Saraya's Happy Elephant Laundry Powder Wins First Social Products Awards in Japan

Copyright Association for the Promotion of Social Products

Japan's Association for the Promotion of Social Products (APSP) gave the grand prize of its first Social Products Awards to Saraya Co.'s Happy Elephant Laundry Powder on May 16, 2013.

The product contains a blend of sophorolipid, a natural laundry detergent made by adding sugar and palm oil to a specific yeast, followed by fermentation. Carbonate as a cleaning base agent removes any grease spots, and the sophorolipid prevents dirt from reattaching to fabric, while sodium citrate maintains its detergency as a cleaning agent. The product was lauded for balancing environmental appeal and optimal performance as a next-generation detergent, with neither synthetic detergent nor soap used as ingredients.

For production of the sophorolipid, only palm oil certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is used. Also, biomass plastic is used to make the zippered pouch used for packaging along with a measuring spoon. Furthermore, one percent of the sales of Happy Elephant supports the Borneo Conservation Trust Japan, thus contributing to the conservation of biodiversity at palm oil plantations.

Related JFS article:
Japanese Association to Promote 'Social Products' Established