We'd rather be honest about packaging than impressive. Here's where we've landed, and where we're headed.
Our approach to packaging is guided by one practical question: what actually gets recycled, and how do we put more recycled material back in — without adding cost that has nothing to do with how well the product cleans? We'd rather do the grounded, useful thing with the materials available today than chase whatever looks greenest on the shelf. Here's the honest state of things.
Bottles: recyclable, and increasingly recycled
Our bottles are made from HDPE (the #2 plastic) — one of the most widely recycled materials in the U.S. As always, it's worth checking what your local program accepts, but HDPE is about as commonly collected as plastic gets.
We've also begun building recycled plastic back into those bottles. Our smaller bottles — 1000ml and under — now contain 25% PCR (post-consumer recycled content), and our direction is clear: we're working to raise that toward 100%, starting with a hand soap bottle made entirely from recycled plastic, coming soon.
Larger bottles are taking us longer, and there's an honest reason why. Recycled plastic is a little softer than virgin plastic, and in big bottles full of liquid, that can mean a higher risk of leaks or splitting — the kind of packaging failure that's all too easy to find on store shelves. We'd rather get it right than rush it, so a bottle you buy holds up and lasts. Smaller bottles were the responsible place to start; the larger ones will follow as we're confident the quality holds.
Capsules: paper first, with a practical exception
For our capsule products, we use paper cartons as the main packaging — recyclable, and made from a renewable material. Inside, there's a mono-material plastic zip pouch. We could have used a cheaper multi-layer laminate, but those mixed-material films are nearly impossible to recycle. A single-material pouch keeps the door open for recycling, and it protects the product's stability in the meantime. It's a small choice, but it's the kind that actually matters at the bin.
What we're still working on
We're not going to pretend everything's solved. Some of our packaging isn't there yet — our child-safety pouches, for instance, prioritize keeping little hands out, which for now comes before recyclability. We're working toward single-material versions where we can, including for refill pouches down the road, and we're developing ways to encourage reuse and recycling over time.
Why we do it this way
We think the honest form of sustainable packaging, right now, is fairly unglamorous: use materials that can genuinely be recycled, build in recycled content as fast as we responsibly can, and keep the focus on what actually cleans your clothes. We'd rather spend on the product and be straightforward with you about the packaging.
It's a simple standard, but we can stand behind it line by line — which is the only kind worth holding ourselves to.