All you need to know about laundry capsules
What is PVA?
Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA – also commonly referred to as PVOH) is a well-known and safe material
that’s been used for over 20 years in everyday products – like medicines, tablets and eye drops.
Polyvinyl Alcohol – or PVA / PVOH – is made from using Ethylene Gas and Acetic Acid. Smart
chemistry is used to combine these with other ingredients to create the water-soluble film used in
laundry capsules.
• Ethylene Gas is what makes your bananas ripen in your fruit bowl...
• ...a dilute form of Acetic Acid is used in household vinegar.
What makes laundry capsules so great?
Pre-dosed
Making doing the laundry simpler and more accessible, including for those with disabilities.
Chambers
The multi-compartment design keeps ingredients separated until they reach the wash.
Water-soluble film
Remains intact when dry, but quickly dissolves on contact with the wash water, even in
colder wash cycles.
Compacted & Concentrated
Delivers a powerful clean using fewer ingredients.
Are laundry capsules bad for the environment?
Using laundry capsules is safe for the environment. The biggest environmental opportunity in
laundry is to lower the washing temperature. Laundry capsules are designed to dissolve quickly,
even at colder water temperatures. Washing colder saves energy and reduces the carbon footprint
of your laundry because heating the water for your wash produces the majority of the carbon
emissions.
On top of this...
• Laundry capsules is more compacted than other forms
• Laundry capsules also require less and lighter packaging, producing fewer supply chain
transport emissions than other forms.
• The PVA / PVOH films used in laundry capsules are non-toxic and safe, biodegrade in
wastewater treatment plants and surface waters, and do not contribute to microplastic
pollution.
Want to know more?
Translating our science: About Water-Soluble Film
Frequently asked questions
1. Do laundry capsules create microplastics?
The PVA used in detergent films is very different from plastic polymers – it dissolves in water and
is not plastic when dissolves, and it does not contribute to microplastics. PVA is non-toxic and
safe.
2. Is PVA biodegradable?
The PVA films used in our detergents biodegrade in wastewater treatment plants and surface
waters, are safe, non-toxic, do not accumulate in the environment, and do not contribute to
microplastic pollution. Once dissolved, PVA biodegrades into components like carbon dioxide and
water.
3. Is all PVA the same?
PVA describes a large number of polymers, each with different properties. About 5% of the PVA
usage in the world (by volume) is for grades that are suitable for laundry capsules.
4. What are the other uses of the PVA in laundry capsules?
The grades of PVA that are suitable for use in laundry capsules have been used in an array of
everyday items including food products, tablets, medicines, eye drops, and beauty products, for
over 20 years.
5. Does PVA from laundry capsules build up in the natural environment?
No, the PVA films used in laundry capsules are non-toxic and safe, biodegrade in wastewater
treatment plants and surface waters, they do not accumulate in the environment, and do not
contribute to microplastic pollution.