long time, some forever.
While powder detergents are more likely to contain biodegradable ingredients, it’s not a given. Unless it’s clearly stated on the label, don’t assume that a washing powder is 100% biodegradable.
The sad truth is that petrochemicals are the cheapest around and that’s why most big brands use them, even if this is bad for our planet.
Water Treatment Processes Can’t Catch All The Chemicals
So how do these nasty chemicals get into our environment, I hear you ask.
It is true that the waste water from our machines go through water treatment processes before they are released into our waterways.
However, not all chemicals are caught during this process, which means small amounts make it into our environment.
And even small amounts of these nasty chemicals can cause harm to our marine life. But it’s not just small amounts that end up in our environment either.
Think about it: how often do you use your washing machine? Every day? Several times a week? And you are not the only one.
This means that small amounts of toxic chemicals are released into our waterways every day, where they accumulate.
And it’s not just laundry detergents that use these harmful ingredients either. Cleaning products, dishwasher detergents and even many personal care products use the same chemicals.
This accumulating effect makes the problem so much worse. The only way to stop this from happening is to switch to eco-friendly products that don’t use any of these nasty chemicals.
If you ask: is powder or liquid detergent better for the environment, you also have to ask: what’s in my detergent?
Because this is the main question we should be asking.
Conclusion – Is Powder Or Liquid Detergent Better For The Environment?
So let’s get down to it: is powder or liquid detergent better for the environment?
Generally, powder has the upper hand over liquid in this battle. But what’s more important is what’s in the detergent, regardless of what form it has.
If you want to wash your laundry without having an environmental impact, look for laundry detergents that contain biodegradable, non-toxic ingredients.
You want a laundry detergent that doesn’t use petrochemicals. Stay away from plastic packaging as well, for the same reason.
The good news is that there are many UK companies out there that put the plant first and make eco-friendly liquid and powdered detergents that work without harming the planet.
Don’t wait, make the right choice for the planet today.
