Here are the best Australian online zero waste shops that stock a range of sustainable living products AND ship low or zero waste with plastic-free, recycled or low waste packaging.
Zero waste living sometimes means giving up conveniences, like regular online shopping, so I'm always on the look out for companies that are happy to support an eco friendly lifestyle, including shipping.
I really hate getting surprise non-recyclable packaging in my online orders, especially when I am buying them to be more eco-friendly!
So if an item is being sent with materials I prefer to avoid, I appreciate knowing ahead so I can make up my own mind if it is acceptable or not.
I love that more online stores and going zero waste with shipping and limiting the use of bubble wrap and single-use plastics as well as opting for carbon neutral postage services.
It makes life so much easier to know that if I can't get an item in the shops, or want to avoid gift shopping in person, especially at Christmas time, I have a few fantastic online shops I know I can rely on to give me what I want without the trash.
I couldn't decide which order to list these great places, so I've put them into alphabetical order.
This post does contain some affiliate links, meaning if you click and make a purchase, the price is the same to you, but I may receive a small commission which helps me keep this site up and running.
Biome Eco Stores
Biome Eco Stores have been around for quite a while now and stock a huge range of zero waste and plastic free items. They have no physical stores where I am in South Australia, so the only way I can get hold of their items is online.
The store is 100% palm oil free, and mostly vegan, which means less time reading ingredients in detail. They are also pretty choosy with their suppliers and what they stock, so you will find a strong preference for Australian made products by companies that don't green-wash and make an effort to consider the life-cycle of packaging, natural ingredients and more.
You will find household essentials, books, gifts, fun stuff as well as some great DIY supplies and recipes to try at home and recently introduced a slow fashion section. Their menus are easy to navigate and shop by values so that you can get straight to the items you want without needlessly scrolling through items you have no interest in.
Online orders are shipped in minimal packaging and generally plastic-free, in recyclable packaging. This may very if opting for express post. They offer free shipping for orders over $75
Boody Australia
Boody Australia has a beautiful range of sustainable and eco friendly clothing for men, women and babies, including sustainable bamboo active wear (yes you can get eco-friendly leggings). They are clearly passionate about the planet and being transparent to customers and have a long list of certifications you can read about on their page.
You can also read about their process from growing organic bamboo to how it is transformed into clothing with in a closed loop system (meaning there is no waste and water is recycled).
They ship zero waste and plastic free, in 100% recycled cardboard boxes, not plastic satchels, so you can be sure it will be free from bubble wrap and plastic. Plus, instead of receiving oversized boxes full of air, they have 5 different sizes to suite your order size and minimise overall packaging. Head here to get 10% off your order, standard shipping is $8.95 and orders over $60 ship free.
The Clean Collective
The Clean Collective has a fabulous selection of household, baby and toxin free products. You'll also find some great zero waste bundles for the laundry, kitchen and on the go and plenty of other waste-less items. Check out their Take 3 for The Sea Favourites which will help remove 3 million pieces of plastic from the environment over the next 3 years.
As their name suggest, they also stock a substantial range of eco-cleaning products, but you can certainly save some money by getting started with some simple home made green cleaning solutions.
If you're a fan of DIY products, they stock a range of tin and glass eco-friendly containers that are super handy for lotions and potions.
In an act of rebellion against Black Friday, they are currently having a Green Friday Festival running from the 11th of November to 2nd December 2018 where not only can you enjoy a discount, they will donate 100% of their profits to planting trees.
They will send your online order in recyclable packaging and have great shipping rates at a flat rate of $7 Australia wide.
Eco Modern Essentials
Eco Modern Essentials are focused on ethical and sustainable sourcing of essential oils and wellness products that support a toxin-free lifestyle.
If you a fan of DIY, then you will also want to check out their range of glass spray bottles, pump bottles and other accessories to create your own products at home.
You'll also find some beautiful oil trios featuring indigenous artwork where a percentage of sales goes straight to Ewamian Aboriginal Corporation’s Language Project which is working towards recovering lost languages.
They are really focused on cutting waste with online orders and you'll find they ship plastic-free using recyclable materials and free shipping for orders over $20. Be aware, as with almost all stores, fragile items may have internal product packaging that isn't zero waste.
Flora & Fauna
Flora & Fauna specialise in vegan and cruelty free beauty as well as providing a comprehensive range of eco-friendly and sustainable living products, and everything in their store is 100% vegan and cruelty free. They are strong supporters of the Where Pigs Fly Animal Sanctuary and Sea Sheppard.
They regularly have specials as well as product samples which can be added to your order and allows you to test something before investing in a full size item.
They have a worthwhile rewards program as well as a recycling program allows you to post back tubes, bottles and packaging from makeup which they recycle via a partnership with Terracycle and award you store credits in return.
Shipping is plastic-free in sustainable and recyclable packaging at a flat rate of $6.95 (or ships free for orders over $50). So far my orders have also come with non-plastic tape too, which I really love. If you sign up here, you can also score 10% off your first order.
Going Green Solutions
Going Green Solutions has a huge range of zero waste products and is definitely worth checking out. They cater to both home and office as well as catering and packaging options. It's a family based business which began from a passion of sustainable living and the need for green items to be more accessible to Australians.
You'll find all the usual essential items plus many more that just aren't stocked elsewhere. They are one of the very few companies that truly care about the life cycle of the products they sell and really care about supporting Aussie brands. (and yes you can buy wholesale from them too).
All packaging materials they receive are recycled, they are completely green powered, use vegetable based inks for printing and provide free recycling programs in their local community PLUS you can even check if you'll be able to properly dispose of biodegradable party ware.
Green Living Australia
Green Living Australia have some amazing DIY kits that can really take your zero waste living to a new level. You can get hold of sour dough cultures, yoghurt making kits, learn how to make jam and homemade soaps - all with access to their help line in case you get stuck.
They are also committed to sustainable packaging when they ship online orders, they use biodegrable eco bubble wrap and even have their own cardboard recycling machine.
Some products they sell require plastic packaging for food safety and preservation as would be expected. This can still be recycled via Redcycle. They also want to hear from their customers on better ways they can pack without plastic.
Hello Charlie
Hello Charlie is gorgeous shop focused on everything eco-friendly families need and is a fabulous place to find items for children and babies. From reusable swimming nappies, non-toxic beauty products, natural sunscreen, zero waste essentials and a huge range of green eco-friendly toys.
Founded by a mum who wanted to be certain that the products she used on their kids was safe and had trouble finding sustainable options. Passionate about avoiding green-washing, products stocked are well researched and their blog is full of information, cheat sheets and free resources.
They reuse packaging, so each order is packed differently depending on what they have at the time, you can expect biodegradable packing peanuts, reused bubble wrap for fragile items, newspaper and recyclable polypropylene satchels. I love their approach to reusing and re-purposing materials.
The Whole Tribe
The Whole Tribe is another great Aussie owned store and if you can find wholefoods, zero waste home items and beautiful gifts.
They have an internal recycling program and the majority of their natural beauty products are packaged plastic free. Whole food items are from bulk containers and packaged in plastic pouches due to food safety (but you can rinse and reuse these).
Browsing online, it is easy to see they favour sustainable materials and upcycling. Do be aware, fragile and breakable items may include non eco-friendly materials inside the product packaging as is the case with anywhere.
Online orders are shipped via Sendle, is a carbon neutral company, and the Whole Tribe take a lot of care to ensure packaging is as ecofriendly and as waste free as possible. If you open the box and see packing peanuts, don't sweat, they aren't polystyrene and are can be dissolved in water or composted. Add a note to your order to request plastic free postage.
Free shipping for orders over $80 and afterpay is available should you need it.
So, yes, you can shop online and still live a zero waste lifestyle - and as customers, we don't have to accept crappy packaging when ordering sustainable products.
We should be able to recycle and reuse packaging and not have unnecessary plastic dumped on our doorstep.
I hope this list of online stores helps you shop more confidently and consciously!
Don't forget to pin this for later and share it with your friends who are going zero waste too.
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