“Good news travels fast. Our refill solution has been incredibly popular as it's the only truly sustainable product on the market. Multiple big beauty brands are looking closely at us."
Australian self-care brand WØRKS is a small business making big waves. Sick of seeing plastic refill pouches touted as “sustainable” by big beauty brands, founders Suze Raymond and Christoffer Kjaergaard set about creating an alternative. It had to be kerbside recyclable, have a low carbon footprint, and contain zero soft plastic.
Over 18 months the couple from Melbourne researched countless options, from plant-based plastics to bag-in-box style casks, but they all shared the same problem: regardless of what they’re made of and how they’re marketed, soft plastics present enormous environmental challenges.
Refill pouches are made from virgin plastic, which relies on petrochemicals and heavy metals for its manufacture. Globally, it’s estimated that virgin plastic manufacture contributes 14% of all greenhouse gasses and takes 8% of the world's oil. And only 9% of all plastic is recycled.
Refill pouches are also very challenging to dispose of sustainably. Any pouch that holds liquid is constructed using multiple layers of different types of plastic chemically bonded together. This makes the pouch difficult - or impossible - to recycle. Further, they use non-recyclable waterproof seals and spouts. This makes the pouch even less sustainable than the plastic bottle it’s designed to fill.
“Consumers are smart. They're looking for better, more sustainable products and they're happy to support businesses doing the right thing. It's time big brands stopped greenwashing."
The solution, when it came, felt surprisingly simple. “We package all of our formulations in glass bottles and aluminium tubes,” says Suze. “It turned out the solution to our refill problem was staring us in the face: aluminium.”
The resulting aluminium canister was developed with functionality, circular economy, and aesthetics in mind. Slimline and self-standing, it eliminates the pain points of messy plastic pouches, while addressing the obvious sustainability issues. The 1-litre aluminium canisters refill the brand’s 500ml glass bottles two times. At the end of their life, they can be added to all Australian kerbside recycling collections.
"This is the only truly sustainable refill product on the market – no greenwashing. We believe this to be a world first."
It’s an innovation that has caught the eye of the beauty industry, with at least three big brands showing signs of following in the pair’s footsteps just 10 weeks after the product’s release. “Good news travels fast,” says Suze. “Our refill solution has been incredibly popular, and I’ve heard that multiple beauty brands are looking closely at us. This is the only truly sustainable refill product on the market – no greenwashing. We’ve researched extensively but haven’t found anyone else packaging their refills in aluminium canisters,” she adds. “We believe this to be a world first.”
"We’re proud to be advocates for true sustainability, and we invite all the brands out there producing plastic pouches to join us in creating impactful change.”
Aluminium is one of the most sustainable natural resources on the planet. It is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust, and it can be infinitely recycled, with recycling using 95% less energy than manufacturing new aluminium. Globally, 76% of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today.
WØRKS is already planning phase two of its refill packaging to make the canisters even more sustainable. “We’re tweaking the design to improve circularity,” says Christoffer. “We don’t always get things perfect the first time, but we constantly reflect and push ourselves to evolve and innovate. While this first iteration has been very well received, phase two will be even more exciting. We’re proud to be advocates for true sustainability, and we invite all the brands out there producing plastic pouches to join us in creating impactful change.”