A funny thing happened when I was testing out the functionality of our new, web-based plastic detection tool: It detected something I was genuinely surprised by.
Chalk this up to my own ignorance, perhaps—I'm no materials scientist. But I truly didn't realize that PVA was a key component in the otherwise-nonplastic laundry sheets my family had come to use regularly as part of an effort to reduce our plastic footprint around the home. We thought, "Why would anyone need a gallon jug of laundry detergent when these sheets are plastic-free and even easier to use than liquid?"
While testing our browser extension for its accuracy in identifying plastic in consumer products, I pulled up the Amazon page for a well-known brand of laundry sheets, suspecting it would flag it as plastic-free.
To my surprise, it did not.
In fact it generated a 99% confidence score confirming the presence of plastic.
So what was in it? Turns out, PVA—polyvinyl alcohol, also noted as PVOH—is a common, well-known ingredient in laundry sheets that holds together the solid detergent and allows the sheet to dissolve in water. It's the same water-soluble polymer that you find in dish soap pods. Fortunately there are plenty of strong, fully nonplastic alternatives in the laundry detergent space.
For some you reading this, it may be old news. But my experience (as a person who cares about and takes steps to limit plastic consumption) should be eye-opening: How many other folks out there have no idea that their nonplastic laundry sheets still contain petroleum-based ingredients?
The good news is, the extension worked as intended: It informed me that one of my purchasing choices contained plastic, and it showed me its reasoning, and suggested a few alternatives.
Maybe you're aware that what you're about to purchase contains plastic—but a reminder might nudge you a different way. Maybe you have no idea there's a plastic element—and that knowledge will make you a more informed consumer. And maybe you're not sure what else is out there instead—in which case, we've got you covered with altneratives.
The greencomber extension is live for Google Chrome users and you can download it from the Chrome Webstore for free.
Next time you browse on Amazon, let greencomber help you deplastify.