SGA introduces free, eco-friendly laundry detergent to campus

Sample+laundry+detergent+sheet+and+informational+flyer+about+Generation+Conscious.

Chloe Els

Sample laundry detergent sheet and informational flyer about Generation Conscious.

By Chloe Els, Staff Writer

Loud music and purple balloons filled the Little Building lobby Friday afternoon as Emerson’s Student Government Association promoted the upcoming arrival of a sustainable laundry detergent refill station.

The refill station will be installed next week in the lobby of the Little Building for all Emerson students to access affordable detergent sheets that are non-toxic and biodegradable.

The machine was designed by Generation Conscious, a company that seeks to “eliminate hygiene insecurity” according to its website.

Neiko Pittman, a junior visual media arts major and vice president of SGA, hopes the installation of this detergent dispenser will make sustainable resources more accessible at Emerson.

“Generation Conscious is a queer, BIPOC company fighting eco-classism and pollution,” Pittman said. “Sustainability shouldn’t be a white, classist thing.”

SGA President Pranit Chand seconded Pittman, saying the detergent dispenser is just part of the college’s effort toward eco-friendliness.

“Emerson’s goal is to be more sustainable,” Chand said. “This is the first step.”

According to Pittman, the first 1,500 detergent sheets the machine dispenses will be free to all Emerson students. After that, students can pay a small fee for a 50-sheet subscription, which Pittman said is enough for 50 loads of laundry.

Pranit Chand, a senior interdisciplinary studies major and SGA president, said the detergent sheets will start out free as a “pilot program” meant to garner student interest. SGA is looking to eliminate the cost entirely for some students, with plans to provide first generation and low-income students with free detergent sheets.