Recyclable Products

When one life ends, another begins

Every product has a lifespan. Eventually, the filter cartridge wears out, the jug has served its purpose, and the eco-friendly washing ball has completed its thousand washes. What happens then? For many products, the answer is: rubbish. At MAUNAWAI, the answer is: the cycle.

All plastic parts of our products are 100 per cent recyclable. This is no coincidence, but a design choice. Even during the development of our products, we think about the end. Which material can best be recycled? How can we avoid composite materials that make recycling difficult? How does the customer separate the different components?

The Kini jug: SMMA M30

The Kini is made from SMMA M30, a medical-grade plastic that is not only free from BPA and phenol, but also fully recyclable. When the jug has reached the end of its useful life after many years (remember the 15-year spare parts guarantee), the plastic parts can simply be put in the recycling bin. There, they are sorted, shredded and processed into new plastic.

The PiPrime container made from SAN plastic? Also recyclable. The glass parts? Into the glass recycling bin. Nothing on a MAUNAWAI product needs to go in the general waste if you separate the materials.

Filter cartridges: back to nature

Things get particularly interesting with the filter cartridges. Because what’s inside them comes largely from nature and can return there. The activated carbon from coconut shells, the mineral ceramics, the zeolite, the coral sand: all of this is biologically harmless and can be disposed of with organic waste.

The instructions are simple: place the used cartridge in a cloth bag and smash it with a hammer. Sounds a bit rough? It is. But it works. Put the natural contents in the organic waste bin or directly into the garden, where it can serve as a soil improver. The plastic casing of the cartridge goes in the yellow bin. Two material streams, both recyclable. No residual waste.

The limescale pad: easy to dispose of

The lime pad, which regulates the lime content in the Kini, has a lifespan of two to three months. After use, it simply goes in the general waste. It is small, light and contains no harmful substances. A minimal waste stream for maximum effect.

Our take-back system: in development

We are working on a system that closes the loop even more effectively. The idea: customers collect their used cartridges and send them back to us free of charge. We take care of proper processing and sustainable disposal. The plastic parts are recycled, the natural contents composted or reused.

This take-back system is currently under development. Regulations must be reviewed, specifications drawn up and jobs created. It is a complex project, but one that we are determined to implement. Because we believe: whoever manufactures a product also bears responsibility for what ultimately happens to it.

Durability as a sustainability strategy

The most sustainable form of consumption is the one that doesn’t take place. That is why MAUNAWAI products are designed for longevity. With its 15-year spare parts guarantee, the Kini lasts significantly longer than comparable products. The PiPrime is a device built to last for decades. And the organic washing ball? 1,000 wash cycles – that’s almost ten years at two washes a week.

Every year a product lasts longer is a year in which no new product needs to be manufactured, transported or packaged. Durability reduces the ecological footprint not marginally, but substantially. It is the most effective form of sustainability and is built into every MAUNAWAI product.

The organic laundry ball: durability as a recycling strategy

The organic laundry ball is a special case. It is made from recycled plastic and lasts for around 1,000 wash cycles; at two washes a week, that’s almost ten years. Over these ten years, you replace dozens of detergent bottles, hundreds of measuring caps and kilos of chemical detergent. When the organic laundry ball reaches the end of its life, the ceramics inside can serve as a source of minerals in the garden. The plastic casing goes in the recycling bin.

The most sustainable form of recycling is the one that isn’t needed in the first place, because the product simply lasts a very long time. The organic laundry ball is the perfect example of this.

No greenwashing, just transparency

We know we’re not perfect yet. Not every material is ideal. Not every process is as streamlined as we’d like it to be. But we’re honest about it and work every day to improve. That’s what sets us apart from companies that adorn their products with green labels without delivering on the substance behind them.

We don’t promise that our products are ‘climate-neutral’, because that would be an oversimplification that doesn’t do justice to the complexity. What we do promise is this: we minimise our footprint wherever we have influence. And where we still see room for improvement, we communicate that openly. At MAUNAWAI, sustainability is not a label. It is a process. And this process never stops.

At the end of every product’s life cycle lies a new beginning