ACI urges policymakers to review New York City’s PVA ban proposal for laundry pods

28 Feb 2024 --- The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) is addressing “misinformation” in a corporate marketing and advocacy campaign against laundry and dishwashing detergent pods containing polyvinyl alcohol film (PVA/PVOH), the subject of an effort in New York City, US, to ban the products.

New York City lawmakers recently proposed the Pods Are Plastic Bill, which would make it unlawful to sell or distribute any laundry or dishwasher detergent pods and sheets containing PVA. The bill was brought forward by NYC Council Member James Gennaro and supported by Blueland and Beyond Plastics. 

Laundry and home care company Blueland supports the bill through “misleading” claims about PVA/PVOH safety and biodegradability, claims previously rejected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), says the ACI. 

“Science is on our side when it comes to the use of PVA for laundry and dishwasher pods,” says Dr. G. Allen Burton, University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability and Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, co-editor-in-chief of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry.

“Detergent films are made of a very specific type of PVA, chosen for its ability to readily dissolve and degrade. Generalizing that all PVAs are bad, toxic and not degrading is simply false and does not allow policymakers to make well-informed decisions.”

ACI stresses that PVA used in laundry and detergent pods is safe for people and the evironment.A safe choice?
In 2022, a petition led by Blueland and Plastic Pollution Coalition urged the EPA to regulate the use of PVA in consumer packaged goods, including all laundry detergent pods and sheets.

Later, the EPA refused Blueland’s petition to restrict the use of PVA/PVOH films in detergent products at the federal level and reaffirmed the chemistry’s Safer Choice status and place on the agency’s Safer Chemical Ingredients List. The agency also stated that there is “no evidence of toxicity or bioaccumulation potential for the soluble form of PVA used in detergent pods and sheets.”

The EPA was also critical of Blueland’s failure “to acknowledge the nature and extent of existing data” supporting the safe use of polyvinyl alcohol and that it has been extensively evaluated for decades by regulatory bodies around the world, including the US Food and Drug Administration, for use in food and medicine.

ACI’s senior vice president, Brian Sansoni, now says that the ACI and the cleaning product industry are “dedicated to providing innovative and effective products that are backed by sound science.”

“The development of water-soluble films and detergent pods is a prime example of the industry’s success in providing products that not only deliver a powerful clean but also allow customers to have various sustainable product options.”

Urging policymakers to review 
ACI’s website provides consumers with science-based evidence on the safety and biodegradability of PVA/PVOH used in detergents, including refutations of claims such as those made by Blueland.

The home and personal care company claims these products produce microplastics, but ACI says that Blueland’s research does “not distinguish the water-soluble PVA/PVOH found in detergents from non-soluble grades used for different products in other industries.”

ACI says it believes in providing consumers with products that meet their cleaning needs and can be trusted to be safe for their health and the environment. 

“There are more than 50 years of published science that support the safety and efficacy of PVA used in laundry and detergent pods. The compact nature of the highly concentrated pods results in reduced shipping costs and, ultimately, a lower carbon footprint,” says the institute.

ACI is urging policymakers to review the scientific evidence and reject the “misleading” statements made by Blueland.

By Natalie Schwertheim