Chestnut Hill entrepreneur creates eco-friendly laundry pods in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Saturday is Earth Day, and many of us have been making small changes that can make a big impact on our planet.

A Chestnut Hill entrepreneur created a product line aimed at adding sustainability to the most basic household chore: laundry.

In 2005, Jonathan Propper introduced the first liquid, single dose pod, before Tide came out with theirs.

They're called Dropps, and they were created right here in Philadelphia.

Propper says the idea was to create a sustainable laundry solution that's free of harmful chemicals and fully biodegradable.

"It feels good, because every time someone uses it, we know that every drop is counted," says Propper. "It saves water, it saves plastic, and when you make it more efficient, it becomes more sustainable."

Propper says his first inspiration came on April 22, 1970, the very first Earth Day, at our city's celebration in Fairmount Park. He was a student at Germantown Friends School.

He says when he found out that 68% of laundry detergent bottles aren't recycled, he wanted to get rid of them altogether.

"If you don't have to recycle something, then it makes life easier for the consumer. They can feel good that they're doing the right thing," he said.

Propper now has a full product line of Earth-friendly, chemical-free, biodegradable pods for laundry, dishes, and more.