As we lead into the next chapter of Zero Co, it’s time to reflect on the journey so far and the bold steps we’re taking for the future. Our mission has always been clear—reduce plastic waste and clean up our oceans. But as sustainability evolves, so must we. Here’s a deep-dive into the changes, challenges and breakthroughs that are shaping the new standard for Zero Co and the planet.

A trip down memory lane:

Almost four years ago today, we shipped the very first Zero Co products to Aussie homes. The mission then, as it remains today, was to do two things:

1. Make everyday products that help people reduce plastic at home, stopping waste at its source.
2. Use the proceeds from the sale of our products to fund ocean cleanups.

Over the past four years we’ve made incredible progress on both parts of the plan. We’ve:

1. Cleaned and reused 221,665 pouches—something all the experts told us wasn’t possible.
2. Removed 45,002,344 water bottles worth of rubbish from oceans, beaches and rivers around the world.

I’m incredibly proud of what Zero Co has achieved in just a few years. And I’m deeply grateful to every single person who’s been part of our journey to untrash the planet. 

Learning that facts are more important than feelings:

When I started Zero Co, I believed that a truly closed-loop supply chain was the best way to solve the global waste problem. Making reusable packaging that could be returned, cleaned and reused felt like the right thing to do.

After four years deep in the trenches, deep in data, and after taking some long, uncomfortable looks in the mirror, it has become increasingly clear that a closed-loop model is not the best way to solve the global waste problem.

I’ve probably invested more time, effort and money into building a truly closed-loop business than anyone else in Australian history. So trust me when I say that I’m more devastated than you can probably imagine by this realisation.

But facts don’t lie.

I’ve learnt the hard way that facts are more important than feelings. Particularly in the arena of sustainability.

So, in the spirit of Radical Transparency (one of four Zero Co brand values), I want to share with you the warts-and-all reality of our closed-loop model.

Key stats:

Only 42% of all the pouches we’ve ever made have been returned.

That means that 58% of all the packaging we designed for re-use have unfortunately become single-use.

Our business exists for one reason—to solve the global waste problem. I’m sure you can see why a 42% return rate has concerned us.

I’ve spoken with many other companies operating a closed-loop model, both in our product categories and in others. Here’s what I’ve learned:

• Most companies don’t even track or report their returns rate (because it’s so low).
• Those who do have told me (off the record), that their return rate is less than 10%.

This is a perfect example of how feelings often contradict facts.

In a perfect world where everyone returned every single pouch, then perhaps a closed-loop model would be the best solution. But unfortunately we live in an imperfect world.

First there’s the carbon emissions. We had a carbon auditing firm called Earthed Consulting come in and crunch the numbers. Here’s the data:

• 97g of CO2 for every kg of product shipped to your door.
• 7g of C02 for every pouch returned to us.
• 0.04g of C02 for every pouch cleaned.

Then there’s the water used to clean our pouches. We’re still crunching the numbers on this data and will update this post when the results are in.

Every way we look at the data it’s telling us a simple story: there has to be a better way.

So where to from here?

We’ve spent the past 18 months scouring the planet, working with experts and commissioning research projects to find the best solution to the global waste problem.

We explored every possible solution, including (but not limited to) seaweed, hemp, algae, moulded fibre, biodegradable plastic, recycled paper, glass and aluminium. We literally left no stone unturned in our search for a better solution.

And throughout this process we relied on facts not feelings to uncover the truth.

So, after 18 months of research and development, we’ve landed on a solution that we believe will set the new global standard for sustainability.
We call it ForeverFill™ and it’s going to:

• Reduce plastic in our packaging (and your home) by a whopping 97%.
• Cut our freight emissions by up to 75%.
• Make your Zero Co experience more convenient and better for the planet.
• Help supercharge our cleanups to collect one billion bottles worth of ocean, beach and river waste.
  
  

All the juicy details, warts-and-all.

Here’s what’s changing in the next evolution of Zero Co.

Our plastic pouches will be replaced with world-first, paper-based refills that are:

• Made from 63% recycled, FSC-certified paper.
• Curbside Recyclable.
• Made with 97% less plastic than our current packaging.

Our Forever Bottles are getting a facelift to feature:

• 80% recycled materials.
• A new design aesthetic in 3 premium colours: Urchin Black, Kelp green and Oyster White.
• Place one paper-based refill inside, meaning no more decanting and spills while refilling.
• A lifetime guarantee. We'll repair or replace any broken Forever Bottles for the rest of your life.

Where it’s possible to develop highly effective, premium-quality products in concentrated formats, we’ve done just that. The following products will move to concentrates:

• Laundry Liquid: we’ve concentrated our 2L liquid down to 500ml. You’ll get the same amazing cleaning results and the same number of washes with only ¼ of the liquid. This means:
• 75% less freight emissions
• 75% less packaging
• 75% more storage space at home

• Multi-Purpose Cleaner, Bathroom & Shower Cleaner: we’ve concentrated all the cleaning power of our 1L liquid format into three dissolvable tablets. Simply pop the tablet in your Forever Bottle, add water and start cleaning. This means:
• 90% less freight emissions
• 90% less packaging
• 90% more storage space at home

As a result of the efficiencies we’re achieving across our new product and packaging formats, we’ve been able to significantly reduce our production and operating costs. And we plan to pass those savings on to you.

We know many people are feeling the cost of living pressure at the moment, so we’re making it more affordable for you to keep doing the right thing for the planet.

We’ll have more details to announce in the very near future, but look out for cost savings of up to 20% on some of your most loved Zero Co products.

Some more facts that contradict feelings.

Over the past 18 months, we’ve made a number of big decisions about the format of our future product range and our packaging solution. Some of our decisions may seem counterintuitive, but they’re grounded in solid facts.

Here’s just a few examples:

Our new Forever Bottles are NOT made of glass or aluminium. For good reason.

You’ve probably seen lots of companies enter the “Forever Bottle” game in recent years. Most of them have launched bottles made from glass or aluminium.

Whilst this feels like the right decision, the facts tell a different story:

Glass:

• Has a higher CO2 footprint to produce than recycled plastic.
• Has a higher C02 footprint to ship than recycled plastic.
• Has a higher C02 footprint to recycle than plastic.
• Results in higher breakage rates than recycled plastic—meaning it’s unlikely to last a lifetime.

Aluminium:

• Has a higher CO2 footprint to produce than recycled plastic.
• Has a higher C02 footprint to recycle than plastic.
• Interacts with liquid products, which can cause contamination.
• Dints, dents and doesn’t age well—meaning it’s unlikely to last a lifetime.

Here’s the brutally honest truth: it would have been easier for us to make our new Forever Bottles out of glass or aluminium. It would have saved us having to explain all of the above to everyone, everyday. But it wouldn’t have been better for the planet. And that’s what matters most.

What we care about is doing what’s actually right, not what feels right.

We’re not making hand wash tablets or laundry sheets. For good reason.

Over the last 18 months we’ve had every imaginable product format independently lab tested. We wanted to know which product formats work and which don’t.

The brutal truth is there’s only a select number of products that can be delivered via tablet (or sheet) format and match the same premium user experience and product effectiveness that we demand at Zero Co.

Laundry detergent sheets don’t work any better than washing your clothes in water. We’ll release a detailed, independent laboratory study on this shortly.

“Just-add-water” hand wash (and other personal care) products just don’t have the same feel and effectiveness as liquids. Why? Because it’s really challenging to distil the amount of oils into a tablet needed to provide a luxurious, nourishing and moisturising hand wash. We’ve tried every single brand on the market in Australia and none of them stack up to our internal product quality requirements.

And so begins the next chapter…

If you’ve made it this far, you deserve a pat on the back. Thanks for taking the time to read about the nuanced, and often counterintuitive, world of sustainability that we’ve been navigating over the past 18 months.

If you’ve been a customer from the beginning, thanks for believing in me, my team and our shared vision to untrash the planet.

If you’re not yet a Zero Co customer, I hope this detailed update provides you with the confidence to know that by supporting me and my company, you’re getting behind a group of people who care deeply about the planet and its future.

Cheers,

Mike Smith

Girl dad, loving husband, environmentalist and Zero Co Founder.

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