Let's keep it clean!

by Lucy Robin

What's happening in your bathroom? Do you prefer to go naked or buy recycled?

When you’re standing in the supermarket aisle surrounded by shelves of plastic bottles, it can be difficult to discern which ones are eco-friendly. Australia now produces over 400 million tonnes of single-use plastic annually, and the beauty and cleaning industry is a key contributor to this problem. In response to this, consumer demand is increasing for ‘naked’ products with zero plastic waste. 

Buying recycled products and packaging enables valuable materials to cycle through the economy, preventing waste-to-landfill and saving resources. While zero waste is always ideal, you should be on the lookout for which brands are using recycled plastic packaging, for when zero waste is just not an option. Buying products made with recycled plastic pellets (rather than virgin plastic) places pressure on the industry to innovate, and contributes to a circular economy. While a linear economy is upheld by a ‘take-make-waste’ approach to consuming, a circular economy ensures that materials are repurposed for as long as possible after use.  

Here is the lowdown on a couple of companies that are adapting and innovating with zero waste and recycled packaging. 

Unilever is the home of global brands such as Dove, Rexona, TRESemmé and Vaseline. Unilever is making progress down under, with bottled products from its Australian-made brands – Dove, OMO, TRESemmé, Surf, and Toni & Guy – now being made from up to 70% recycled plastic. Unilever has also made a number of commitments to future innovation, including a pledge to halve the amount of virgin plastic used in packaging by 2025. 

Nature’s Organics

This Aussie company has adopted a ‘bottles from bottles’ approach in the manufacturing of their products. Nature’s Organics manufactures personal care and cleaning products for brands including Earth Choice, Organic Care and Australian Pure. All products in the Earth Choice cleaning line, and nearly all from other beauty lines, are made from 100% recycled plastic, and are 100% recyclable.


Lush

As a pioneer of cruelty-free and eco-friendly beauty, Lush offers a multitude of zero or low waste options perfect for pampering yourself. Swap your plastic packaged hair products for naked shampoo, your body lotion for a massage bar or your single-use face wipes for a sweet-smelling reusable alternative. Moreover, all of Lush’s packaged products are made from 100% recycled materials. Once you’ve used five black pots, you can return them empty in-store to be repurposed through Lush and TerraCycle’s joint recycling scheme, in exchange for a fresh face mask and good recycling karma. 


Grant’s of Australia

As the makers of ‘Australia’s original natural toothpaste’, this small business has been creating natural mouth care alternatives since 1984. Today, their range includes bamboo toothbrushes packaged in cardboard for a zero-plastic alternative to. What’s more, the company sells natural mouthwash with 100% recyclable packaging. As for their toothpaste, empty tubes can be recycled at local your local TerraCycle drop-off point.


Gillette

Gillette has recently launched a new recycling initiative in partnership with TerraCycle, ensuring that your used razors don’t end up in landfill. Send a handful of old razors back to TerraCycle with a free shipping label and they will be sorted and converted into new materials. What’s more, the scheme doesn’t discriminate – even welcoming razors not from the Gillette brand, ensuring that all can be repurposed.


Will you Buy Recycled and keep a lookout for these accessible brands to do your bit in supporting a circular economy?


Before you send your used product on its way, remember to rinse it and check the packaging for an Australasian Recycling Label to ensure it is recycled correctly. When in doubt, refer to your local council’s recycling guide. 


Lucy Robin is a second year creative writing student living on Boon Wurrung land with an interest in consumer awareness and everyday sustainability. 


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