Ready to ditch single use plastics in your home? It’s time to make the switch to reusable, REFILLABLE packaging for your washing, laundry and cleaning products, once and for all. 

We are surrounded by plastic in our homes, and not unexpectedly, guilt can sometimes come into the equation when looking to reduce single use plastic consumption. This is particularly true in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry. Washing and cleaning products are problematic, as they have a high turnover rate in our households. Regardless of the household size, we each probably send AT LEAST 10 empty laundry liquid bottles to the bin annually. Collectively, that is a huge amount. And it’as not just laundry liquid – 30 million plastic moisturiser bottles are bought and thrown away EVERY YEAR in Australia. Council to council, state to state, recycling capabilities can vary greatly, without a guarantee that every plastic item can be recycled. It is pivotal to reduce this number, when the bottles we have traditionally thrown out are perfectly good to use again, and again, and again…

Thankfully, there is a much better, simpler, effective, waste-mitigating solution available to us: Refillable home cleaning products delivered to our doors. Step into the spotlight Zero Co, The Dirt Company, ReCo and HappyHuman (just to name a few!)

This more circular model and approach to everyday household items means:

• A brand delivers the pouch of laundry detergent/dishwashing liquid/body soap and/or the reusable bottles to your door
• You can then return the refill pouch in a reply-paid envelope
• They refill the pouches, and keep them in circulation
• You can often sign up for a subscription or order online as you need.

Think of it how glass milk bottles used to be delivered at doorsteps – it’s the same thing but with washing, cleaning, beauty and other household products! So simple and convenient.  And sounds much more sustainable, right?

Some other benefits we often find with refill and reuse systems include:

• The price per millilitre of these products are mostly comparable or cheaper than typical products in supermarkets
• They deliver directly to your door (no more super heavy shopping bags!) 
• The products are often plant-based, vegan & cruelty free, made in Australia, and grey water safe. 

As a result, you will instantly have less unnecessary packaging going to the recycling bin!

Also keep in mind that bulk foods stores, such as Naked Foods and The Source amongst others, also offer product refills for washing, cleaning and beauty products.

Action steps: 

1. Start by thinking about how you currently purchase your products, what a long term solution is for your household and what the best option is for you?

2. Write a list of all of the products you currently have in your laundry and what could be replaced by a refillable option

3. Select one of the brands to try from the list above (or others you may find in your own research)

4. If you want to try the refill alternative first, pop to the bulk foods store with your empty bottle and refill there 

5. If you choose to go with one of the refillable subscriptions or online ordering options, to minimise the carbon emissions from the delivery part of the process, order in bulk and store extra pouches under the sink in your laundry 

6. Enjoy refilling your existing bottles again and again, taking note of how much less waste you will send to the recycling bin every month!