Buy once, refill forever: The Aussie brand that's tackling single-use plastic.

You Beauty's Better Beauty is a monthly initiative in which Mamamia highlights a brand, product or launch that is making positive changes in the sustainability space. 

Real talk: You don't have to be a sustainability queen to know the impact that beauty products have on our poor little planet. (Surprise! They're terrible). 

The beauty industry contributes *significantly* to the plastic problem in Australia, with 179 million (!!!) single use plastic bottles - things like shampoo, conditioner, deodorant and skincare - bought from the supermarket each year.

According to the Federal Government’s Waste Report, only 15 per cent of the plastics we use will actually get recycled. 

Meaning? 85 per cent of this ends up in landfill. 

Sheesh.

Watch: The 7 eco-friendly habits that aren't so green. Post continues below.

A crazy total of 152,150,000 SUP (single use plastic) bottles of these body products alone will continue to end up in Australian landfills each year

You guys - that's A LOTTA digits!

Enter: Aussie start-up called Zero Co. 

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A post shared by Zero Co (@zeroco.com.au)

It’s a completely refillable and single use plastic-free brand that's making its way (sustainably) from the home-cleaning category into the beauty category (dw, they still do home care stuff, too!).

Zero Co is encouraging Aussies to 'start small', showing how small switches - like refillable products - can actually make a big impact on the environment.

What sets the brand apart from other luxury skincare brands?

Good question! 

To tackle the single use product problem, Zero Co has launched a new range of products that use something called a closed-loop refill model.

Ooo! A closed-top model! What... what is that?

Glad you asked, friend - because it’s actually a really cool concept!

Basically, Zero Co has a Pouch Recovery Machine (which is also engineered in Australia) that cleans and sanitises used refill pouches that are returned by Zero Co customers. 

The pouches can be returned for free in a reply-paid envelope that comes with each order. 

How good!

Once clean, the pouches are refilled with product and sent back out to other customers.

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Meaning? This unique, closed-loop refill model allows for zero waste over the customer’s lifetime. So, it's pretty much like you buy the packaging once, and refill it forever.

Zero Co-founder Mike Smith said, "In the last year and a half, we have removed the equivalent of 803,083 water bottles' worth of rubbish from oceans and beaches by funding clean ups around Australia. 

"And, thanks to our incredible Pouch Recovery Machine, we’ve stopped the equivalent of 789,325 water bottles' worth of rubbish from ending up in landfill."

HUGE. 

Interesting thing to add: Zero Co’s new body range has been developed alongside Dr Kate Forbes, who is the ex-Global Head of Product at Aesop. NBD.

And would you just look at the packaging? Is cute! Will look good in the bathroom!

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A post shared by Zero Co (@zeroco.com.au)

Can confirm: Everything smells amazing.

What products are in the new range?

The new range expands Zero Co’s line up to 14 personal care and home cleaning products including shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, roll-on deodorant, hand wash and body wash.

Image: Supplied

The best part? All the products are super affordable. 

The refillable bottles are all around $7 and the pouches are around $7 to $20.

We love to see it.

And yes, there's an option to subscribe to Zero Co's innovative refill system and get them delivered straight to your home, so you're never short on essentials.

"We hope that by delivering our products carbon negative with the option to subscribe and ensuring their efficacy rivals with supermarket competitors, we can convince everyday Aussies that it is actually really easy to make the switch and start taking small steps towards big change," said Smith.

Have you tried any Zero Co beauty products before? What are your thoughts? Share with us in the comment section below.

Feature Image: Supplied/ZeroCo