TRR tried LastObject’s Detergent Sheets for a month. Here's our review.

The Top Line:

LastObject detergent sheets are maybe a buy! We appreciate the very minimal packaging (comes in a slim, cardboard box) and that it is generally less heavy when compared to laundry pods, and much less wasteful compared with traditional liquid detergents that come in plastic jugs. Pricing is in range with other options out there. Our only callouts are that, like laundry pods and other laundry strips/sheets, this product does include PVA (see note below).

Note: We could not find a full ingredient list on their site or packaging. We reached out to LastObject team to confirm that 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 and sheets) isn’t quite as clean as it is advertised to be, but still a step up from traditional bottled cleaners.

Check out our Big Zero-Waste Laundry Roundup Review on The Reduce Report.

The Breakdown:

• Cost & Products: $12 for 30 sheets

• How ‘Clean’ Is This? Minimal packaging, concentrated formula, ethoxylate-free, phosphate-free, sulfate-free, paraffin-free. Certified B corp. Does include PVA.

• Packaging: Cardboard envelope made of recycled cardboard. No plastic.

• Purchasing & Shipping: We purchased on Amazon

• What’s Your Impact? Traditional liquid laundry 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 5-6 plastic jugs of laundry detergent (that can be used for 64 loads) over the course of a year.

The Experience

Context: We have tried many laundry pods, powders and strips/sheets, and currently fairly happy with Dropps (for pods), Meliora (for powder) and Beyond Laundry (for strips/sheets)!

• We appreciate the simple packaging, no additional plastic

• We really like the “clean” scent

• We ran a few loads of laundry with LastObject detergent sheets happy to confirm everything came out nice and clean!

• Easier to use than powder options like Meliora as the sheets are pre-measured, but not any more or less convenient than laundry pods

• Very similar to Beyond Laundry Sheets, Tru Earth, and other laundry strips and sheets

• Sheets fully dissolved for us in every load

Overall, we liked the ease of use! No residue afterwards that we could find.

The Cost

There are A LOT of options out there for laundry — we compiled both powder and pod options for comparison, as well as another laundry sheet brand to get a well rounded comparison. Brands included in the comparison analysis below include Sheets Laundry Club, Beyond Laundry, Meliora, Dropps, Gain, Method, Seventh Generation:

Money Report: LastObject’s laundry sheets are reasonable, maybe slightly on the higher end of the range when compared to other sheets and tablet options. The most affordable option are in powder format (Charlie’s Soap is a good example).

The Good:

✔ Ease of use - no messes or spilling

✔ No phosphates, sulfates or parrafins

✔ Sensitive skin friendly — no Ethoxylates, Perfumes or Dyes

✔ Biodegradable (but it does include PVA, read more below)

✔ 100% Plastic free! Very minimal packaging

✔ Lightweight, no water means less energy used in transport

The Bad:

✗ Does include PVA — which, while it can biodegrade, 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.

Our Recommendation

LastObject detergent sheets are maybe a buy! We appreciate the very minimal packaging (comes in a slim, cardboard box) and that it is generally less heavy when compared to laundry pods, and much less wasteful compared with traditional liquid detergents that come in plastic jugs. Pricing is in range with other options out there. Our only callouts are that, like laundry pods and other laundry strips/sheets, this product does include PVA (see note above).

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!