7th Generation Debuts 4x Laundry Detergent in Paper Bottle

 Seventh Generation is trying out a new type of packaging for laundry detergent with the launch of its 4x concentrated formula.

Some of the detergent will be sold in bottle made of a cardboard shell that encloses a plastic bag. The hybrid container, made by Ecologic Brands, was also tested last year by Strauss Family Creamery to see how well it carries milk.

Although Seventh Generation says the packaging is completely recyclable, that comes with a couple of caveats.

About one-fourth of the 4x detergent will come in the paper-plastic bottle initially.

The plastic bag is made of low-density polyethylene, identified with the #4 resin code, and can be recycled through services that take plastic bags, such as supermarkets with bag collection bins. And the bottle cap is polypropylene, #5, and is not commonly accepted by recycling companies, but is taken by recycled consumer goods company Preserve's Gimme 5 collection bins at Whole Foods Market stores.

The cardboard shell, meanwhile, can be recycled or even composted in home and industrial settings. The shell is 100 percent recycled, made from 70 percent cardboard and 30 percent newspaper. 

Using paper for the bulk of the container results in Seventh Generation using 66 percent less plastic per bottle than most 100-ounce laundry detergent bottles. The 4x concentrated detergent comes in a 50-ounce bottle and is enough to handle 66 loads, the same amount as the company's 100-ounce, 2x concentrated detergent.