The Best Inventions of 2024

If you care about sustainability but need to do laundry, typically you’re faced with a choice: Use a convenient and fresh-smelling “pod” that’s made with unsustainable microplastics, or use an eco-friendly detergent that’s essentially unscented. Blueland’s Spring Bloom Laundry Detergent Tablets are designed for the “eco-curious” who still insist on nice-smelling, single-use ease. Toss the tablet in the laundry like you would a pod, and its plastic-free enzymes break down stains, all with a fresh scent that can survive the drying cycle—unusual for sustainable detergent. “Fragrance detergent makes up 80% of the laundry market,” says Sarah Paiji Yoo, CEO and co founder of Blueland. “We maximize our environmental impact by maximizing adoption.”