The mission to find a more environmentally friendly dishwasher detergent - pod edition
- Cami Mandell Gorden, MPH, RD
- Nov 21, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Jan 13
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. All products have been tested by my family and our dishes.
The Enviornmentally Unfriendly Problem with Conventional Dishwasher Detergents
Have you ever wondered what is the greenest way to clean your dishes? Commercials abound telling us to use their dishwwasher pods because they produce a superior clean. And you don't have to pre-wash your dishes! There's also the debate of dishwaser vs. handwashing. For this post we're focusing on the dishwasher. If you want to learn more about the hand wash vs. dishwasher debate, check out my upcoming post to see which wins out!
Dishwasher detergents that come in pods produce a climate challenege in three main areas:
The packaging the pods come in: For pods packaged in plastic, the packaging usually isn't recyclable through local city recycling. This means plastic is still ending up in landfills, the ocean, or both.
The pods themselves contain plastic: As of the writing of this post, everything that has a plastic-like coating does in fact contain plastic in the form of PVA (polyvinyl alcohol). See below for more information on PVA.
The ingredients in the pods: Pods can contain harsh chemicals that end up endangering our health (since they touch the dishes we eat off of) as well as the planet.
The Mission to Find a More Environmentally Friendly Dishwasher Detergent
So what dishwasher detergent pod do we like the best? Keep reading to find out! But first, to come clean...I didn't really pay much attention to whether or not the dishwaher pods I was using were environmentally friendly. I bought what I had always bought when it went on sale. It didn't occur to me that with every load of dishes, I wasn't making the healthiest choice for my family or the planet. So along with the other areas of my house (check out my posts on laundry detergent and haircare products below) I set out to find the best overall environmentally friendly dishwasher detergent for my family. I have two small kids who make very big messes. We manage to fill up the dishwasher every night with dishes, cups, plates, utensils, pots and pans that are covered in food residue. Whatever dishwasher detergent I chose needed to work well. I didn't have time, and didn't want to waste resources, on pre-washing all of my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.
In addition to finding a dishwasher detergent that could cut through the toughest grease, I wanted to find a product that truly offered superior planetary clean. I had high standards for choosing not only an eco-safe, family-friendly detergent, but also a company that itself put the Earth and my family first. We rated the detergents on a number of different factors. As consumers we have the power to push companies to keep doing better. The more we seek out and support companies doing better by the planet and all who call it home, the more companies will be forced to do better. Not only that, but it will push companies to continue to innovate and create more enviornemntally friendly products.
How We Rated the Dishwasher Detergents
The packaging the detergent comes in:
In order to be truly eco-friendly the packaging itself needed to be sustainably disposed of. In short, plastic-free. We made a note of those companies who are in the process of transitioning to plast-free packaging. This goes to show that the more we as consumers demand better, companies will be forced to do better.
Does the pod/tablet/powder contain plastic:
As mentioned earlier in this post, all pods contain plastic in the form of PVA. Detergent that comes as a tablet or powder doesn't contain plastic in the detergent itself. (Check out my post below comparing tablets and powders)
Ingredients:
The ingredients in dishwasher detergent touch what we cook with and what we eat off of. It also ends up back in the environment, where it can cause damage to the ecosystems it enters.
Does the company prioritize whole-cycle production:
We don't just want a product that is healthier for the planet, we want to find and support companies that prioritize the entire life-cycle of their products. This includes what ingredients are used, how and where they are sourced, how much energy and water goes into their production, the shipping and ultimately the disposal of their products. Dishwasher products that are lighter and/or smaller take up less resources to ship, which leads to a smaller carbon footprint in the shipping department.
What certifications does the company have:
Certifications by third parties can help identify companies that are prioritzing being good stewards of the planet. However, we recognize not all certifactions are perfect.
What are people saying about the product:
Because ultimately we need products that do what they're supposed to do. A product that doesn't clean well isn't going to work well for my family. It also is counter-productive if I need to wash off the dishes before using the dishwasher, and/or need to run the dishwasher more than once per load to get the dishes completely clean.
And finally - what does it cost:
If something isn't cost effective, it can be a huge hurdle for people to make the switch from a more budget-friendly product.
A Note on Certifications and PVA
There is a lengthy list of certifications out there, some more trusted than others. At the end of the day, no certification is perfect. Here at Bob's World Matters we believe in progress over perfection. We acknowlege and accept that we can always do better. But the persuit of perfection doesn't mean who should stick with the status quo. If we do nothing, nothing will change. We as consumers can speak volumes with our wallets.
PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) is considered a type of plastic; however it is considered to be biodegradable. The problem? This isn't always true in reality. In order for PVA to be biodegraded, it requires a speicific set of enviornmental circumstances to be present. Unfortunately, as of the writing of this post those circumstances aren't normally present in our wastewater systems. It's possible that this may change, but until then this means that plastic in the form of PVA still enters the ecosystem as plastic (not biodegraded).
The Dishwasher Detergent Companies We Reviewed
Clean People
We liked that these cleaned our dishes well. We even left more food residue on than normal to test them out, and the dishes came out clean! We peresonally didn't notice any residue, but we've read some reviews where that has been an issue. While the detergent pods contain more environmentally friendly ingredients, the pods do contain PVA and the outer packaging isn't readily recyclable.
Pros:
They cleaned our dishes well and we didn't notice any residue
Manufactured in US and Canada
They're free of parabens, phosphates, added dyes and bleach
They're listed as eco-friendly, vegan, cruelty free and safe for septic systems
Offer full refund within 30 days
Cons:
Some customers reported stickiness and a residue on dishes
The outer package isn't recyclable, but it is made from 35% post-consumer recycled materials. The company does state they are in the process of transitioning their pods and packaging to plastic-free, paper packaging soon. (We pay for a special recycle service so we are able to recycle the packaging).
Certifications:
Could not find certifications for the dishwasher pods specifically
Molly's Suds
We liked that this detergent is septic safe and is transparent with its ingredients and packaging materials. It cleaned our dishes well and we didn't notice any residue.
Pros:
Septic safe and compatable with all dishwashers
Transparent ingredients
Transparent information on packaging of all their products
Worked well with our dishes, we didn't notice any residue and our dishes came out as dry as they usually do
Natural fragrances are ISO-16128 compliant and free of petrochemicals, solvents, dyes, and pesticides
Cons:
I noticed a harsh smell on the pods (no noticable smell on the clean dishes however)
Their packaging isn't recyclable and the pods contain plastic (in the form of PVA)
Some people noted a residue on their dishes
Certifications:
Cruelty-Free by Leaping Bunny
AspenClean
Pros:
Outer packaging is recyclable and compostable, and is made from 100% recycled paper
Worked well in our dishwasher, dishes were clean, even with extra stuck on food
Listed as spetic safe
Free from Phosphates, Parabens , Ethoxylates and Sulphates (SLS/SLES), Carcinogenic Ingredients (not listed on IARC categories 1, 2A, 2B), Synthetic fragrances, Preservatives, Artificial colors, Animal ingredients, Animal-testing, Petroleum
Cons:
Pod contains plastic (in the form of PVA)
Not as budget-friendly as the other products we tried
Certifications:
EWG Verified, Leaping Bunny (cruelty free), ECOCERT
How Did the Companies Compare to Each Other?
Company | Cost per load | Outer packaging | PVA? | Did it work for us? | Amazon Rating |
Clean People | 0.32 | Not recyclable | Yes | Yes | 4.4 (out of 985 reviews) |
Molly's Suds | 0.33 | Not recyclable | Yes | Yes | 4.4 (out of 4,139 reviews) |
AspenClean | 0.71 | Recyclable and Compostable | Yes | Yes, very well | 4.3 (out of 328 reviews) |
The Final Verdict?
It's rare to find a truly perfect product. Our mission here at Bob's World Matters is to find companies that are doing the often hard job of moving us toward a healthier future. We also recognize that unless something is tested, the true benefit, and any potentional harm, is only an educated guess. In addition to supporting companies that are doing better by people and the planet, we belive in research being unbiasedly funded so we as consumers can make truly informed decisions.
After considering all the companies and how the products worked for us, we decided to stick with AspenClean for now. They did the best job at cleaning our dishes and didn't contain any harsh chemicals. We also liked that the outer packing was both made from recylced materials and was recycable. While we aren't as happy that it comes in the form of a pod that contains PVA, it was the overall best choice for us at this time. But as always, we'll continue to search for new products that meet our goal of creating less waste and being good stewards of this planet.
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