Seventh Generation Tests New Packaging for Laundry Bottles

Talk about a cutting-edge product!

Earlier this month I noticed a funny-looking bottle amidst the usual plastic jugs of laundry detergent. No way . . . a fiber bottle?

Since Earth Day, Seventh Generation has been selling bottles that use 66 percent less plastic than typical bottles that wash the same number of loads. The outer shell is recyclable or compostable, while the inner pouch (which holds the liquid detergent) is recyclable.

In addition to the new packaging, the formula (4X concentrated) is new, improving on the current 2X concentrated that Seventh Generation sells. While production is limited and the bottles are only available in select stores (I saw it in Fairway; Whole Foods is not carrying it), Seventh Generation’s goal is for the packaging and formula to become standard for all the company’s laundry products.

Yes the retail price is high ($16.99), but that’s to be expected for any innovative product in its infancy. (Think flat-screen televisions.) However, for those lucky enough to live near a Fairway, the detergent is on sale through the end of May for $11.99, which works out to less than 20 cents per load.

Granted, this product will most likely appeal to Seventh Generation’s existing customer base, but we should all realize that the majority of commercial laundry detergents are petroleum-based and contain harmful chlorine, bleaches, dyes and fragrances. But that’s a conversation for another day.