# Sustainable palm oil



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Those of you on Facebook may have seen the 'sustainable palm' link I put up on my walls. A buyer had an article from the Aukland Zoo about how palm is really grown and harvested. It is called sustainable only after the rain forest is stripped of all vegetation and animals, the trees are planted and to keep animals from eating the tender shoots, from eating the fruit in the trees, they put bounties on orangutans heads for what equals $100 each American money. They have hired guns who patrol to kill other monkeys. They are eaten as food, so at least there is that. This is killing thousands of Orangutans a year, even those not living in the plantations. Obviously this is not sustainable for them.

It is sort of like finding out what certified organic or low fat, or 'lite' really means, absolutely nothing. He was very happy to hear that I do not use palm oils in my products and that I knew what Fair Trade meant.

Anyone done any actual research on this, and what sustainable palm means? And where does your palm oil come from? Vicki


----------



## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

I just used the last of my palm this week and don't plan on buying any more. Changing the one recipe that I used it in to eliminate that, plus I'm eliminating another oil that is in some of my soap recipes and subbing local sunflower for it. The fatty acid profiles are nearly identical, so in soap, anyway, it shouldn't make any difference at all. Cost to me is about the same to change, but with the added benefit of streamlining and using a local source. Win/win.


----------



## Sheryl (Oct 27, 2007)

I am assuming that they get palm wax the same way? I'm sure.

sheryl


----------



## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

That kind of thing was what I was afraid was happening, so I've bought exactly 7 pounds of palm in my 5 or so years of soaping, and that was in the very beginning. I had a funny feeling the words "sustainable and organic" didn't really amount to squat....same as the new organic standards for commercially produced food. It's marketing, and basically doing the same thing only in a disguise of friendliness to the planet.


----------



## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Any suggestions for a sub that is non-animal fat without adding to the cost?


----------



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Just use your lye calculator. If you happy with your palm reciep and it doesn't need any improvements, switch it out to other butters and oils that give you the same conditioning, hardness, iodine levels. Vicki


----------



## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Vicki McGaugh Tx Nubians said:


> Just use your lye calculator. If you happy with your palm reciep and it doesn't need any improvements, switch it out to other butters and oils that give you the same conditioning, hardness, iodine levels. Vicki


I was being lazy! :biggrin


----------



## nappint (Jun 26, 2008)

It's been awhile since I talked to Mike at Columbus but he told me a couple of years ago that their organic sustainable palm came from S. America so no problems with orangoutangs there...I don't know if that's still the case but might be worth a call.


----------



## NPgoats (Mar 18, 2010)

Ok I'm new to this soap making thing and I haven't finished reading yet.... but I really am not lazy and don't know how or where to find out which oils can be sub'd for which oils and have the same conditioning, hardness and iodine levels. Can you at least point in which direction to read? 
Thanks,
Linda


----------

