Sustainability and the humble bottle of liquid laundry detergent

This is a great story and observation that illustrates the dynamics of sustainability.  Where waste and inefficiency run into cultural norms and limited consumer education.  A story that starts in most laundry rooms.

Consider the bottle of liquid laundry detergent.  The industry standard always came in a 120-ounce container (I just checked mine, it is 172-ounce) close to the size and weight of a gallon milk jug (heavy enough for my wife to complain about carrying in to the house from the car), but it was made in an ultraconcentrated version - - same brand, same soap, just concentrated so it fit into a container the size of a large ketchup bottle.  Both versions wash the same amount of clothing with the same effectiveness, and both sell for the same prize - - but the ketchup bottle uses 1/4 the packaging, weighs 1/4 as much, costs 1/4 to ship, and takes up 1/4 the space on ships, trucks, and shelves.  The larger bottle had one ingredient in greater supply in comparison to the smaller bottle: extra water.  That's all.  The ketchup bottle version is better for the bottom line, more convenient for the customer, more profitable to sell, and way better for the environment.

Yet - - and this is a a huge yet, most of the billion or so bottles of laundry soap sold each year in the United States were the big ones.  Waste and habit on one side of the ledger - - profit and sustainability on the other side.  Both sides of the ledger are surrounded by a culture of "Bigger has to be better for me, doesn't it?", poor product labeling, and poorly educated consumers (including me and my family) in the context of sustainability.

Put Force of Nature: The Unlikely Story of Wal-Mart's Green Revolution by Edward Humes on your summer beach reading list.  The book explains how Wal-Mart came to view profitability and greenness in the light of a strategic sustainability vision.  Also check out Blu Skye Sustainability Consultants - - the firm that helped Wal-Mart down their sustainability path.