Is Soap Bad For the Environment? Statistics, Trends & Facts

The inglorious pandemic has taught us all a valuable lesson: wash, wash, wash your hands. Always and everywhere, keep them clean. 

Undoubtedly, with over 703 million coronavirus pandemic cases (and counting), this simple act of hygiene has proven to be a powerful defence against the spread of infectious diseases.

With soap standing in the centre of this routine, we don't question its impact on nature. Yet, as we navigate the pandemic, we must delve into the environmental consequences of our hygiene practices. 

Yet, is soap bad for the environment? Are there eco-friendly soap options available? Can we strike a balance between personal health and environmental responsibility? 

This article will soak in (pun intended) the ecological footprint of soap and explore the environmental impact of commonly used ingredients, packaging and disposal methods.

To truly grasp the concept of "soap," we must consider its defined regulations and environmental impact. According to regulations, soap mainly comprises salts derived from fatty acids.

Soaps are typically made from substances such as plant oils or animal fats. These types of soaps are biodegradable. They are generally less harmful to the environment than detergents. 

However, it's important to note that soap production still carries risks, including using valuable natural resources and the possibility of pollution.

Before discussing whether soap harms the environment today, let's see how it all began.

In ancient times, soap-like substances were discovered in Ancient Babylonia (2800 BC) and Ancient Egypt (1550 BC), showcasing early recipes using alchemical mixtures of fats and ashes. 

The Roman Empire saw soap evolve into a medicinal commodity. European soap use declined in the Middle Ages, while the Arab world embraced innovations. By the 7th century, soap-making in Europe had become regulated. 

The 19th century brought a transformative era with William Sheppard's 1865 liquid soap patent, revolutionising personal hygiene. However, the mid-20th century saw the rise of synthetic detergents, challenging traditional soap and raising environmental concerns.

The sustainability of soap depends on various factors, including its ingredients, production processes, and packaging.

Here are some considerations:

Reading product labels, checking for certifications, and researching the company's practices can help you make informed choices for more sustainable soap options.

Any eco-conscious individual should understand that the environmental impact of any product stretches beyond its actual use phase. When considering the environmental impact of soap, we need to factor in several factors:

Let's see how they shape the overall sustainability profile of soap. 

The simplest soapmaking recipe calls for water, lye and oils. A common recommendation is to use a water-to-lye ratio of 2:1. 

However, the modern cosmetics industry has reached the point where soap not only cleans but serves multiple purposes. Thus, soap needs to contain additional chemical components to serve those purposes.

Here are some of the most common chemical ingredients in soap:

Additionally, recent studies found that triclosan and phosphates contribute to antibiotic resistance in bacteria, aquatic ecosystem disruption, and nutrient pollution.

World Health Organisation recognises regular 20-30 second handwashing with soap as a vital tool to fight the coronavirus spread.

Excessive detergents in freshwater can result in a large amount of foam forming on the water's surface. This foam reduces the ability of oxygen to penetrate the water, making it challenging for aquatic organisms to effectively absorb dissolved oxygen. 

These substances in the aquatic ecosystem change various water characteristics such as pH, turbidity, salinity, and temperature. The decline in water quality negatively affects fish's biochemical and physiological functions, impacting the value of dissolved oxygen crucial for their well-being. This can lead to significant harm to the gills of fish.

To say more, detergents in water pose a danger to aquatic plants, especially corals and seaweed. They cause eutrophication – excessive plant growth due to water oversaturation with nitrogen and phosphorus. Generally, this leads to a less healthy environment for fish and other organisms. 

Today, soap manufacturing involves not only the blending of ingredients but also considerable water usage. Thus, considering the above-mentioned water-to-lye ratio, for every 1 ton of bar soap, around 2000 kg of water is needed.

Soap production often involves ingredients that contribute to deforestation and habitat destruction. For example, palm oil, a common ingredient in soap, is linked to significant environmental degradation due to clearing tropical forests for palm plantations. 

This deforestation contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, further exacerbating climate change.

As the global soap market is projected to grow to £43.80 billion by 2030 (from £26.68 billion in 2021), the industry's environmental impact will undoubtedly grow. 

But it would be wrong to assume that the soap industry hadn't influenced the environment before that. Apart from the potentially harmful ingredients, packaging is another component that comes together with soap.

On the one hand, soap packaging is important for the product's safe distribution, storage, sale, shipping, and use. Typically, soap packaging comprises waxed paper, aluminium, polyethylene glycol-coated paper, and cellophane. 

On the other hand, containers and packaging contribute to the generation of wastewater, hydrocarbon pollution, and air emissions. 

Eventually, most of the packaging ends up in landfills, open dumps, or burning, in most cases, with zero chance of decomposition.

To tackle this problem, soap manufacturers should limit the use of packing materials, reduce their weight, and use recycled materials. This approach can be called the 3 'R's strategy: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Multiple studies suggest that paper-free packaging, high-density polyethene pourable bottles, refill packaging and returnable packaging can resolve the issue with a contaminating factor of soap packaging.

Soap is a relatively environmentally friendly product based on the type of soap, packaging, usage patterns, and production process. 

Here's a comparison of soap to some other everyday things:

So, if you want soap to be a part of your sustainable lifestyle, choose soaps made with vegetable oils and lye, consider using reusable cloths instead of paper towels and wipes and avoid soaps with non-recyclable packaging.

Most soaps aren't toxic, but their toxicity depends on the context. 

Yes, soap is definitely toxic when being misused. When ingested, it can cause poisoning, nausea, vomiting, and dehydration. Yet, certain ingredients can also be harmful if we're talking about what's inside the soap.

These are usually:

These components make soap potentially bad for the environment, so read through the ingredient list before purchasing.

We can certainly get into Ayurvedic and other soap alternatives like vinegar, oils, baking soda, oatmeal, clays, hand sanitisers, micellar water, and such. But let's still emphasise that your health comes first. 

So, skim through your soap's ingredient list instead of imbalanced soap alternatives and see whether greener solutions are inside that bar.

Most environmentalists agree that going for biodegradable and natural components in soap reduces its environmental impact. 

Here are some biodegradable substitutes:

Various studies between 2018 and 2020 have found that sustainable soap options have an improved shelf life and naturally decompose with time.

Yes, traditional soap is usually biodegradable. It is considered biodegradable if at least 90% of its composition breaks into water, carbon dioxide, and organic material. 

With biodegradable soap, this usually happens within 6 months after use. 

In contrast, many non-biodegradable soaps contain persistent chemicals like triclosan and triclocarban, which are resistant to natural breakdown and can't be treated during water treatment. 

Moreover, phosphates, another ingredient of regular soaps, also resist breakdown and, therefore, can't be removed from wastewater. However, multiple governments have introduced restrictions and regulations on using phosphates in household cleaning products.

Always check product labels for information on specific ingredients, e.g. phosphate-free, to ensure your environmental impact is as low as possible. 

Yes and no.

As a rule, you can't recycle liquid and bar soap through curbside programs due to their composition and contaminating nature. Moreover, it often contains water or other ingredients that aren't suitable for recycling. 

Soap packaging is the only part that is generally recyclable so far. However, there are ways to recycle soap: repurposing and upcycling.

Here's an in-depth overview of the global soap market and its growth, with insights into the soap markets in specific countries.

The soap industry is a dynamic and evolving landscape, constantly adapting to consumer preferences and environmental concerns.

Here are some key trends shaping the future of suds:

Sustainability:

Personalisation and customisation:

Innovation and technology:

Holistic and sustainable approach:

​​Ultimately, embracing eco-friendly soap practices, seeking certifications, refilling and reusing containers, and making mindful choices in water usage all contribute to finding the delicate equilibrium between cleanliness and environmental responsibility. 

Hopefully, these insights can guide you towards a harmonious future where personal hygiene and ecological well-being coexist. Happy handwashing!