There are lots of alternatives to buying those multi-gallon plastic bottles of Tide every few weeks
This is one I've been wanting to crack for a long time!
In the laundry department I have consistently fallen into the trap of the bigger and cheaper the better. I typically purchase the largest liquid detergent container I can find, or the largest box of pods, for the cheapest price. As I've been going through this SUP-purge at home, I opened the door to my laundry area one day and realized DARN I still had a huge plastic container that needs refilling every few months!
The quickest fix I could find was to start purchasing Seventh Generation laundry detergent. This is a fabulous company that makes a huge range of household products that are environmentally friendly and come in recycled packaging. The liquid detergent that I purchased comes in a recyclable and compostable fiber container with a thin recyclable plastic liner. All in all it uses over 60% less plastic than traditional detergent containers and usually doesn't use any virgin plastic.
Obviously this is still not a perfect system - you have to recycle the lining (and that may be a lower quality / less readily recyclable material than the plastic from the Before bottle pictured here) - but its a step in the right direction and a very easy transition for households that still want a container of liquid detergent that is cost effective for the amount that you get.
Another fun alternative that I've discovered is Dropps. This company will mail you a compostable cardboard container of fully water-soluble and biodegradable laundry pods filled with environmentally friendly washing products. As a plus, they are awesome for doing laundry on the go - just throw one of the small cardboard boxes in your bag when you're traveling!
There are also lots of homemade recipes you can try, like this one from DIY Natural. Go crazy, get creative with it! (but maybe test it out first on some clothes you don't care too much about...)