Finish powerball tabs reformulated? - 8.7% phosphate

[househelper]

I was surprised to see Finish powerball tabs with 8.7% Phosphate at my local Costco. The date on the container is 2010 and each tab is sealed in a clear plastic (not white). I'm wondering if this the last of some old stock or new stuff intended for a somewhere in europe or Canada as all the text is in English/French. Either way I'm going to stock up incase this is a fluke.

 

[passatdoc]

I have three huge (100 ct) bins of Finish purchased/hoarded from Costco last summer. I can't find mention of phosphate content anywhere on the package. The wrappers are clear and there is a red powerball on each blue and white tab.

 

[petek]

Phosphates are now banned in Canada last year I believe..

 

[househelper]

Photos

I'll post some photos later. I was expecting the same phosphate free markings when I picked up the huge 120 tab container.... I could not find "phosphate free" in the normal green area. That's when I noticed the "add-on sticker" over the package contents - as if the formula was changed and a sticker was needed to update the old stock of containers. At $9.99 for 120 tabs I'm going back for more.

 

[launderess]

NOS

What you've got ahold of there is new old stock. Both Electrolux tabs (Powerball and otherwise), along with early versions of Finish contained phoshpates. Sometime near or after the change to "Quantum" the stuff was removed.

 

[Pingmeep]

Yup ban for non commercial phosphate use came in July 1, 2010.

The new regulations impose a phosphorus limit of 0.5% by weight for household cleaners, dish washing detergents (hand and automatic), and laundry detergents.
Phosphorus will still be permitted in commercial and industrial detergents.

The ceiling of 0.5% for household products was set to accommodate residues from manufacturers who produce detergents both with and without phosphates on the same production lines.

So that's probably why you found your English and French Finish powerball tabs deal.

Pretty sure about 15 states launched anti phosphate legislation as well. Supposedly in a best case scenario phosphates in lakes will drop by 10%. The good news is the non phosphate Finish seems to be working about the same as the old.

 

[househelper]

Photos

Photo 1

 

[househelper]

photo 2

Photo 2

 

[househelper]

photo 3

Photo 3 - I just picked up a few more.... I should be good for a few years now.

 

[3beltwesty]

Stuff "Banned" in the USA often means when it was MA

<BR<Banned items often in the US defines when when it was made; and NOT when it was sold. Thus some old country store in Georgia might have a box of Finish with 7 percent Phosphates in 2020; but it was made in 2008.

One has pockets of "new old stock" in odd obscure places.

Thus I bought 2 boxes of Finish last month; and got 3 last December at a local Big Lots store. They were out eons ago at Walmart.

The "English and French Finish powerball tabs deal. " is NOS; ie new old stock.

****In Canada; maybe the ban is it cannot be used?

****In Canada; maybe the ban is it cannot be sold?

ie products from banned area are dumped to markets to be sold; ie old stock unsaleable elsewhere.

Some school or government building can declare on cannot use XYZ after a certain date;

BUT it is really not enforceable or practical to place Gomer Pyle in Jail if he buys a box of Finish in Mayberry NC that is in Aunt Beas grocery store in 2020.

The South East Usa has long been an area where stuff is dumped. California say bans car alarms that will not turn off automatically say in 1977 and they then magically are in Mississippi Walmarts on the fire sale table at 1/2 off.

STATES can ban stuff besides federal US too: Lets say California bans the better variant of a product that cleans better and says that soaps with more than 4 percent of Gov Moonbeam dust cannot be sold after March 1,2011. The vendors just ship the unsold product the the nearest place that the sale is allowed.

Look at stuff long banned like leaded high pressure greases. I bought a brand new old stock Sinclair can of grease with real lead on Ebay; sold just for the cans look. Ie the vender is really selling the nice red can; one gets the grease for free.

Same goes for lead solder for electronics; one buys old stock.

 

[Pingmeep]

In Canada the ban is you cannot make for non-commercial applications and cannot stock in retail for non commercial applications. It's pretty straight forward.

I stocked up on my Henkle Persil for that very reason. It's still available but going down very quickly. I'm hoping vacuum sealing it is enough to keep it in good enough condition.

It's a shame that good powders are harder to come by and P&G are taking forever to step up with any for HE machines.

 

[lavamat_jon]

Henkel Persil (or any other European detergent) don't contain phosphates - in fact some have been phosphate free for a few years now.  They contain phosphonates, which differ from phosphates and are not as enviromentally damaging.  Therefore I wouldn't worry about the availability of Henkel Persil

 

Interestingly our dishwasher detergents still do contain phosphates, and most likely will for the foreseeable future.

 

Jon

 

[Pingmeep]

Actually the ban may be extended to polycarboxylates and phosphonates. There is legislation ready to go in Manitoba which was one of the first provinces with a phosphate ban that later got extended to the rest of Canada.

Henkel Persil has less than 5% polycarboxylates and phosphonates it would have to be 0.5% or less to be allowed for sale to consumers. Also Miele Canada moved to their own detergent so no more Henkel Persil from them. Hence the stocking up.

Them environmentalists are trying to make everyone into dirty dingy hippies at least from a laundry perspective.

 

[3beltwesty]

meaning of your word "stock"

Pingmeep) RE :"cannot stock in retail for non commercial applications. "

Does this mean a store cannot sell it after say XYZ date; or buy it after ABC date?

ie ; Say some obscure little store in Canada has 6 box of Acme soap from 2009 and then it is banned today. ie do they from a purists standpoint have to stop selling the remaining 2 boxes after they close today?.

ie like here I had some red paint crayons for constuction I sold. one could not buy them anymore with lead content about 15 to 20 years ago. I sold the last ones 5 years ago; as new old stock. ie it took 10 to 15 years to sell the old dead stock.

 

[Pingmeep]

In this case cannot obtain it or sell it.
It is hard to enforce on say the mom and pop variety store with leftovers but that's the law on phosphates in consumer detergents here atm.

Stores can actually be reported and fined here right now. The adjustment compliance period (where retailers would only be warned) was over in January iirc.

Personally I have looked into commercial formulations but haven't found much that would work with my limited (16-22 wash loads per week) scale here. If similar bans on phosphonates go through premium powders as we know it are dead.

The sad thing is because they exempt businesses the farm and environmental lobbies can get things passed easily.