Burlington, Vermont-based Seventh Generation says it will phase out all large format liquid laundry detergent bottles from its product lineup by 2030 and transition all laundry products to concentrated formats.
“When you walk down the laundry detergent aisle it’s evident that it’s riddled with unnecessary plastic and very much in need of disruption,” said Alison Whritenour, CEO of Seventh Generation.
“We’re focused on our concentration transformation, prioritizing concentrated formats like our EasyDose laundry detergent that delivers the same performance while living up to Seventh Generation’s commitment to reduce impact and put less plastic into the world. We cannot continue to rely on large-format plastic containers and the industry as a whole must do better.”
The United Nations Environment Program found that only 9 percent of plastic is recycled. While the industry is leveraging strategies to reduce environmental impact including increasing recyclable and reusable packaging, supporting recycling infrastructure and circularity and using less virgin plastic in packaging, companies need to address the issue at the source.
“Focusing on concentration and eliminating large jugs and diluted laundry formulas is not only a win for the environment but also a win for the consumer,” said John Moorhead, CMO. “We continually hear that consumers love the experience of our EasyDose laundry detergent – less plastic, less bulk, less mess and extra convenient to use.”
“Collectively as an industry, we sell more than 680 million bottles of liquid laundry detergent to wash over 40 billion loads. If we could concentrate all of those to a 4x formulation– which is very much possible – we could divert more than 2 billion pounds of excess materials waste each year,” Moorhead said.
“We at Seventh Generation are working to get there, but we can’t do it alone. CPG companies across categories have the opportunity to drive real impact to benefit the planet for generations to come.”
Not only will this commitment help Seventh Generation reach its goals in plastic and emissions reduction, but it will also provide a better, more convenient consumer experience. Seventh Generation’s EasyDose Ultra Concentrated Laundry Detergent offers an ultra-concentrated formula in a compact 23-fluid-ounce bottle – a fourth the size of large-format packaging.
The concentrated product can be stored and, with its EasyDose Auto-Dosing Technology, offers consumers 66 loads of clean laundry. The EasyDose bottle is also made with 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic.
Seventh Generation offers a full line of laundry, dish and household cleaners, baby products including Free & Clear diapers, training pants and baby wipes, plus recycled paper products and recycled plastic trash bags, along with period care products including organic cotton certified tampons. The company derives its name from the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy that states, “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”
