Do you think concentrated laundry detergent is better for the environment?
By Nykkee
@Nykkee (2522)
Canada
June 4, 2008 9:46am CST
I saw a commercial the other day claiming that useing concentrated laundry detergent was better for the environment becuase you don;t have to use as much as you would with regular detergent. I don't beleive this and I will tell you why. The definition of the word concentrated, when used to describe something like a detergent, is as follows: - Having a high percentage of active ingredient.
- A solution with a large amount of solute.
- When a liquid is made stronger and thicker by removing water from it.
Therefore, there is just as much chemicals being added to the wash water when useing a smaller amount of concentrated detergent as there is when you add a regular amount of regular detergent.
To do less damage to the evironment a detergent needs to be biodegradable and phosphate-free, being concentrated doesn't help anything. I think concetrated detergent is a scam and I don't usually buy it. What about you?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
4 Jun 08
The only way it would be better for the environment is because it takes littler bottles to dispose of. There is still the same chemicals.
1 person likes this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
4 Jun 08
You make a lot of valid points and I agree. I think the only thing concentrated detergent really helps with is less plastic and less wasted water (maybe) . But chemical-wise, it's still doing the same as unconcentrated. And technically it's not saving on water in the actual washer...totally simplified example just because I can't concentrate on big numbers right now...say your washer is designed to stop filling at 5 gallons of liquid, that includes the detergent and wash water. If you use 2 cups of regular detergent you'll be using 5 gallons minus 2 cups of water to fill the washer. If you use 1 cup of concentrated detergent, you'll be using 5 gallons minus 1 cup of water to fill the washer...which is one cup more water than with regular detergent. Just because that water isn't being packaged in the bottle with the detergent, it's still getting used. But perhaps the water saving comes during the production of the detergent...I'm not really sure.
1 person likes this
@Nykkee (2522)
• Canada
5 Jun 08
I don't think that the use of water really hurts the enviromnet as long as the stuff you are adding to it isn't toxic because the water goes back out to the environment when the washer emptys and eventually evaporates and becomes rain and comes back again. It's when we put chemicals in it that make it unusable that we are actually hurting the water supply.
@academic2 (7000)
• Uganda
4 Jun 08
Any chemical is dangerous to the environment, we may down play the danger of mass use of detergence, but you and me know, we are simply burrying our heads in the sand, like the proverbial ostrich!
1 person likes this
@deborah_0515 (89)
• United States
4 Jun 08
Hi there! I think the claim for concentrated detergent being better for the environment is because it uses less plastic. Because the detergent is concentrated the bottling is now smaller and uses less in a landfill. I however recycle my bottles! Less is better in this case I believe.
