Are Laundry Pods Really Sustainable? Why New York City May Ban Them

Procter and Gamble rolled out Tide Pods in the early 2010s, changing the way we did laundry.

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These single-dose dissolvable pods are wrapped in PVA, also known as polyvinyl alcohol or PVOH. It’s a plastic film which disintegrates when submerged in water.

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Although laundry and soap companies have marketed PVOH-coated pods as totally safe and 100% biodegradable, this may have been greenwashing.

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In April 2024, Democratic New York City Council Member James Gennaro introduced a bill known as Pods are Plastic Bill to ban these PVOH-coated laundry and dishwasher pods.

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What is PVOH?

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PVOH or PVA is a synthetic, petroleum-based plastic film. Apart from laundry and dishwasher detergent pods, it is also present in laundry sheets.

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The American Cleaning Institute, which represents U.S. cleaning product companies including P&G has stated that “[w]hen exposed to moisture and microorganisms, PVA breaks down into nontoxic components, making it a more sustainable alternative to traditional plastics.”

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More research, sponsored by a cleaning product industry group, claims that it can take 28 days for at least 60% of PVA to break down and 60 days for 90% of it to degrade.

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However, a study has found that while PVOH may dissolve in water into smaller pieces that may not be readily visible, these pieces do not actually disappear.

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Instead, they break down into microplastics and nanoplastics and are a major wastewater pollutant in the U.S.

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And that’s why the bill (also supported by Blueland) aims to ban these PVOH-coated pods and sheets.

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Pods are Plastic bill

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The Pods are Plastic bill makes it unlawful for any person or entity to sell, distribute, offer for sale, or possess for the purpose of sale any laundry or dishwasher pods and sheets that contain PVOH, within New York City.

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The proponents of the bill claim that PVOH is not readily biodegradable and persists in the environment even though it disappears.

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A 2021 literature review conducted by researchers at Arizona State University found that less than 25% of the PVOH that reaches wastewater treatment plants actually degrades and 77% is released into the environment intact.

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The researchers further explain that although microorganisms can degrade PVOH, these microorganisms are often absent in wastewater treatment plants. Even if present, the degradation of PVOH could take over 28 days, while it typically remains in the wastewater plant for only 2-3 days.

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When PVA enters wastewater, it also adsorbs dangerous chemicals and contaminants, antibiotics, and heavy metals. Eventually, these contaminants could work their way back up our food chain.

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The Pods Are Plastic bill faces an uncertain prospect in the New York City Council. If approved, the bill would take effect on January 1, 2026.

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Until then, we can play our part by using alternative formats such as liquid, powder, and tablet detergents from brands such as Blueland, Earth Hero, Meliora, Seventh Generation, and Etee.

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