Soapnuts

 Raw material – Soapnuts are grown in India and have organic certification from OneCert USA. The organic certification complies with USDA National Organic Program, the Indian National Programme for Organic Production and the European Union's (EEC) 2092/91 standards for organic agriculture. The soapnuts from the Himalayas are collected by hand and then taken to the processing unit in the foothills where the soapnuts are shelled and packed for transport.

When purchasing the intact shells, they come with reusable cotton pouches. The cotton is sourced in India (using organic and non organic sources) and the cloth and pouches are manufactured in close proximity to the soap factory in Mumbai.

One use sachets contain soapnut powder, calcium carbonate sourced locally and lemongrass sourced from North India. The sachets are made from viscose. These are packaged in oxo-biodegradable plastic to ensure they do not absorb moisture.

Packaging containing the soapnuts comprises post consumer waste recycled board and printing of packaging is undertaken via an external company selected for their environmentally friendly printing practices and use of soya based vegetable ink.

Manufacturing - The soap nuts grow wild in the Himalayas. When the soap nut fruit ripens and falls off the tree it is manually picked by local villagers and sold to the local factory for processing and packaging. The berries are then sun dried and packaged and sent to Mumbai for processing and packaging for sale. Where the soapnuts are to be made into individual use packages, the soapnuts need to be ground into powder which is done by hand.

Soapnut powder is packaged in individual viscose packets, made locally. For more information on viscose visit our Fabric Facts page.

The fruit pickers are paid a fair price and operations are run with as strict focus on quality, consistency, ethical and fair trade practices. Conditions in the factory are good with employees being paid a fair wage.

The cotton and the cotton bags for the whole soapnuts are manufactured locally from a reliable source.

Distribution - The main raw materials and manufacturing facilities are located close to one another.

The soapnuts are processed in the foothills of the Himalayas (Uttanranachal) close to where they are collected from. They are then sent in bulk to Mumbai where they are processed further (by hand) and packaged.

The cotton and the cotton pouches are manufactured in Bhiwanda, the main centre for fabrics in Mumbai which is about 100 metres from the soapnut factory. Viscose packages for soapnut powder are made approximately 30km from the soapnut factory and driven to the factory.

The finished products are shipped in bulk from their point of manufacture in India and distributed to retail outlets within Australia by road or by sea. Online orders are distributed via post or manually dropped off.

Product use - Soapnuts can be used for washing laundry, in dishwashers and for general cleaning. There are no foaming agents in soapnuts so they do not create a thick foam and do not leave a soapy residue, which means that the machine rinse cycle can be avoided.

Washing laundry - For washing laundry depending on the size of the load, around 6-8 shells should be added to the wash (3- if the water is soft), or one sachet (for 6kg of clothes). When the shell absorbs water, saponins are released which circulate as natural surfactants in laundry water, reducing the surface tension of water and freeing dirt, oil and grime from the laundry and other household items.

Dishwasher - Place a single sachet in the cutlery holder (do not cut open) you may also add some vinegar to the rinse aid dispenser.

General cleaning - Place a single sachet n a bucket or under running water, leave for one minute and gently squeeze the sachet to release the saponins (which are released faster in warmer water). The solution can be used for many applications including cleaning jewellery, pets or removal of pests from plants.

Shampoo - Boil a few soapnuts in water and decant. The resulting liquid can be used for handsoap too.

If soapnuts are used in cold water they they can be used more then once, however, saponins are released faster in warmer water and can only be used once.

Soapnuts should be stored in an airtight container to prevent them absorbing moisture from the air. 

Waste management - On completion of the wash remove the shells or sachet and place on the compost. The water from the cleaning process is safe to use in greywater systems.

The cardboard packaging can be composted or recycled after use and the viscose and cotton bags can be composted or reused.