Next-level palm grades ensure sustainable supply chain for soap
Palm-free raw materials are very popular in the soap market. Why are they currently so hard to come by?
The demand for palm-free products simply exceeds the supply on the market. The fact that the product is so difficult to obtain and therefore comparatively expensive has three main reasons: The oil palm is by far the most productive oil plant, for example in terms of the area required for cultivation. Accordingly, the amount of palm oil available on the market is far higher than the quantities from alternatives such as coconut, sunflower or olive. But it is precisely these that are in high demand due to the palm-free trend. Last year, the severe fires in the Mediterranean region also led to a poor olive harvest. And the current supply of sunflower oil has collapsed due to the war in Ukraine.
What do you recommend to your customers, who don't want to give up their sustainability plans because of this?
We evaluate together, for example, whether a palm quality "at the next level" would also be possible in order to achieve sustainability goals. This can be an organic quality and an even better certification like RSPO IP, with even more transparent origin of the goods and traceable to the individual plantation. We are happy to enter into these discussions because we know exactly where our products come from, thanks to our worldwide subsidiaries.
Where does your organic soap base come from?
From South America. For our cosmetics customers, we have been working successfully there for more than ten years with a certified partner from whom we obtain our organic glycerine. I have visited the plantations myself, seen the production on site and would say that the best organic palm-based glycerine quality comes from there. This partner has also been producing organic soap noodles for some time, which we market exclusively in Europe.
And their availability is guaranteed?
So far, we see no problems here. At CREMER OLEO, we operate our own warehouses so that we can supply customers with organic soap noodles and organic glycerine at short notice. And they are well stocked.
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is a non-profit organization that aims to make sustainable palm oil production the norm. We are listed there with the license number RSPO-1106112. You can follow our progress here: https://www.rspo.org/members/247
Your soap expert at CREMER OLEO: Christina John
As Senior Product Manager at CREMER Oleo, Christina John is responsible for organic glycerine, cream base and soap base. She is also in charge of the "Care" application area, i.e. she is the contact person for all requirements of the cosmetics industry.
Phone: +49 (0) 40 / 3 20 11 - 366
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