Believe in Biodegradability

Seventh Generation is on a mission to make the world a healthier, more equitable place for future generations, which is why they constantly innovate to make their products and packaging better for people and planet. Seventh Generation believes in a seventh generation to come, and believe it’s our collective responsibility to ensure they inherit the healthy world they deserve.

Products like laundry detergents have a job to do: clean, but that clean shouldn’t come at the expense of our planet. Seventh Generation has worked hard to ensure their liquid laundry formulas beat tough stains and deliver a clean you can trust, all while leaving our waterways clean, too. We’re proud to share that all Seventh Generation liquid laundry formulas are 100% biodegradable to minimize their end-of-life impact and help nurture our planet’s water. Getting to 100% represents a big breakthrough and lots of work from our incredible scientists, who harnessed Green Chemistry while still providing a laundry detergent that gets the job done for you and your family.

Biodegradable is a term most of us have heard many times. But, what does it really mean? And why are biodegradable products gentler on our water supply, and our environment as a whole? In short, why is this such a big deal?

Biodegradability is the ability of a product to be broken down by microbes and other biological factors, which is to say, it can be digested by our planet. The same way that whole, organic fruits and vegetables are kinder to your body than heavily-processed foods full of additives, biodegradable products are better for the planet, and for our water supply, because they work with the Earth’s natural chemistry to degrade quickly and safely in the environment, minimizing water pollution.

Biodegradable formulas create a closed loop, the formula borrowing carbons from the Earth to create products (such as powerful stain-fighting detergents!), then returning those carbons back to the Earth as the formula biodegrades, leaving no negative impact behind—closing the loop.

Seventh Generation’s 100% biodegradable liquid laundry formulas not only biodegrade, they do so rapidly, breaking back down to their essential elements in a month. And they’re not the only Seventh Generation collection of products to do so – their NEW body washes and deodorants were created with biodegradability and the health of our planet’s water at their core. And with water pollution becoming a growing problem that’s threatening our planet’s most precious resource, [1] this breakthrough is right on time.

We have to do better or we risk compromising the health of future generations.

Part of the challenge, but also the opportunity, is changing how we think about water. Most of us think of water as an infinite resource. It’s everywhere, right? The oceans are vast. Water falls from the sky as rain or snow. But in reality, only 1%[2] of the Earth’s water is fresh, drinkable water that we can all depend on.

That’s why we’re so proud to share their 100% biodegradable formulas with you. Formulas that deliver a powerful clean while being gentle on you, your family and our planet’s resources. We believe in harnessing the power of biodegradable ingredients because we believe in a seventh generation to come.

1. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know

2.1% of the planet’s water is fresh water that is accessible, not trapped in glaciers. 2.5% of the planet’s water is freshwater (i.e. not salt water)