More companies are making concentrated detergent, here's why

Laundry detergent is looking a little different these days. A growing number of companies are making bulky plastic jugs smaller and concentrating the detergent or soap. Without all that water, less fossil fuels are required for transport, because the products are lighter and more can be shipped in a single trip.

Laundry detergent is looking a little different these days. A growing number of companies are making bulky plastic jugs smaller and concentrating the detergent or soap.

Without all that water, less fossil fuels are required for transport, because the products are lighter and more can be shipped in a single trip. New detergent formulas are changing to become ultra-concentrated liquids or even solid sheets roughly the size of an iPhone.

"Laundry detergent can contain up to 90% water," said Lisa Karandat, co-founder of Good JuJu, a company that sells sustainable laundry sheets and solid shampoo and conditioner bars, among other things. "Those big heavy jugs require a lot of space to truck around the country."

In addition to lower carbon emissions from diesel-burning delivery trucks, some companies are responding to public demand to minimize plastic pollution.

If more laundry soap were sold in concentrated bottles, it would sharply cut waste without taking away customer benefits, said John Moorhead, chief marketing officer for Seventh Generation, a company that sells non-toxic disinfectants, soap, and ultra-concentrated laundry detergent.

Reducing plastic pollution is essential to lowering carbon emissions, as nearly all plastics are made from fossil fuels.

In 2022, Seventh Generation launched a digital campaign that featured larger-than-life laundry jugs in inconvenient locations, such as the middle of shopping aisles, to highlight the products' inconvenience and plastic use. The company also pays influencers on Instagram to advertises its ultra-concentrated detergent, dish washing liquid, and disinfectants.