LaundryTree SoapNuts : ...good for the environment : Soapnuts are... : About Soapnuts

Home /
About Soapnuts /
Soapnuts are... /
...good for the environment

- Product Soapnuts – 250 grams successfully added to compare list

...good for the environment

Okay, you’ve got me on their excellence as a detergent. But I bet they killed entire rainforests to get these things to me, right?

Nope. LaundryTree is all about the environment. Our SoapNuts are organically grown and are harvested in a sustainable way. You dispose of them just as you would any compost, since they are completely biodegradable (they’re only a fruit, after all). And, of course, their biodegradable nature makes it totally fine to wash the suds down your uber-green drain.

What about the people involved? And the transportation from there to here?

That's a great question, and we're glad you asked.

Soapnut trees don’t grow in the US, so we buy them in bulk from our supplier overseas and transport them to the US by ship. We pay a fair price for them, and are assured that the workers who collect and de-seed them are paid a fair wage, too. When we asked our supplier about the process of getting soapnuts from the tree to our warehouse, this was the reply:

Our soapnuts are harvested in middle and high Himalayas, where soapnut trees grow in the wild. A linen is spread out below the tree, the nuts are made to fall on the linen with the help of stick. The harvesting does not harm the tree (if nuts are not harvested they will automatically fall down from the tree after being completely dried). Soapnuts are collected, dried in the sun and then brought to our warehouse. There they are shelled (seeds are removed and shells are separated). Finally, they are sorted for quality. The de-colored and de-shaped shells, and broken crumbles are removed, and then all nuts are cleaned with a cotton cloth. Our soapnuts initiatives provide employment to some 300 people every day. We intentionally hire unemployed women in order to allow them to earn better living, educate their children and have healthier food. We are proud that the work we provide is doing lot of good to the local community, and make sure to pay our workers fairly as they are the ones who make all business possible.

What happened to your packaging? It used to look different!

That's also a great question — and it's got a great story behind it.

Our old packaging (pictured here) was made of plastic. It was a lot less plastic than you’d get when you bought… say… a big bottle of regular detergent. But it was still plastic. And then Jen at TinyChoices.com introduced us to Beth from FakePlasticFish.com. Beth’s gentle, thoughtful suggestion about packaging our product in paper started us thinking. And talking. And dreaming. And researching. And before long, we realized that there wasn’t any good reason that we COULDN’T eliminate plastic from a lot of places we were using it.

And so, with Beth’s help and suggestions, we did. We were able to make this change quickly because we order soapnuts in bulk from our overseas supplier, and then package them in the US. We feel strongly about doing business this way, not only because it puts us firmly in control of quality and working conditions, but also because it makes us better able to react to our customer’s needs.

We’re in love with our new paper packaging because it is beautiful. And because it’s sturdy. And solid. And best of all, because it’s made of 40% recycled natural kraft paper and lined with PLA, a renewable and compostable film made from corn. (And it says so, right there on the bottom of the bag). That means that our whole product — soapnuts AND the packaging, is totally biodegradable.

Here’s what to expect in a package we ship to you:

The product you order (of course).
If your order is NOT fragile (i.e., soapnuts only) we will not add unnecessary packing materials. However, if your order IS fragile (i.e., oils or bottles), we will make sure that it is wrapped safely. Sometimes we use bubble wrap, and sometimes we use those air-pillow-thingies. Neither will be brand new — they are ALWAYS re-used from shipments we have received from our suppliers.
A note from us, printed on recycled paper.
Your order will be shipped in a cardboard box, and sealed with paper packaging tape. (And the cardboard box is very sturdy, making it a great candidate for re-use!)

In an effort to help you make informed choices, we have more clearly labeled our product descriptions on our website to include packaging information. But as always, if you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.