CleanlyEco licenses Soane Materials’ PVA-free laundry sheet tech for Europe

By AI, Created 9:52 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Soane Materials signed a licensing agreement with Slovakia-based CleanlyEco to manufacture PVA-free laundry sheets for brands across more than 25 European countries. The deal gives CleanlyEco access to a scalable platform aimed at improving cleaning performance, cutting plastic use and helping products meet tougher EU biodegradability rules.

Why it matters: - The agreement could speed the rollout of laundry sheets that are plastic-free, biodegradable and designed to compete more directly with liquid detergents. - CleanlyEco’s manufacturing footprint across Europe gives Soane Materials a route into a detergent market under pressure from consumers and regulators. - The deal comes as the EU’s new Detergents Regulation raises biodegradability requirements, creating compliance pressure and a first-mover opportunity for suppliers. - Soane Materials is also pushing a licensing model that could be copied across other consumer product categories.

What happened: - Soane Materials announced a licensing agreement with CleanlyEco, which operates as LaundrySheetsProduction.com under EatGreen S.R.O. - CleanlyEco is a Slovakia-based private-label laundry care manufacturer that supplies brands in more than 25 countries in Europe. - Under the agreement, CleanlyEco will use the SoaneClean Licensing Platform and SoMatrix Core technology to produce next-generation laundry sheets. - CleanlyEco becomes an official licensed manufacturing partner of Soane Materials. - The companies said CleanlyEco can launch new products for customers in as little as four months.

The details: - SoMatrix Core replaces the PVA film used in most laundry sheets with a biodegradable, regenerative matrix. - The platform is designed to increase cleaning power while lowering environmental impact. - Soane Materials says the technology can deliver up to 50% more cleaning actives per sheet than PVA-based alternatives. - The lower-temperature manufacturing process preserves full enzyme activity in the finished sheet. - The biodegradable matrix enables up to 50% higher surfactant loading than PVA-based alternatives. - SoaneClean sheets are lightweight, fully dissolvable and designed with a higher concentration of cleaning actives than conventional detergents. - The platform is built to fit existing manufacturing environments without major capital investment or equipment changes. - Soane Materials says the format cuts transportation-related emissions by up to 35% versus liquid detergents. - The sheets are optimized for cold-water performance, which can reduce energy use at the consumer level. - The platform is designed for high-volume production using standard manufacturing infrastructure. - CleanlyEco said the partnership lets the company bring a differentiated product to market while competing on performance, scalability and environmental benefits. - Soane Materials is headquartered in Miami and is a portfolio company of Ara Partners. - CleanlyEco operates from a production facility in Slovakia. - More information on licensing opportunities and specifications is available here. - CleanlyEco’s trade platform is LaundrySheetsProduction.com. - Ara Partners said it had about $6.6 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2025.

Between the lines: - The deal suggests laundry sheet makers are trying to solve the category’s two main problems at once: weaker performance and sustainability concerns. - A licensing structure lowers the barrier for manufacturers that want to add a new product line without rebuilding production lines. - The EU rule shift could favor technologies that already meet stronger biodegradability standards. - Soane Materials’ pitch is not just greener chemistry. It is a manufacturing system meant to scale quickly.

What’s next: - CleanlyEco is expected to use the platform to bring new laundry sheet products to European customers. - Soane Materials said this partnership could be the first of many as demand for PVA-free, plastic-free laundry solutions grows globally. - The companies are positioning the technology for broader adoption across home care and other consumer categories. - Soane Materials is steering interested manufacturers to its website for licensing discussions and product details.