Why We Don’t Offer Refill Pouches or Return-and-Refill Systems
If you’ve been searching for an eco-conscious cleaner, you’ve probably seen a few brands offering refill pouches or return-and-refill systems. And at first glance, they sound like the perfect solution. Less plastic, right?
But here’s the truth: refillable systems aren’t always as sustainable as they seem - and we made a very conscious decision not to go down that road.
Let us explain.
1. Refill Pouches Are Often Not Recyclable
Most refill pouches are made from layers of mixed materials—usually a combination of plastic and aluminium - which makes them almost impossible to recycle through kerbside systems in Australia (and many other countries).
According to the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), flexible plastic pouches are classified as “problematic packaging” because they’re:
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Difficult to separate and sort in recycling facilities
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Prone to contamination
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Rarely turned into new products
So while they use less plastic upfront, most end up in landfill - where they take hundreds of years to break down.
2. Return-and-Refill Isn’t Sustainable at Scale
We’ve looked closely at the return-and-refill model. In fact, some of the biggest eco cleaning brands in Australia tried it - and in the case of Zero Co, sadly recently closed their doors.
Here’s the problem:
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Shipping bulky liquids back and forth creates a massive carbon footprint
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Cleaning and sterilising returned packaging uses industrial energy and water
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Reuse systems rely heavily on customer compliance (correct returns, no contamination, etc.)
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It’s expensive, and those costs usually get passed on to you
In theory, it’s a nice idea. In reality, it often creates more waste, more emissions, and less flexibility for the customer.
3. What We Do Instead: Reduce Plastic at the Source
Instead of trying to create a workaround for excess packaging, we designed a product that avoids it from the start.
Here’s how:
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Our cleaner is concentrated.
One 1-litre bottle of For All makes up to 100 spray bottles when diluted. -
That means less plastic, fewer trucks on the road, and lower emissions.
Compared to a typical ready-to-use cleaner (which is usually 95% water), our formula ships active ingredients - not water. -
You reuse what you already have.
Our durable bottles are made to last. And once you’ve got your spray bottle and foaming pump? You can refill them for months with just one bottle of concentrate.
We’ve saved over 11 million plastic spray bottles in the past 12 months alone from ever being created - not by refilling, but by replacing.
4. What About Compostable Pouches?
We get asked this too. And while they’re a step in the right direction, most “compostable” plastics:
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Only break down in commercial composting facilities (which most households don’t have access to)
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Release microplastics if composted improperly
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Aren’t compatible with liquids, which makes them hard to use for concentrated cleaners
Until these materials evolve to meet the demands of liquid products and actually compost at home, we’re not adding to the greenwashing.
The Short Version:
It’s Not About the Packaging. It’s About the Product.
You shouldn’t need to send something back, scan a QR code, or find a special bin just to do the right thing.
Our philosophy is simple: Make a product that works. Make it concentrated. Make it last.
That’s how we reduce plastic, fuel, and waste - without theatrics.
Want to learn more about how For All reduces waste?
👉 [See how 1L = 100 spray bottles]
👉 [Explore our concentrated cleaning system]