Dropps Dishwasher Pods 2023 Review - Sustainable, Biodegradable Dishwasher Detergent
The Top Line: It’s a BUY if you’re ready to commit and buy in bulk!
If you are a Dropps devotee already (see our review of Dropps Laundry Pods) and ready to commit to a subscription or bulk purchase, Dropps dishwasher pods are by far and away the most cost effective option in the market — while still maintaining a strong zero-waste ethos.
Note: This product does include a polymer called Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) — which, while it can biodegradable, it requires very specific conditions in order to do so that most US wastewater treatment facilities in the US are not set up for (study on degradation of PVA in US Wastewater Treatment Plants), which can lead to partially degraded plastic in the environment. TLDR: Biodegradable products that include PVA (which is found in many dishwasher and detergent pods) isn’t quite as clean as it is advertised to be, but still a step up from traditional bottled cleaners.
*Review Updated September 2023* to include the latest research on polymer Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) that is in this product.
UPDATE 25 May 2021: $10 off orders with SUNNY10, Until June 1!
Check out our Big Zero Waste Dishwasher Roundup on the Reduce Report.
The Breakdown:
Cost & Products: There are a lot of options to by Dropps dishwasher pods:
Sizes: $25 for Single (64 pods), $40 for Couple (120 pods), $50 for Family (180 pods), and $180 for Bulk (804 pods)
One-time, Subscription: You can get a 30% off discount for subscribing
How ‘Clean’ Is This? Really clean. Recyclable and compostable packaging, biodegradable and plant-derived ingredients, and pre-measured pods reduce overuse of detergent (which most people are guilty of!)
Packaging: Minimal packaging, all recyclable or biodegradable.
Purchasing & Shipping: Great experience, we purchased from the Dropps website, and it shipped less than 3 hours later (impressive!). Some of the pods are also available on Amazon.
Good to Know: We love that you can try out any formulation by buying a trial kit for 10 loads! If you are ready to commit, the bulk option is by far and away the cheapest option on the market.
Coupons: You can get 30% off for subscribing. There are various promo codes out there for first time buyers and subscribers (TOMORROW, and WOMENSHEALTH were two we found on the web).
Whats Your Impact? Traditional liquid dishwasher detergents are usually packaged in high density polyethylene. 68% of these bottles are not recycled and contribute to the approximately 275 metric tons of plastic waste that goes into our oceans and waterways annually. A family of 4 would typically go through 6-12 plastic jugs of dishwasher detergent over the course of a year. Dropps’ pod membrane is a water soluble film made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). When the film dissolves in your washer and enters the water stream micro-organisms (including bacteria, yeasts, and fungi) that commonly exist in water treatment plants are capable of breaking down polyvinyl alcohol to water and carbon dioxide.
The Efficacy:
Context: We are already excited about the price and shopping/shipping experience, we just want to make sure Dropps actually washes well!
We purchased the lemon scented pods — it was clean, not over-powering
Dishes came out sparkling, no difference versus other dishwasher detergents we have used in the past (seventh generation, cascade, etc.)
The Cost:
Context: We assumed that an average family of 4 would run their dishwasher 9x a week, 52 weeks a year
Money Thoughts: If you are able to purchase in bulk — the Family or Bulk size, one-time or subscribe, you are spending considerably less when compared to other brands.
The Good:
✔ Pre-measured pods reduce overuse of detergent (which most people are guilty of)
✔ Zero waste packaging and product
✔ Very light scents that do not overpower
✔ Blows competition out of the water from a price perspective
✔ We liked the educational card that came in the box! (We learned that we can wash cashmere on the cold cycle)
✔ Free of dyes, chlorine, phosphates, enzymes, optical brighteners
✔ Biodegradable formula contains plant-derived ingredients
The Bad:
✗ We really do not have anything bad to say about Dropps! (A rarity if you’ve read through any of our other reviews…)
Our Recommendation:
Dropps detergent pods are an absolute buy. We really don’t know why you would go for any other brand. You can read our enthusiastic review of Dropps Laundry Pods here as well.
Note: This product does include a polymer called Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) — which, while it can biodegradable, it requires very specific conditions in order to do so that most US wastewater treatment facilities in the US are not set up for (study on degradation of PVA in US Wastewater Treatment Plants), which can lead to partially degraded plastic in the environment. TLDR: Biodegradable products that include PVA (which is found in many dishwasher and detergent pods) isn’t quite as clean as it is advertised to be, but still a step up from traditional bottled cleaners.
We're on a mission to reduce our personal carbon footprint with small, hopefully easy, changes in our home to fight against climate change. This means we're looking for products that may be all natural, ideally zero waste, reusable or compostable -- while still being affordable!
