FAQs | Arani Ecosteps
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Help & FAQs

A Sanskrit word for the twig used to kindle fire, ‘Arani’ was conceived in December 2019 as a new year’s resolution to spread awareness about one stark fact – our world is drowning in plastic.

But we also realized that stating the problem wouldn’t be enough. For a change to happen, innovative and affordable alternatives need to be made available to consumers. So that is the journey we’re on now, and have developed a range of personal and home care essentials as dry concentrates so that they don’t need any packaging. They can either be diluted at home in old bottles, or be used as-is!

We started as an online brand in January 2021 and opened our first refill store in March 2022 in Gurgaon. 

Yes, it is. That is at the core of what we stand for and we ensure that everything including the product, its primary packaging, the boxes used for shipping and even the tape used for reinforcing them is free of petrochemical-derived plastic.

Yes, plastic is recyclable – but that significantly varies by nature of plastic. Also, segregation and recovery play a huge role in the actual implementation of recycling, the rates of which are very low across the world (11-13%). So, while it is certainly a legitimate way of treating plastic, it is an overwhelmed system (due to limited capacity) and by reducing our consumption at source, we can contribute in a way much larger than we may realize.

Oxo-biodegradation is simply another word for weathering. Of course, anything left out there to face the forces of nature would break down – physically. But the chemical nature of plastic would remain unchanged for hundreds, and sometimes thousands of years. It would in fact take an even more dangerous form of ‘microplastics’ that have already started accumulating in our food, our oceans and more recently – in our blood and the placentas of unborn babies.

We agree that there is no perfect alternative to plastic. 

But not all of it is bad. In fact, it has become so pervasive because it is versatile, durable and inexpensive. As a material, plastic has contributed to our development and safety in a big way, and has become a problem only in the last few decades due to overuse and single use. 

A total of 448 million tons of plastic was produced in 2015. Of this, the largest percentage i.e. 36% was used for packaging and discarded in less than 6 months. 

In other uses like construction (16%), the plastic is used for up to 35 years.

Conclusion? The largest use of plastic is for the shortest duration. By us as individuals. And that is why we can change this. The difference lies in how we use plastic – as a disposable or a durable. Please visit our instagram page for a series of posts on this topic.

Bamboo is a rapidly renewable resource and can grow into a structural column within 3 years. Processing it is also much less resource intensive, even when compared to other biodegradable materials like paper. It also has natural anti-microbial properties which can be enhanced by simple carbonization processes, making it very suitable for personal care products.

There may be variation in the texture and color of the toothbrushes/other bamboo products and the engraving on them. Bamboo columns have very different personalities (quite literally!) and products retain some of those properties unless they’re processed heavily. 

Ideally, you should receive an SMS from us with a tracking link once your box is picked up – which is within 24-48 hours of us receiving your order. There is also an ‘order tracking’ link on the website where you can use your order ID for updates on shipping. In case these any of these don’t work, please email or whatsapp us – we’ll help you out 🙂

Temperature and humidity play a key role in the dissolution of these concentrates. Typically, above a minimum of 18 degrees room temperature, the grains should dissolve well. But if you’re in high humidity conditions, please do account for a little extra time. If possible, shake the container intermittently and keep it in a warm and sunny spot – it’ll help fasten the process.   

Over the past few years, a host of claims have emerged as part of sustainable consumption. The intent is good, of course, but it is important to understand some of these better. 

Not all chemicals are born equal. There are those like surfactants – which are absolutely critical for a cleaning product to be effective and come in many non-toxic, biodegradable forms. There are then chemicals like parabens, which are added for extending shelf life and are now known to be harmful. 

Our focus has been to formulate all products without any harsh or toxic chemicals. But we do not claim to be ‘chemical-free’ because we do use the necessary and safe ingredients, all of which are disclosed on our labels and website. 

If it happens once in a while, that you swallow a portion of the tablet or the foam generated by it, don’t worry! The ingredients are safe and well within the prescribed limits for toothpastes. But like other toothpastes, Mintoo is not designed to be ingested. We hence don’t recommend giving Mintoo to kids below 8 years of age since habit change is involved and kids may swallow some amount regularly. 

Our shampoo, facewash and shaving bars will give you the best results if stored in a soap dish with drainage holes. 

However, we offer the aluminum containers for ease of travel, so you can continue your zero-plastic routine outside of home 🙂 So, if you’re traveling, please dry the bars post use and use the aluminum container for storage.  

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