A new take on foaming hand soap encourages reuse and refill in an easy-to-use tablet form to help reduce plastic bottle waste
Softsoap Foaming Hand Soap Tablets Starter Kits. (Credit: PRNewswire / Softsoap)
Softsoap®, the number one liquid hand soap brand, has its sights set on reducing plastic waste with the launch of the brand’s new Foaming Hand Soap Tablets and refillable, recyclable aluminum bottle. It’s the first refill option in tablet form to be offered by a major brand in the U.S.
Softsoap’s new take on liquid hand soap is as easy as fill, drop, foam. Simply fill the recyclable aluminum bottle with water, drop in a tablet, and wait for it to fizz up and turn into foaming hand soap. The Softsoap® Foaming Tablet Starter Kit uses 71% less plastic than a traditional foaming plastic soap bottle†. By using the Softsoap Foaming Tablets Refill Kits, you’ll ultimately use 92% less plastic than traditional hand soap refills.††
How big is the opportunity to reduce plastic waste from liquid hand soap packaging? In 2020 alone, more than 455 million plastic liquid hand soap pump bottles were sold*.
If every person who bought a plastic hand soap pump bottle in 2020 switched to Softsoap® Foaming Tablets Starter Kits, it would save more than 150 million plastic pump bottles of soap from entering landfills.*
The innovative new product features biodegradable cleansing ingredients in an easy-to-use tablet-form to encourage reuse and refill as an alternative to buying new plastic bottles. And while traditional hand soap refills tend to be heavy and cumbersome, this new format helps alleviate the often messy process of refilling hand soap. Also, the new format maintains the attributes that the brand is known for. The formulation lathers into a rich foam. The tablets are available in refreshing scents including Sparkling Lavender, Lemon Fizz, and Fresh Coconut.
This launch aligns with Colgate-Palmolive’s Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy, which aims to eliminate one-third of new plastics as part of its transition to 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable plastic packaging by 2025. As part of this strategy, Softsoap® plans to move all pump bottles to 100% post-consumer recycled packaging by the end of 2022.
The strategy recognizes the significant impact a small change can make.
“As a brand found in 53 million North American households, Softsoap® wants to make sustainability a household habit,” said Emily Fong Mitchell, General Manager, North America Personal Care, Colgate-Palmolive. “The launch of Softsoap® Foaming Tablets is a big step as we work to build a more sustainable, healthier future for all. Given our reach, we understand the impact of this step on the entire industry. We’re excited to be leading this change as the first major CPG brand to offer a refill option in tablet form.”
The launch follows the introduction of Colgate® Keep manual toothbrush with an aluminum handle and replaceable head for 80% less plastic waste1, as well as the Company’s recyclable toothpaste tube, the first to be recognized by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR.)
Softsoap® Foaming Tablet Starter Kit MSRP: $5.99 (1 aluminum bottle and 2 refill tablets to make 2 bottles of soap) and Softsoap® Foaming Tablet Refill Kit MSRP: $4.99 (3 tablets to make 3 bottles of soap) will be available online and at major retailers nationwide including Walmart on July 12, 2021.
Source: Company Press Release