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Manufacturers of detergents, maintenance and cleaning products frequently use plant oils as raw materials in production. The use of natural palm kernel oil and coconut oil is particularly popular. The project group “Renewable Resources” within FORUM WASCHEN has compiled the most important information on the origin and use of these oils in fact sheets.

The fact sheet on the use of palm kernel oil describes the differences between palm oil and palm kernel oil on the one hand and between the material and energy uses of these oils on the other hand. As opposed to palm oil, palm kernel oil is used as a raw material for detergents, maintenance and cleaning products in Germany. The fact sheets deal with different sustainability aspects at the selection of different raw material sources and an initiative for a sustainable cultivation of oil palms is presented. The fact sheet on the use of palm kernel oil can be downloaded as PDF file in German and with an English translation as PDF file as well.

In addition, IKW provides consumers with a status paper on the status of use of palm kernel oil in detergent, maintenance and cleaning products in Germany in 2017. This includes the second time results of an IKW survey amongst its member companies about the use of palm kernel oil of 7 December 2017. The 2017 status paper can be downloaded in German as a PDF file.

The fact sheet on the use of coconut oil describes the cultivation of coconut palms and the recovery of coconut oil by referring to the example of the Philippines. The use of coconut oil as a raw material for detergents, maintenance and cleaning products in Germany is described, sustainability aspects of the small farmer driven coconut business and different sustainability aspects at the selection of different raw material sources are highlighted. The fact sheet on the use of coconut oil in detergents, maintenance and cleaning products can be downloaded as a PDF file in German.