- OUR STORY
- OUR VALUES
- NATURALLY EFFECTIVE
- WHY PLANT-BASED INGREDIENTS
- INGREDIENTS
- OUR ACCREDITATIONS
The Earthwise story began more than 50 years ago, long before many had considered the environmental impact of chemical-based consumer products. Earthwise founder and eco-friendly pioneer, Tom Robinson created his first plant-based product in his garden shed in Orini, a small town in Waikato in 1967.
Perfected over decades; Earthwise is now one of New Zealand’s most trusted natural brands, helping clean up life’s little (and not so little) messes. Tom’s values still hold true, offering families gentle, natural alternatives that don’t cost the earth.
Back in the 1960’s, Tom set out to create products that were better for people and kinder to our world. Tom had an appreciation for the simple, more natural things in life. From growing up with a grandmother skilled in the finer arts of essential oils and natural remedies, he set up a business creating plant-based fertilisers. Despite it being a time when Kiwis were actively embracing chemical-laden imported products with little awareness of their potential harm, people slowly began to see the benefits of organic, natural alternatives and demand grew; soon Tom had added household and farm cleaners, personal care products and animal health products to his range.
It was a family affair as Tom and his sons meticulously formulated and tested their products, putting an artisan’s care into each and every one of their creations.
Earthwise was founded by Tom Robinson – a kiwi eco-friendly pioneer – in his Waikato garden shed in Orini, Waikato. Tom set out to create products that were better for people and kinder to our world.
The business steadily grew largely through word of mouth as consumers demand for natural products increased. Essential oils were often custom made, environmentally friendly cleaning products were adopted by businesses and schools. At this point in time, health shops were a key retailer.
Earthwise Group was purchased by the Peters family and is still proudly New Zealand owned and operated. Tom’s son Jeremy still works as one of our lead ingredient blenders at Earthwise, continuing Tom’s legacy.
Earthwise moves from cottage industry retail shops into mainstream grocery retailers with our plant-based laundry liquids, shortly followed by multi-surface cleaners and dishwash liquids. Earthwise quickly became one of New Zealand’s most trusted brands. Over the next 12 months, 40 cleaning and haircare products were launched to market.
Earthwise becomes the first New Zealand manufacturer to be awarded the Deloitte Fast 50 Award, recognising Earthwise as one of New Zealand’s fastest growing companies. “Our focus and commitment to Tom’s original vision paid off with a huge reward”, Jamie Peters, Managing Director.
Earthwise wins the Canstar Blue Award for Laundry Liquid (customer satisfaction research by independent body Colmar Brunton) confirms Earthwise as one of New Zealand’s most loved and trusted brands.
Earthwise pledges to support the New Zealand Plastic Packaging Declaration and the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. Beyond this, Earthwise committed to having 100 percent of our packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025 or earlier. Earthwise household cleaning bottles made from 75% recycled materials, sourced from milk, juice and water start appearing on supermarket shelves.
Today, Earthwise has three brands, operates in over eight grocery categories and is sold globally in over 5,000 stores across Australia, Asia, USA, Europe and New Zealand. Earthwise expands production capacity with new technology and a state of the art factory. Earthwise is proud to be the number one natural environmentally friendly cleaning brand in New Zealand.
Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design of the Year Award – Sustainable Packaging (Retail Pack) category for our 75% recycled plastic bottles made from milk, water and juice bottles!
Earthwise is voted #1 NZ brand committed to reducing its environmental impact and the third most loved NZ brand by The Kiwi Reputation Index. This is a testament to our social responsibility and shows Earthwise is one of New Zealand’s most trusted and loved brands. Source: Opinion Compare, The Kiwi Reputation Index
The Domestic & Household Packaging Design of the Year award- SILVER award for Earthwise Eco Laundry Scoop Innovation!
"The goal is for Earthwise is to become a true environmental household name, both in New Zealand and globally, while remaining true to its core values of providing naturally effective, safe products that don’t cost the earth” Jamie Peters, Managing Director.
All our Earthwise products are proudly New Zealand made
We work with high quality, naturally derived, plant-based ingredients
We make products that are safe for your family and the planet
We are leaders in environmental sustainability
Our products are naturally effective and don’t cost the earth
We are driven by discovery and innovation
We are committed to creating products that are effective but gentle for you, your family and the environment. We take great care to choose plant-based components that are tough on dirt and germs but safe for use in grey water and septic tank systems. And of course, all our products are biodegradable, breaking down over time to carbon dioxide and water.
Effective. Naturally.
- No Silicones
- No Parabens
- No Phthalates
- No Mineral Oils
- No Harsh Chemicals
- No Animal Testing
- Cruelty Free
- Fragrance free laundry powder and liquid options
- Plant powered surfactants & essential oils – carefully selected for their natural antiseptic, antifungal, disinfectant properties.
- Proven performance – toilet, bathroom, multi surface sprays and disinfectant products proven to kill 99.9% of germs.
- Click here to read our Plant Powered Ingredient blog
Plant-based ingredients are natural in origin and environmentally sustainable. Our ingredients are carefully selected to be gentle for you and your family, as well as the environment. At Earthwise, we want to make a lasting impression in your home, not on the environment.
Parabens are commonly used as a synthetic preservative to maintain the stability of products such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, however they can cause allergies like dermatitis and rosacea.
That’s why we choose not to use parabens in our products, instead sourcing the safest preservatives and using them at levels that are gentle for you and our environment.
When phosphates and other phosphorous containing chemicals get flushed into our local water systems, they diminish the purity of water and encourage accelerated algae growth. This strips the oxygen from the water causing harm to fish and insects.
We don’t use phosphates and other phosphorous containing chemicals at Earthwise to do our bit for a cleaner, greener environment.
Both Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS or often supplied as SCS) and Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES) are used commonly for their cleaning properties.
At Earthwise, we recognise that SLS can cause skin irritation and therefore, minimise the use of SLS in our products. Instead, we prefer using reputably sourced SLES manufactured from plant sources, combined with milder ingredients with cleaning properties to ensure our products are effective and gentle.
We use RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) certified, deforestation-free palm oil as it’s the most efficient use of land for plant oil production of any of the plant oils.
The RSPO certification is backed by the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) for sustainably sourced palm oil.
We are continually reviewing ways to reduce our environmental footprint.
Please feel free to read more about the RSPO here: https://rspo.org/
Petrochemical based ingredients are manufactured from crude oil and gas and are typically found in mainstream household cleaning products.
Due to the unsustainable sourcing and environmental hazards caused by the petroleum industry, we avoid using these ingredients wherever possible and continually seek more sustainably produced ingredients that minimise the use of petrochemical carbon.
The MSDS (material data safety sheet) for all our products are available, call our FREE Consumer Information Centre 0508 528 637 (NZ).
This clever plant has anti-bacterial, soothing and softening properties, which makes it a star ingredient across our Laundry and Dishwash Liquid ranges. Absorbing fast and protecting the skin from drying, leaving hands soft without a greasy residue. It’s softening properties also help to keep clothes snuggly and reduce creasing, making them easier to iron.
Found in: Earthwise’s Fabric Softener Papaya & Aloe Vera, Dish Liquid Rosehip & Aloe Vera, Dish Liquid Elderberry & Aloe Vera, Dish Liquid Lemon & Aloe Vera.
Argan Oil, extracted from the kernels of the Moroccan Argan Tree, is packed with Omega oils (essential fatty acids). This essential oil is ideal for everyday haircare and treatments, known to help improve the condition and manageability of hair.
Found in: Earthwise Nourish Revitalise Shampoo & Conditioner.
Rosehip Seed Oil is fast absorbing and deeply hydrating, it’s also packed with vitamins, including Vitamin E and A which help moisturise skin.
Found in: Dish Liquid Rosehip & Aloe Vera
The beneficial properties of eucalyptus essential oils stem from the compound Ecualyptol, known for its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-microbial properties. A plant powered essential in eco-friendly household cleaning products – effective, naturally.
Found in: Oxygenated Whitener Lavender & Eucalyptus, Fabric Stain Remover Spray Lavender & Eucalyptus, Shower & Bathroom Cleaner Eucalyptus & Lemon, Multi Surface Cleaning Spray Citrus and Mint, Laundry Liquid Orange & Eucalyptus, Window & Glass Cleaner Lemon, Toilet Cleaner Orange & Eucalyptus.
We harness this pretty, purple plant’s powerful benefits in our cleaning products. It is antimicrobial, which helps to control the bugs left in your washing machine and leaves clothes smelling fresh.
Found in: Earthwise’s Laundry Liquid Lavender, Lavender Laundry Powder, Fabric Stain Remover Spray Lavender & Eucalyptus, Oxygenated Whitener Lavender & Eucalyptus, Air Freshener.
New Zealand’s Highest Independent Accreditation Eco Label
Initiated and endorsed by the New Zealand Government, Eco Choice recognises genuine moves made by manufacturers to reduce the environmental impact of their products and provides a credible and independent guide for consumers who want to purchase products that are better for the environment.
- A member of the Global Ecolabelling Network
- Recognises manufacturers reducing environmental impact of products
- Rigorous multi-criteria assessment
- Independently assessed against stringent, world class criteria across a product life cycle
- On-going compliance audits
- Criteria written locally to address local environmental issues
- Criteria updated regularly to encourage continuous improvement
Earthwise Certified Products
We are proud to partner with Eco Choice to ensure our products meet their stringent independent criteria. These certifications are your guarantee that our products are made with respect and care for our environment.
Earthwise has the largest range of household cleaning products that are environmentally certified:
- Laundry detergents (liquid & powder)
- Dishwasher detergents
For further reading, please click here to visit the Environmental Choice website.
The MSDS (material data safety sheet) for all our products are available by emailing us admin@earthwise.co.nz.
We test our laundry liquids and Nourish baby hippo products using an independent overseas laboratory to ensure our products meet our standards, for low irritancy for sensitive skin, giving you peace for you and your family.