What is PVA
Polyvinyl Alcohol or PVA is a synthetic, water-soluble, plastic polymer. Now we all know what that means, right? Wrong, but just the words synthetic and plastic have set off alarm bells for me, and hopefully for you too. So while this article can’t answer your questions about right or wrong products, we can give you some guidance.
Is PVA Bad for the Environment
There are mixed views about this coming from everyone. Some say that they are biodegradable and have no harmful long-term effects. Others state that they are plastics and therefore harmful to the universe. These two vastly separate schools of thought should leave us wondering and searching for answers.
Unfortunately, you’ll find these polymers everywhere in today’s household. Such products as laundry sheets, pods, medicine coating, eye drops, contact lenses etc… You’ll find this handy invention anywhere where they need a thin plastic coating that will dissolve over time.
Laundry Sheets
Laundry sheets are some of the newest laundry items to hit the market, and we admit they sound amazing. However, if you are trying to stop using plastics in your home, you may want to stop using these eco-friendly products altogether because PVA is also found in laundry sheets. Sort of like the biodegradable glue that holds them all together.
However, if your goal is to just reduce the amount of plastic waste. Then the sheets are still better for the environment than the plastic detergent bottles. Note there are other laundry detergent products out there claiming to be 100% plastic-free. Nevertheless, when I read what their packaging was made of, they left me with doubts as well. Gee, I wonder how our ancestors got by without all of these plastics?
How to Have the Biggest Impact
Sometimes, we mistakenly think that because we can’t do something 100%, we just won’t do anything at all. That’s far from the truth (See how Swanson impacted the world with his one change above?). In fact, any small change that you can make in your daily routine will ultimately have a positive impact on future generations. Oh – maybe not immediately, but down the road with your children, or their children, or their children, and so on. To have the biggest impact, just do something no matter how small it may seem.
We hope this article has started you to thinking. Because thinking people can make a difference.
Check out our printable laundry symbol guide today!
