The Top Line:

MIXED buy from us. From the makers of Beyond Laundry Sheets, Beyond Auto Dish Tabs, if buying the 8-pack, is a reasonable option that competes with Dropps when it comes to cost. Available on Amazon, it’s easy for those that have Prime and do not necessarily want to subscribe. Ingredients on the Beyond website can sound scary, but generally are low risk. We like fragrance-free, dye-free, and chlorine-free features. One small issue we had was that we found some items that would have a white film after washing - though we think it could be our dishwasher and not the product.

Check out our Big Zero Waste Dishwasher Roundup on the Reduce Report.

Update 2023, Note: 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) isn’t quite as clean as it is advertised to be, but still a step up from traditional bottled cleaners.

The Breakdown:

• Cost & Products: $9.89 for a box of 32 tablets or $47.95 for a case of 8 (256 tablets) on Amazon

• How ‘Clean’ Is This? A lot of scary sounding ingredients on the website, but most are rated 1 on EWG or otherwise biodegrade in high temperatures (which your dishwasher uses!)

• Packaging: Recyclable paper box

• Purchasing & Shipping: Amazon!

• Note: The tablets are wrapped in PVA, polyvinyl alcohol. You do not need to remove it! This is a water-soluble plastic binding around the tab.

  Most brands claim they are biodegradable, though there is some debate on whether it is fully soluble and therefore has limited impact on the environment. There are studies that argue both sides, but we did not find solid independent sources.

• What’s Your Impact? Traditional liquid dishwasher 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 6-12 plastic jugs of dishwasher detergent over the course of a year.

  Rather than plastic jugs, Beyond Natural Dishwasher Tablets come in a paper box. Less plastic = better.

The Good:

✔ Zero plastic, fragrance-free, dye-free, bleach-free

✔ Very economic option if you buy the 8pack with 256 tabs!

✔ Amazon purchase, for those that rely on Amazon for most of their home essentials

✔ No Phosphates

The Bad:

✗ Despite having a rinse aid, can leave white film on some silverware (we use diluted vinegar to rinse it off)

✗ Contains PVA

The Experience

What we typically use: Seventh Generation Dishwasher Detergent Powder has been our mainstay, and we’ve recently tried their Dishwasher tablets from their Zero Plastic line as well as Blueland’s dishwashing tablets, which didn’t dissolve all the way.

• No scent - which we don’t mind on our dishes!

• Tablet comes wrapped in polyvinyl alcohol — don’t remove the film! Just pop it in your dishwasher.

• Dishes come out clean - but because this is a phosphate-free formula (like most dishwasher detergents), it can leave a white film on some items

The Cost

We compared the Beyond Natural Auto Dish Tabs to other zero-waste or greener options like Dropps, Blueland, Seventh Generation, Public Goods, Cleancult and Grove Collaborative. Note: Powdered dishwasher detergent will remain cheaper given less processing, but we get that dishwashing pods and tablets are easier — less mess and measuring!

Money Report: Wow, buying an 8-pack of Beyond Auto Dish Tabs competes with Dropps bulk subscription order. Buying a single box of dishwasher tabs is somewhere in the middle of the range.

Our Recommendation:

MIXED buy from us. From the makers of Beyond Laundry Sheets, Beyond Auto Dish Tabs, if buying the 8-pack, is a reasonable option that competes with Dropps when it comes to cost. Being available on Amazon makes it easy for those that have Prime and do not necessarily want to subscribe. Ingredients on the website can sound scary, but generally are low risk. We like fragrance-free, dye-free, and chlorine-free features. One small issue we had was that we found some items that would have a white film after washing - though we think it could be our dishwasher and not the product.

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!