<P> The chemistry of laundry detergent packs is the same as in liquid detergents (including alkylbenzenesulfonates). The water - soluble pouch is typically made of polyvinylalcohol (PVA) or a derivative of PVA . Although the formulas are similar, a detergent pack's liquids may contain 10% water compared to 50% in liquid detergents . </P> <P> MonoSol is one of the companies that develops the water - soluble film used for laundry and dishwasher detergent packs, used by brands including Tide, with roughly $250 million in annual sales and controlling around 90 - percent of the market . The film is designed to be soluble in cold water . </P> <P> Laundry pods are estimated to make up about 15% of the $7 billion - a-year U.S. laundry detergent market sales according to market researcher Nielsen NV . Laundry pods were advertised as a way to reduce wasted use of powdered and liquid detergent by having precise measurements for a load . For large loads, most brands recommend two pods, with Tide suggesting up to three . Detergent pods cost significantly more than liquid detergent for equivalent laundry loads . </P> <P> Laundry tabs were originally introduced in the 1960s in a compacted granular form (similar to an oral medical tablet), when Procter & Gamble launched Salvo tablets, later disappearing from the market in the 1970s . In the 1990s, Unilever and Henkel launched a similar laundry detergent pack product sold in Western Europe . These products sometimes didn't fully dissolve in United States washers . </P>

Where does the plastic go from the tide pods