Are laundry pods bad for the environment?

Yes, detergent pods are extremely harmful to the environment. The reality is, that despite the appeal of their convenience, detergent pods contain a very damaging chemical cocktail.

The reason why the outer membrane of coagulated pods can dissolve rapidly in normal temperature water is that the material of its outer membrane is not general. This is a kind of PVA water-soluble plastic film (PVA for short). It is a polyhydroxy polymer, and its main component is polyvinyl alcohol. Water-soluble materials, as the name suggests, are soluble in water. PVA material does not dissolve and leak under normal temperature and anhydrous environment and does not rupture under dry environment. However, it can dissolve in a short time after encountering water.

For a long time, it is generally believed that PVA is difficult to biodegrade, which accumulates in the environment and causes harm to the environment. A large number of studies show that PVA has a certain impact on both the water environment and the soil environment.

PVA will pollute the environment, not because of its toxicity (it is non-toxic in itself), but because it is difficult to biodegrade. The larger surface activity will increase the foam on the surface of the polluted water and increase the viscosity, which will be very harmful to the reaeration behavior of the water body, thereby inhibiting the respiratory activities of aquatic organisms. In addition, the discharge of wastewater containing PVA into the water body will also promote the release and migration of heavy metals in rivers, lakes, and marine sediments, enhance their activity, and cause more serious environmental problems.