Tide Adopts Plastic Packaging for E-Commerce

Emphases on online delivery and sustainability mean a major update to the packaging for certain types of Tide laundry detergent. The popular brand formula can now be shipped in a cardboard box, according to a report from CNN Business this week.

"This is a fundamentally different approach than we've taken in the past," said Sundar Raman, Vice President of the North America Fabric Care business at Tide’s parent company, Procter & Gamble.

The package is branded as a “Tide Eco-Box.” As well as reducing the amount of packaging required for shipment, the formula contains less water than regular Tide. The company says that it uses 60 percent less plastic than shipping an equivalent 150 ounce bottle, and also takes up less space in delivery trucks.

It includes a measuring cup and an unfoldable stand. The box will be available via online ordering from Amazon, Walmart, and other e-commerce retailers which carry Procter & Gamble products.

P&G has also experimented with detergent that works well in cold water, in order to respond to customers who use cold water to reduce their household’s energy consumption. Warming up hot water during the wash cycle consumed the majority of the energy that goes into running a washing machine, but using cold water can be ineffective. In response, P&G is working on a formula that fights stains even when used with cold water.

P&G has designated an entire unit of its fabric care business to adapting to digital business, which takes into account packaging materials as well as factors such as Amazon’s shipping standards.