Can a laundry detergent powder like “ arm and hammer ” be sustainable or good for the environment? What exactly do these words mean? The main differences in what’s in laundry detergent and how it’s made can help you make decisions that are better for you, your family, and the environment.
What are eco-friendly, natural, and sustainable? What is it to be sustainable? The United States showed its commitment to sustainability when it passed the National Environmental Policy Act in 1969.
This law said that to pursue sustainability means to “create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations.” In other words, sustainability is when people and businesses make decisions that hurt the natural environment as little as possible so that our planet can be lived on now and in the future.
Use of renewable energy, reclaimed or recycled materials, setting limits on resource use, and offsetting or replacing resources used to make or ship a product are all examples of sustainable practices.
What does it mean to be good to the environment?
Eco-friendly means that something is made so that it hurts the environment as little as possible or doesn’t hurt it at all.
For products, like detergents, that will always hurt the environment in some way, being eco-friendly means doing as little harm as possible. When you see that a product is “eco-friendly,” think about how it’s made and what it’s made of.
How can a laundry detergent be less harmful to the environment?
The manufacturers of laundry detergent might attempt to manufacture and distribute their goods in a manner that is less harmful to the environment. The manufacturer ARM & HAMMERTM is dedicated to producing its laundry detergents in a manner that is as kind to the environment as is humanly feasible. The following are some examples of this dedication:
Alternatives for Packaging: Almost all of the containers for ARM & HAMMERTM laundry detergent, whether for liquid, power packs, or powder, are manufactured from recycled materials and can be recycled. These include the containers for the liquid detergent, the power packs, and the powder detergent.
In 1907, ARM & HAMMERTM began packaging its washing soda and baking soda products in paperboard made from recyclable materials. This was a long time ago before recycling became a regular habit among customers or the standard in the paper-producing industry, and the firm today maintains its commitment to this guarantee.
Alternatives Regarding Energy: The production of laundry detergent requires energy, but the kind of fuel that is used to generate that electricity might either be renewable or nonrenewable. Burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas to create electricity is responsible for around 80 percent of the energy produced in power plants in the United States.
The production of ARM & HAMMERTM laundry detergents is done by Church & Dwight, which is a firm that is committed to being ecologically responsible. As part of this commitment, the company uses 100% certified renewable power in the production process.
As a direct result of these efforts, the Environmental Protection Agency has ranked our company inside the Top 100 of the Green Power Partnership.
Because they are manufactured using water that was used in the manufacturing process, ARM & HAMMERTM Liquid Laundry Detergents contribute to the preservation of water resources. Additionally, the soda ash, baking soda, and oxygen bleach that we use are cleaned up in a manner that does not involve the use of ammonia and does not generate any waste that is undesirable.
Alternatives for concentrating on: Pick a manufacturer that goes to great lengths to ensure that their liquid detergents are as concentrated as possible. More concentrated liquid detergents need less water for their usage and are packaged in smaller containers; as a result, less plastic, gasoline, and water are consumed for each load.
The year 2022 saw the release of a new, more concentrated liquid laundry detergent produced by ARM & HAMMERTM. The ARM & HAMMER brand intends to reduce its use of water by 118,000 tons and its consumption of plastic by 7 million pounds by 2024. This will be accomplished by focusing on liquid detergents.
Choices of ingredients: The detergents made by ARM & HAMMER don’t have any phosphates in them. Chemicals called phosphates can make too many plants grow in bodies of water, which can destroy an ecosystem.
Church & Dwight was the first company to make a laundry detergent without phosphates. This was in 1970, a long time before the detergent industry agreed to get rid of phosphates in 1994.
What you can do as a consumer who cares about the environment
Both consumers and businesses need to make an effort to be more eco-friendly and sustainable. You know that ARM & HAMMERTM tries to make its laundry detergents better for the environment in some ways, but what can you do? If you want to have less of an effect on the environment, try these eco-friendly and sustainable things:
Through a partnership with Terracycle, you can recycle your empty detergent bottles and boxes as well as laundry pack pouches in your area. Cardboard can be used to recycle empty ARM & HAMMERTM powder laundry detergent boxes. The bottles of ARM & HAMMERTM liquid laundry detergent (#2 plastic) can be recycled in full. Make sure the bottle is empty, no detergent is left in it, and the cap is on tight.
Use concentrated detergent. When compared to the old formula, ARM & HAMMERTM Liquid Detergent is now more concentrated and uses less water and plastic. Each bottle of ARM & HAMMERTM liquid laundry detergent is twice as strong as the leading bargain detergent in every dose.
Choose companies that have been certified by Green-e®. Church & Dwight plants use renewable electricity to make ARM & HAMMERTM laundry detergents. Most ARM & HAMMERTM Laundry Detergent packages have the Green-e® certification symbol on them.
Celebrate Earth Day and teach your family and friends how to buy things that are good for the environment. Church & Dwight helped start the first Earth Day in 1970 and still supports its goal of spreading information about how to protect the planet. Every year, Earth Day is on April 22, and more than a billion people around the world celebrate it. What will you do this year to make a difference?
Consider buying carbon offsets to make up for the carbon you release when you drive, fly, or use electricity. Make it your goal to have no carbon footprint.
Plant trees with Church and Dwight. We support the Arbor Day Foundation, which plants millions of trees in the Mississippi River Valley. These trees help remove 300 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the air. As part of our promise to you and the earth, we will keep doing that. You can start by planting one tree to help clean the air, give animals a place to live, and stop landslides.
Safer Choice Certified Laundry Detergents from ARM & HAMMERTM
Hypoallergenic Formula for Baby: ARM & HAMMERTM Baby Detergent was made with new babies in mind. It removes stains thoroughly while leaving the skin unharmed.
It is a fundamental need for infants, and it is free of any unnecessary chemicals such as colors, phosphates, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), added preservatives, brighteners, and parabens.
Clean & Simple TM Formula: The ARM & HAMMERTM Clean & Simple TM Laundry Detergent represents a significant advancement in the development of a laundry detergent that is “better for you and the environment” without compromising the degree to which it is effective in cleaning.
There are just six necessary components in this recipe. It is free of gluten, colors, phosphates, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), added preservatives, enzymes, brighteners, parabens, and animal-derived components. It also does not include genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The formula used to make Clean & Simple TM Laundry Detergent is designed to be broken down quickly and easily.
The program known as Safer Choice which is run by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States assists consumers and corporate customers in locating items that include safer chemical components without compromising quality or functionality.
This label may be found on over 2,000 different goods, including ARM & HAMMERTM Baby Laundry Detergent and ARM & HAMMERTM Clean & Simple TM laundry detergent.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) bestowed the Safer Choice Partner of the Year award upon ARM & HAMMER in 2021 in recognition of the company’s efforts and dedication toward developing designs and products that are more environmentally friendly and make use of safer chemicals.
Certification from the EPA as a Safer Choice: After conducting a comprehensive analysis of each component of a product, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awards the Safer Choice label.
This ensures that the product in question contains only those components that are less harmful to families, workplaces, neighborhoods, and the environment as a whole, without compromising the product’s quality or its ability to carry out its intended function. Both the ARM & HAMMERTM Clean & SimpleTM Laundry Detergent, as well as the ARM & HAMMERTM Baby Laundry Detergent, have been given the green light by Safer Choice.
ARM & HAMMERTM Laundry Detergent is a great way to learn more about being green.
When consumers and businesses work together to make choices that are good for the environment, everyone wins. Look for the Green-e® certification and the EPA Safer Choice logo when choosing a laundry detergent for your home.
You’ll know that these products use renewable energy and are made with ingredients that are better for the environment. Plus, they work well at getting rid of stains and smells, which is why you use laundry detergent in the first place!
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