Secrets to a clean, sustainable home

Aussies are snapping up sustainable home products in never-before-seen numbers as our desire to protect the environment hits a pricing sweet spot.

Aussies are snapping up sustainable home products in never-before-seen numbers in 2021, as our desire to protect the environment hits a pricing sweet spot.

The vast majority of Australians have been keen to purchase ethical and sustainable products but our enthusiasm has often tempered somewhat by high prices.

Not any more.

Changes in manufacturing and product types, and the surge in popularity of online shopping has brought prices, and subsequently demand for, sustainable products back to the field.

At the same time there has been a sharp emphasis on home cleanliness as a direct result the COVID-19 pandemic

Australia’s green cleaning market was predicted to grow by 300 per cent by the end of the decade, but those estimates might now fall well short.

Venus Landero pictured at her Northmead home today where she uses eco-friendly cleaning products. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“Increasingly more and more people are putting their money where their mouth is, said Jon Dee, Planet Ark co-founder and the managing director of Do Something.

“Sustainable products are becoming far more mainstream and the quality is just as good.

“People are increasingly looking at the impact these products are having on themselves, their homes and the environment in general.”

In many ways the beauty industry with its emphasis on sustainable, plastic free, toxic free and animal cruelty free products has led the way, with home care products now following suit.

Australian-made 100 per cent based plant powered cleaning product Resparkle has tripled year-on-year sales thus far in 2021, after the launch of their powder-based home care range.

The company’s probiotic cleaning replaces bad bacteria on surfaces with good bacteria, instead of using corrosive ingredients.

Pearl Chan launched Resparkle in 2015 with a focus on using less plastic. It has enjoyed 20 per cent year on year sales growth. But since relaunching to become toxin-free and waste-free this year, sales have boomed.

“Because of our reusable bottle and refill pod model, we built a loyal customer base with 65 per cent of customers returning for our refills,” Ms Chan said.

Cleaning isn’t what it used to be.

“Although based on feedback, the main reason why our customers loved Resparkle was because of the cleaning performance it delivered whilst being powered by natural ingredients.

“There’s no doubt COVID was a catalyst for a spike in interest around cleaning and cleaning products, and the take up of eco-friendly products.”

Venus Landero of Northmead in Sydney’s northwest said more and more people like her were embracing a ‘whole of home approach’ in their attitude towards sustainability.

“What cleaning products we use impacts upon us and our home and our flatmates or family but also on our waterways and the environment,” she said.

“It can have such a wide ranging, harmful effect so I wanted to to what I could to minimise that or eliminate it.

“I’ve made that commitment, I’m not there yet. I’m doing it in small steps. And I think that’s the way a lot of other people are doing it or looking to do it.”

For more visit Resparkle.

At Home Magazine.

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Originally published as Secrets to a clean, sustainable home