Phosphates are one of the nutrients that cause plants to grow, including algae in our waterways.
If you have ever found white spots on your dark laundry, you wish you had used liquid. Even if you don't see spots, many septic tank pumpers report large cakes of powdered detergent in tanks. Often homeowners report that their washing machine overflows and then they find the drain line is caked with detergent. In detergent purchases, less is more. The smaller the jug that does more loads of laundry, the better.