A new NYC bill may put an end to your laundry essential: Tide PODS. Though the laundry detergent pacs have met previous controversy after kids were reported consuming the product, Tide PODS also contain polyvinyl alcohol, a pollutant in U.S. waterways.
Therefore, The New York City Council proposed a new bill that would ban the sale of laundry and dishwasher pods and sheets that use polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)—including the popular Tide PODS—for environmental protection efforts and the resiliency of waterways. The legislation would further require education and outreach on law compliance for retail and wholesale businesses that would be affected.
City Councilman James Gennaro who introduced the bill, outlined that if passed the bill would go into effect on January 1, 2026. Those caught in violation of the bill would inquire a $400 civil penalty. Second time offenders would be charged $800, and a subsequent violation would go up to $1,200.
Tide PODS are encased in a film containing polyvinyl alcohol. Polyvinyl alcohol is defined in the bill as a “water soluble synthetic polymer formed by the hydrolysis of a vinyl polymer, such as polyvinyl acetate.”
Though the dissolvable, biodegradable polymer has been deemed relatively harmless and nontoxic, Plastic Oceans explained that “dissolve does not mean disappear.” They further clarified the issue by relating it to salt. Though salt is water soluble, when you drink water with dissolved salt, it still tastes salty. The same can be said for the Tide PODS dissolving in the washing machine, yet leaving behind little microplastics in the water.
According to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, more than 8,000 tons of PVA enter the environment from these detergent pods. Compare that to plastic water bottles and that would equal 600 million bottles worth in plastic. Since the water solubility breaks the pods down into such small particles, they’re able to pass through water treatment and possibly reach human consumption.
Though Gennaro still needs to further look into the issue, he “[thinks] the science is ultimately going to bear out this is something council should act upon,” he told The New York Post.