Who Invented Laundry Detergent Packaging?

Henkel is arguably the inventor of laundry detergent packaging. It is a German multinational manufacturer of laundry detergents. Fritz Henkel founded the company in 1876 with two partners – Otto Dicker and Otto Scheffen. The first product of the company was a water glass based laundry detergent. Two years later in 1878, Henkel discovered Bleich-Soda (bleaching soda). It was the first modern laundry detergent. Henkel packaged its Bleich-Soda in 500-gram paper bags according to an archivist of Henkel Corporation, Thomas Wölk. Therefore paper bags were the first laundry detergent packaging options and they were invented by a German corporation Henkel.

Henkel did not stay with paper bags for long. In its “Timeline: 130 Years of Henkel” - available on the official company website – the company says it stopped using paper bags in 1905 and replaced them with “cardboard boxes with a printed paper wrap.” That was the first step in the evolution of laundry detergent packaging. Paper bags were no longer the default and the only packaging medium available to laundry detergent manufacturers. They could now come up with new ideas to package detergents.

The 20th century saw the use of many packaging methods to pack laundry detergents. The trend continues into the 21st century as manufacturers experiment with different packaging mediums. Today, almost all mainstream manufacturers have discarded paper bags in favor of less expensive and more consumer friendly packaging mediums. Cardboard boxes are still used, albeit on a small scale. Manufacturers have a range of packaging methods to choose from. Amid this plethora of packaging options, a packaging medium has surged in popularity since the 1990s. It is the now-ubiquitous stand up pouch.

Nearly all the big names in laundry detergent packaging are today using standup pouches as their preferred method to ship their products. A number of factors have contributed to the rise in popularity of stand up pouch bags.

First, these bags are inexpensive to produce, ship, and store. Manufacturers save money with stand up pouches.

Second, stand up pouches are print friendly. It is easier to print even the most intricate designs on stand up pouches with advanced rotogravure printing. New designs attract customers and increase sales.

Third, stand up pouches are environment friendly. The amount of plastics and other materials that goes into the production of stand up bags is minuscule compared to other packaging mediums. In addition to that, stand up pouches are reusable and recyclable.