The Waterless Trend is Coming to the Laundry Aisle

 , June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Our grandmothers may have been on to something. We're not talking about plastic-covered couches or Jello salads – we're talking about laundry detergent. Most US adults still purchase big jugs of liquid laundry detergent, but when it comes to planet-friendliness, laundry powder has the liquids beat.

For Gen Zers and Millennials, sustainability is a core value. In fact, young people list Climate Change as the most important issue facing the world¹, and their purchase decisions reflect it. In the beauty category last year, waterless soap bars saw a 7.1% year-over-year increase, and 5% for shampoo bars, according to wellness-focused data company Spins². So, it's only natural that the eco-friendly product trend is carrying over to laundry detergent, where conventional jugs are usually 60-90% water.

The Power of Powder

Laundry powder, like this one from Ingredients Matter, isn't loaded with water, so you're only shipping super-concentrated cleaning ingredients, not jugs of water. Theirs is actually a soap, not a traditional detergent, so it's super gentle on skin, clothes, and aquatic life (have you ever thought about where your laundry water goes after you flush it?).

What about Pods and Sheets?

Despite plastic-free claims and containing little water, recent studies reveal that most detergent pods and sheets, which are made from Polyvinyl Alcohol, don't usually break down in the environment. In fact, 75% of PVA doesn't biodegrade – it instead turns into microplastics dumped into streams or recirculated through the water system.³ Powdered laundry soap can be packaged in various containers, like cardboard boxes or canisters, which means it can be 100% plastic-free.

How to Use Powder

Always follow manufacturer instructions to know you're using the right amount. For warm or hot washes, Ingredients Matter Laundry Soap should be added directly to the washer drum before adding clothes. For cold water washes, dissolve one scoop of Laundry Soap in 8 ounces of hot water, then add directly to the washer.

Disrupting a Growing Category

Ultra-sustainable laundry powder brand Ingredients Matter has seen a 70% increase in store distribution so far in 2023, with national distribution at Target, Meijer, Giant Eagle, Winn-Dixie, and Harvey's stores and in local co-op and independent grocery stores. Of the growth, Brand President Christiana Kippels said, "Unfortunately, consumers are faced with a ton of greenwashing in the category, from microplastics in sheets and pods to poly-lined cardboard cartons that are less recyclable than plastic jugs. And we're happy to fill the gap in the sustainable laundry category by offering super simple ingredients in cardboard packaging, which is far more recyclable than plastic."

¹ https://www.forbes.com/sites/emanuelabarbiroglio/2019/12/09/generation-z-fears-climate-change-more-than-anything-else/?sh=426f962501ba 

² https://www.whowhatwear.com/waterless-beauty-data-2022 

³ https://scitechdaily.com/are-laundry-and-dish-pods-biodegradable-not-exactly/

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SOURCE Ingredients Matter