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Phosphorus Free Detergent

It's simple.
Just change your dishwasher detergent to a phosphorus-free brand. The Martins Pond Association will reimburse you $1 per box used throughout 2005.

Martins Pond has extremely high levels of phosphorous as discovered in recent studies. (1) Just as phosphorous stimulates growth in lawn fertilizer, phosphorous in the pond has resulted in the rapid growth of aquatic plants and algae blooms. Most of you have noticed the increase in weeds in the pond, and the Fall 2003 "pea soup" algae bloom was the worst on record at Martins Pond.

One way we can reduce phosphorous in Martins Pond is to reduce the amount of phosphorous leaching into the pond. If you live within 300 feet of Martins Pond, phosphorous you use in your home can reach the pond through your septic leaching system. If you received this notice at your home you are believed to be within this "Critical Zone." (2)

Most of us are aware that phosphorous was banned from laundry detergents years ago. At the time, automatic dishwashers were not widely used and were overlooked. If you use a dishwasher 5 times per week using Cascade Plus Powder and live in the "Critical Zone", you may contribute 3.3 pounds of phosphorous per year to Martins Pond. If you use Palmolive Get, you could contribute 1 pound per year. Phosphorous-free dishwasher detergents, of course, contribute nothing. (2)

What if 100 households agree to change to zero phosphorous? If on average they used dishwasher detergents which are middle of the road, like Sunlight Gel at 2.5 pounds per year, there could be a 250 pound reduction in phosphorous entering the pond per year!!! The Martins Pond Association, through funding from DEP, is purchasing an aquatic plant harvesting machine and will begin removing weeds next summer. Reducing phosphorous now will help slow their regrowth and increase the project's success.

Listed below is a common brands vs. phosphorous-free brands comparison, and where to purchase phosphorous-free brands. Prices listed are approximate and are from Shaw's North Reading unless otherwise noted. Because phosphorous-free brands may be slightly more expensive, we will reimburse you $1 for each box top used within 2005.

Common Brands	Phosphorus grams/tbsp	Package price	Package ounces
Cascade Pacs (Stop & Shop)	2.2	$4.29	13.4
Foodmaster Sunlight	1.6	$3.75	75
Cascade Complete	1.33	$6.29	75
Sunlight Gel	0.83	$3.99	85
Shaw's Store Brand	0.8	$3.49	75
Electrasol Gel	0.7	$3.79	75
Pure Power	0.6	$1.59	45
Palmolive	0.32	$3.99	75
Phosphorous-free brands	Phosphorus grams/tbsp	Package price	Package ounces
Ecover Natural (Shaw's)	0	$5.29	48
Ecover Natural (Wild Oats*)	0	$4.79	48
Seventh Generation Free & Clear (Wild Oats*)	0	$4.69	50
Trader Joe's* Store Brand	0	$2.99	50
*Wild Oats Market 40 Railroad St Andover -- Trader Joe's 51 Middlesex Turnpike Burlington

Click here for a reimbursement form to print out and send with your box tops, or you may pick a form up after Feb 1 2005 at North Reading Town Hall in the Parks & Recreation Office. We will ask you to complete a short opinion survey at the end of 2005 to see how easy or difficult it was to switch. Please join us in our efforts to help Martins Pond. Please email hobbit@avian.org if you wish to be added to our email update distribution list. The list is for Martins Pond related news and events only.

(1)2003 Martins Pond Assessment Study & 1985 Martins Pond Diagnostic/Feasibility Study
(2)Data compiled by the Great Sand Lakes Task Force, Harwich MA June 1999.