Frequently asked questions

 

LAUNDRY POWDER

 

What are the benefits of Aware Sensitive and Aware Eco Choice laundry powders?
All ingredients in ‘Aware Eco Choice’ and ’Aware Sensitive’ laundry powder have been carefully selected for their minimal impact on our environment and human health. Giving a great wash at a great price, our laundry powders ensure your clothes will be clean and the environment green! Benefits include:

• Garden safe - independent tests show the grey water is safe to use on gardens
• No phosphates or petrochemicals – They contain only plant or mineral based ingredients which means that they are less toxic and biodegrade rapidly.
• Fully biodegradable unlike many other supermarket brands
• Low allergy – safe for people with allergies & chemical sensitivities
• Works in front or top loaders
• Highly concentrated which means better value for money
• Supports Planet Ark’s campaigns such as National Tree Day and the Plastic Bag Reduction campaign.

What is the difference between Aware Eco Choice laundry powder and Aware Sensitive laundry powder?
Aware Sensitive has been specifically formulated to be kind to people with sensitive skin or allergies. As these people often react to added fragrances (particularly synthetic varieties), Aware Sensitive Laundry Powder does not use a fragrance.
Aware Eco Choice contains low levels of a natural fragrance made from essential oils of Eucalyptus, Lemongrass and Pettigrain. Otherwise, the two products are the same.

I have sensitive and allergy prone skin. Are your products suitable for sensitive skin? Yes, they do not contain the ingredients implicated in triggering skin allergies - namely petrochemical detergents, optical brighteners or enzymes. In addition Aware Sensitive Laundry Powder doesn’t contain a fragrance (Aware Eco Choice contains a natural fragrance) and has been medically tested to be suitable.
There are 2 main ways that laundry products are implicated in skin problems. These are:
1. Optical brighteners (or fluorescers). These are synthetic chemicals that attach to your clothes, even after rinsing, and give an illusion of cleanliness by reflecting more light. They can cause skin irritation and trigger allergies.
2. The residue of fragrances (particularly those derived from petrochemicals) are also implicated in skin allergies and inhalation reactions

Where is Aware Eco Choice laundry powder available?
Aware Eco Choice Laundry Powder is available at most Coles & Woolworths stores nationally,(with the exception of very small stores such as Coles Express), selected Bi-Lo stores and some independent supermarkets (IGA, Foodworks etc) and health food shops.
You can also buy it online at www.planetarkdirect.com

Where is Aware Sensitive laundry powder available?
Aware Sensitive Laundry Powder is available at Woolworths, Coles stores nationally and some independent supermarkets (IGA, Foodworks etc) and health food shops.
You can also buy it online at www.planetarkdirect.com

I can’t find the laundry powder at Coles/Woolworths
If Aware is not in the store it is most likely to be an out of stock problem. We will follow up with our broker and ask them to check the store and get back to you re the closest location it is available

My supermarket doesn’t stock the laundry powders. What can I do?
If the supermarket is an independent (eg. IGA or equivalent) ask to speak with the store manager and let him/her know that you would like the store to stock the laundry powder. The more people who ask, the better chance there is that the laundry powder will appear on your supermarket shelf.

Can I use the laundry powder in any machine?
Yes, the laundry powders are suitable for front loaders and top loaders. In front loaders be sure to observe the dosage guidelines as they are much more sensitive due to the reduced amount of water they use.

What about water temperature?
You can use the laundry powders in either hot warm or cold water. But remember that using cold water where possible is better for the environment as it reduces energy consumption and also saves you money.

How will the laundry powders save me money?
Aware Eco Choice and Aware Sensitive Laundry Powder are reasonably priced and because they are concentrated, you only need to use a small amount per wash. They have always been a so called 2X concentrate and now that most other manufacturers have reduced their pack sizes Aware offers one of the best value packs per kg on the shelf. This means that you can wash more loads per box. A top loader machine will get approximately 30 washes from a 1.5 kilo packet and 60 for a front loader – making the powder a very economical wash.

Do the products contain phosphates?
No. Phosphorus chemicals in conventional detergents feed blue-green algae and result in algae blooms. This contributes to the build up of weeds and algal slime in our waterways. These choke other precious aquatic life forms by using up the available oxygen.

Are the two products biodegradable?
Yes, our laundry powders have been formulated to have minimal environmental impact and we have had the entire product tested by an NATA accredited laboratory. The results showed that the entire product reached 100% biodegradability with 35 days.
This is in contrast with most other supermarket brand laundry products which only test the surfactants contained in their product. Surfactants usually comprise only between 10-20% of a laundry product.
Planet Ark believes it should be mandatory that all cleaning products are tested in entirety as used before manufacturers are able to state that they are biodegradable.

Are petrochemicals added?
No. Petrochemicals are generally slow to biodegrade and can cause allergic reactions. As well they are a non-renewable resource which are highly polluting in their extraction and transportation.
Our laundry powders are made with plant oil based surfactants instead of petroleum oil derived surfactants. These plant based detergents break down quickly into harmless substances and are made from a renewable resource. The petrochemicals used in other detergents are non-renewable resources which deplete the earth’s natural resources with every wash.

Why are the laundry powders concentrated?
Our laundry powders are concentrated products, so you only need to use a small amount per wash. This means that you can wash more loads per box, reducing packaging waste. This also means that fewer boxes have to be made and transported to stores, so transport fuel and the associated greenhouse gases are reduced.

You have changed your box so it can now re-close?
We have been able to redesign our carton to allow our customers to re-close the box after opening. This is important as it prevents moisture and contaminates entering the powder. Moisture can cause the powder to clump together and makes it a little more difficult to dissolve. To open simply peel back the sealing strip and then to re-close, insert the lid behind the tab. As always we have minimised cardboard use in the production of the packaging to ensure we maintain our strong green credentials

What are the products packaged in?
The box itself is made from 95% recycled cardboard. It can be recycled once the box is empty, provided you have cardboard recycling services in your area. (If you’re uncertain about your local recycling services check out Planet Ark’s Recycling Near You website.
The outer carton which the products are shipped in are also made from 100% recycled cardboard

What efforts are we taking to reduce the global warming impact of our laundry powders?

• Our laundry powders are manufactured using a method that requires minimal energy. The use of recycled cardboard for packaging also saves energy
• Being 2X concentrated it also requires less fuel for transportation.
• The laundry powder has also been formulated to give excellent results in cold-water washes, so less energy is required when you’re using it in your home.

Are the products free of animal ingredients?
No animal ingredients are used to make our products.

Are the products free from animal testing?
Aware laundry powder is not tested on animals

How are the funds raised from the sale of Aware laundry powder used?
The sale of Aware Laundry Powder helps to raise funds for Planet Ark’s environmental campaigns, including National Tree Day and recycling education programs. As well as supporting these campaigns, buying Aware Laundry Powder is a way that you can support them all year-round. (Thank you!)

Can the wash water/grey water from “Aware Eco Choice” and “Aware Sensitive” be put onto gardens?
Yes, if you use Aware laundry powder, this grey water can be safely used to water your garden. The wash and rinse water of Aware Eco Choice and Aware Sensitive Laundry Powders were independently tested by Sydney Environmental and Soil Laboratory for their suitability for use in irrigation (including garden watering). The independent testing resulted in the following key points and recommendations:

• Aware concentrates contain no phosphates so will not contribute to phosphate pollution of soil and waterways.
• Being phosphate-free laundry powders, their grey water was found to be suitable for phosphorus-sensitive native plants
• Sodium levels in the wash water are suitable even for salt sensitive plants. When using wash waters be aware that salts can accumulate in soil by the evaporation of water, leaving the salt behind.

How do I use grey water on my garden?
Make sure when you pour the wash water onto the garden that you also put the rinse water over the same area to give it a good soaking. Rotate the discharge around the garden with a cycle of not less than one week. It is better not to splash the plants but to pour directly onto the soil. Make sure your garden area is large enough to contain it on your property and not onto your neighbours unless you have permission. Do not discharge when it is raining or the soil is still wet because the excess could flow into the storm water system which is undesirable. Also check with the council for policy advice.
Click here for our Greywater Guide

Are the products septic safe?
Yes, the laundry powders break down into harmless matter quickly, making them safe for septic and bio-treatment systems.

Are the products Australian Made & Owned?
Yes they are. Some of the raw materials are not made in Australia so they must be sourced from overseas.

Do the products contain fillers?
No we only use the ingredients necessary to produce a good wash.

Are there any enzymes in the products?
No

Do the products have any bleach?
No

Do the powders use any PALM OIL derived ingredients?
No - we are happy to announce, that we now source the primary Surfactant (detergent agent) used in the Aware laundry powders from coconut oil .
While Aware Environmental Ltd (Orange Power and Aware’s parent company) and Planet Ark currently support the intentions of the ‘Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil’ (visit www.rspo.org for more info) it is our opinion that the production of palm oil will never be sustainable. Should large international companies , who chair the RSPO, demonstrate the responsible sourcing of palm oil in the future it will not work to decrease the total demand for the product. Even if a sustainable palm oil product was developed the demand for it would continue to grow and place additional pressure on forests in Indonesia and Malaysia, not to mention new supply countries like Columbia.
Coconut Oil is a sound alternative to use as a base for surfactants as it does not represent the same immediate and critical threat to rainforest habitats. The majority of coconut plantations were established several decades ago to supply the food industry, but as people moved away from saturated fats the market for reduced significantly
When my colleague and I traveled across the Pacific we saw that many villages’ coconut plantations had not been harvested because there was no demand for the crop.
By using coconut oil derived ingredients in our products we aim to address the immediate and urgent issue of forest destruction in Malaysia and Indonesia.

The powder doesn’t dissolve properly and leaves clumps of residue in my front-loading washing machine. What can I do?
Check that you are using the correct amount – you only need to use a small amount as the product is concentrated. See the pack for details. You can pre-dissolve powder in a small amount of hot water if having problems in dispenser draws of front loaders.

Why can’t I buy it in a 3 kg box so that I would be saving space at the landfill as well as helping the environment in other ways?
We have discussed supplying supermarkets with larger packs but to date we have been unsuccessful but we will keep on trying. In other words it’s not up to us but it’s what the supermarkets want. Remember however that while most manufacturers have halved the size of their packs we still offer a larger 1.5kg pack size with over 30 washes per pack for a top loader.

What is the PH of the laundry powders?
The PH of Aware is 10.7

Are they suitable for washing woolens?
Ideally for washing woollens a pH closer to 7 or neutral is preferable. As Aware has a PH of 10.7 the product is not suitable for washing woollens.