Less is More

Okay, more on environmental stuff. I know, I know. I am on a little new year's kick, though.

From Redbook Magazine this month:

Major detergent brands are getting more environmentally conscious. According to Procter & Gamble, it's new concentrated detergents and smaller packaging will result in:

• 35% less water used
• Up to 43 % less plastic used (which is equivalent to about 2 billion plastic shopping bags per year)
• A total packaging reduction equivalent to the municipal solid waste of 40,000 people per year
• Greenhouse-gas reduction equal to the annual emissions of 40,000 cars

Wow!!!! That is amazing and all because your big bottle of laundry detergent will go to that smaller bottle you are starting to see on the shelves. And the good news is it will actually be better than those old detergents. Tide is actually being formulated with more enzymes and cleaning ingredients, so it is a superior detergent to the old Tide! Those bigger bottles are supposed to be phased out by late Spring, by the way.

Check out a great article in January 2008, Redbook about laundry or click here to read it online. Great information about "green" detergents, fabric softener, laundry boosters, cleaning enzymes and how to treat all kinds of stains.

Can I just tell you that I LOATHE doing the laundry. So, somehow knowing all this stuff and being more green about it all makes it feel like a more important contribution to the world. Although, I guess it really is an important contribution that all of my family leaves the house wearing clean underwear.

Tomorrow, see my post on water, water bottles and wells in Africa. It'll make you think!