Looking for zero-waste and plastic-free dishwasher detergent and tablets? Here are my favourite brands for 2026. This includes those made from vegan-friendly and plant-derived ingredients, the refill brands and more.

I make around 95% of my own cleaning products. This saves on so much plastic. The other 5%? Dishwasher detergent and washing-up liquid. Both have eluded me. Dishwasher detergent and tablets in particular.

After trying countless formulations and re-formulations to make my own plastic-free dishwasher tablets or detergent, nothing has cut the mustard. 

Everything I tried either left a white film on all of our dishes or a greasy film. Sometimes, it even left the double whammy – a white, greasy film. The worst! The homemade dishwasher powder experimentation era in our house was a grim time indeed.

We now resolutely stick to shop-bought dishwasher tablets. Many tablets come wrapped in plastic, but thankfully, I’ve been able to find lots of brands that avoid this problematic packaging.

The Best Plastic-Free Dishwasher Tablets

Eco-friendly dishwasher detergents/tablets are one or two a penny. However, eco-friendly and plastic-free dishwasher detergent or tablets have proved to be a trickier thing to source. The good news is that I have tracked down some zero-waste and eco-friendly dishwasher tablets.

It is important to note that while many dishwasher tablets are marketed as plastic-free, some are coated in polyvinyl alcohol (often abbreviated to PVA, or sometimes called PVOH). This is a type of plastic, so technically these tablets aren’t entirely plastic-free.

That being said, current scientific consensus suggests that PVA is designed to completely break down during the wastewater treatment process rather than persist in the environment. If you’d like a closer look at how this works, I’ve explored the research and nuances of this in more detail over on my paid Substack.

With that disclaimer out of the way, here are my favourite UK brands:

Ecoleaf

• Wrapped in PVA/PVOH

Ecoleaf Dishwasher Tablets (available at Ethical Superstore for £14.15 for 70 – 20.2p per wash; or £5.69 for 25 – 22.8p per wash) are a great eco-friendly option that comes in a plastic-free box.

Made from plant-derived ingredients, the dishwasher tablets are free of phosphates, SLS, SLES, parabens, triclosan, and synthetic fragrances. They are also certified cruelty-free and vegan-friendly. The one downside is that they do contain palm oil. 

The Ecoleaf dishwasher tablets are designed to leave your dishes sparkling clean. They have a built-in rinse-aid, degreasing agents, and powerful cleaning action. I’ve been using them in our soft water area, and I concur. I have found that they perform great on our dirty dishes and glassware. I’ve also had no issues with their cleaning ability.

Homethings

• Wrapped in PVA/PVOH

Homethings dishwasher tablets (£10 for 40 / 25p per wash) are made with a plant-based formulation that’s both vegan and cruelty-free.

These dishwasher tablets come in a plastic-free box, which is designed to be delivered through your letterbox. No more missed deliveries!

Packaging aside, Homething dishwasher tablets tackle dirty dishes with ease. The tablets include rinse aid and dishwasher salts, so you don’t need to buy additional products.

If you like Homethings, you can set up a subscription. Here you can have your dishwasher tablets delivered at a frequency that suits you. It works out cheaper this way too – as you get free delivery.

What’s also good to know is that the tablets are made in the EU and contain no phosphate or chlorine. Homethings also confirmed by email to me in January 2023 that its dishwasher tablets do not contain palm oil or any palm oil-derived ingredients.

Smol

• Wrapped in PVA/PVOH

Smol’s dishwasher tablets (£6.50 for 30 tablets / 22p per wash) are 100% vegan-friendly and cruelty-free, accredited by Leaping Bunny certification.

Smol’s dishwasher tablets come packaged in a plastic-free cardboard box that fits through your letterbox. As the pink and white tablets look like sweets, Smol has made its cardboard box childproof. This means that if your child gets to the post first, they can’t get into the box.

Beyond their cruelty-free status and plastic-free packaging, that’s where the eco-credentials end. Instead, I would say that Smol is more akin to conventional dishwashing brands, without the plastic packaging.

Smol says, “We have found a way to use lower levels of added chemicals per wash when compared to the other tablet brands“. So although Smol uses fewer harsh chemicals, this means its ingredients don’t have any particular sustainability credentials.

That being said, the tablets are pretty effective, and dishes don’t need a second wash – saving water.

Something I picked up on is that Smol’s dishwasher tablets contain an ingredient called acrylic copolymer. Whilst Beat The Bead  – a campaign against microplastic, – says this is a microplastic, I have checked with Smol on this.

The good news is that Smol says, “Our dishwasher tablets DO NOT contain microplastic. Sometimes ‘acrylate copolymer’ is mistaken for a microplastic, because this is a generic name for a variety of chemicals. The acrylate copolymer we use is a water-soluble liquid and does not meet the definition of a microplastic. Additionally, our products, including dishwasher tabs, have been certified Microplastic free by Flustix“. 

Want to try Smol? Enjoy a free trial using this link – just pay £1.99 to cover postage.

Oceansaver

• Wrapped in PVA/PVOH

Oceansaver dishwasher tablets (£8.99 for 30 tablets / 30p per wash) are another great eco-friendly choice. Made with ocean-life-friendly ingredients, the dishwasher tablets come in a plastic-free box and are 100% phosphate-free. As you would expect, they’re also vegan and animal cruelty-free.

What’s the catch? I haven’t been able to find one. There’s absolutely zero compromise on performance. I’ve been trying them out for a few months, and haven’t found anything they can’t take on – even on short washes.

On a short wash, on Oceansaver’s advice, I just put the tablet directly into the bottom of my dishwasher, rather than the dispenser. Everything comes out gleaming!

PVA-Free Brands To Know

If you are looking for PVA-free dishwasher detergent, then I’ve only come across one eco-friendly brand in the UK offering plastic-free packaging. That is Ecoliving Soapy Suds Dishwasher Powder (£8.50 for 750 g at Ethical Superstore).

You don’t get the convenience of the tablet format, but the powder does comes in a 100% home compostable, resealable pouch. It’s fully plastic-free, and zero-waste, made in the UK, free from palm oil, vegan-friendly and has not been tested on animals.

Ecoliving says one packet of dishwasher powder is the equivalent of 50 tablets, so it works out around 17p a load – definitely the cheapest option by far.

Plastic-Free Dishwasher Tablets That May Contain Microplastic

As I alluded to earlier, unfortunately, some of the ‘plastic-free’ brands may contain microplastic, in the form of plastic-based polymers. These go by rather complicated names that don’t roll off the tongue easily, but are important ones to look out for. These include:

• Acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer
• Acrylates copolymer
• Carbome
• Cyclohexasiloxane
• Cyclopentasiloxane
• Polyquaternium-7
• Sodium polyacrylate

You might be wondering why some brands use these types of polymers in their ingredients. Dishwasher brands use plastic-based polymers to keep your dishes clean and to increase the shine of your crockery.

Whilst your dishes may be shiny, it’s certainly hard to swallow that microplastics are turning up in the placentas of unborn babies and in pretty much all the food we eat.

Here are the brands to potentially watch out for:

Ecozone

Ecozone dishwasher tablets (£5.99 for 25 / 24p per load) at first sound good. They carry proof of Allergy UK certification. This ensures that these tablets won’t cause any adverse allergic reactions. What’s more, their tablets are cruelty-free, suitable for vegans and palm oil-free.

Unfortunately, Ecozone dishwasher tablets contain an ingredient called sodium polyacrylate. Beat The Bead says that sodium polyacrylate is a microplastic and should be avoided. I’d like to see Ecozone move away from the use of potentially plastic-based polymers in its ingredients.

Why Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Doesn’t Always Work

As I mentioned before, I’ve tried to make my own dishwasher detergent, with dismal results.

I sat down and did some extensive research to see where I was going wrong. What I discovered was that pretty much all commercial dishwasher tablets and powders, even eco-friendly brands, contain an ingredient called sodium silicate powder.

This sodium silicate powder rinses away food and soap deposits and is completely soluble in water. As a result, dishes always come out clean and streak-free. 

Great, you’re thinking. Just add sodium silicate powder to the ingredients of your homemade plastic-free dishwasher powder or tablets. However, it’s not that simple, I’m afraid. 

Sodium silicate powder is only available commercially. Its sale is very heavily restricted. In fact, one supplier of sodium silicate powder says, “This is a restricted product and can only be purchased by approved, registered companies when logged in. Poisonous items are also regulated and reportable under the Poisons Act 1972. Once purchased, we may have to undertake further checks on you and your company.”

Eco-friendlier shop-bought dishwasher detergent/tablets it is then. The pursuit of homemade dishwasher powder is not worth the very real threat of getting arrested!

Any Other Recommendations?

Have you found any other plastic-free dishwasher detergents? Or have you been able to make your own dishwasher detergent successfully, without the horrible white and/or greasy films? If so, you have my eternal respect! Let me know in the comments below!

How To Make Your Dishwashing Routine Even More Sustainable

And before you go, finding eco-friendly dishwasher detergent is just the first step. If you want to make your dishwashing routine even more sustainable, check out my guide on how to save energy with your dishwasher. You’ll be sure to pick up lots of clever tips that help save you money and the environment.

Wendy Graham