I recently picked up a product from a brand that looked so sustainable. Cardboard packaging. Eco messaging. All the right things on the outside. Then, because I'm me, I turned it around and read the ingredients. Perfume.

If you've followed Go For Zero for a while, you'll know synthetic fragrance is a hard no for us. It reminded me of one of the biggest reasons I started Go For Zero in the first place: sustainable packaging matters a lot, but it's only one part of the story.

So what actually makes a product sustainable? Plastic-free packaging is a great start, but it isn't the full picture. At Go For Zero, every product has to pass five tests before we'll stock it: packaging, Australian or New Zealand ownership, ingredients, transparency and performance. Here's what we check, and why we say no to sooo many products. 

Key Takeaways

• Packaging matters, but we look at what's inside a product as well as what's outside it.
• "Eco", "natural" and "sustainable" aren't enough for us. We research the claims and the ingredients behind them.
• We only stock Australian and New Zealand owned brands, and we prioritise local manufacturing wherever we can.
• Our suppliers can receive around 100 questions from us, because transparency matters.
• We test products ourselves. If we wouldn't use it, we don't want to sell it to you.

Why Is Sustainable Packaging Such a Big Conversation in Australia Right Now?

Packaging waste is getting a lot of attention in the media at the moment, and rightly so! 

In early September, the environment department told stakeholders that the mandatory packaging standards promised in 2023 would not proceed this term, with cost of living given as the reason.

I was incredibly disappointed. But it only put more fire in my belly, because it means that businesses like Go For Zero, and the choices all of us make, matter more than ever.

On 18 September, federal, state and territory environment ministers agreed to keep working towards stronger and more consistent packaging rules, including action on problematic plastics and soft plastics. I'm glad the conversation hasn't stopped, because Australia put an estimated 6.84 million tonnes of packaging onto the market in 2023 to 24, and around 41% of it was buried in landfill.

That is a LOT of stuff. Packaging absolutely needs to be part of the sustainability conversation... just not the only part.

Does Sustainable Packaging Mean a Product Is Sustainable?

Nope. And this brings me back to that product I found.

From the outside, it looked like exactly the kind of thing I'd investigate for Go For Zero. Plastic-free packaging. Great sustainability messaging. Everything about it screamed "take me if you want to save the planet!"

Then I flipped it over, and there it was: perfume.

Here's why that matters, especially if you're newer to natural products. "Fragrance" or "perfume" on a label can represent a blend of thousands of different chemicals, and companies actually don't have to list each one. That makes it hard to know what you're actually putting on your skin. An Australian study of children tested for suspected dermatitis found fragrance mixes were the leading cause of allergic skin reactions. That doesn't mean fragrance affects everyone, but it's a big reason it's one of our strictest ingredient standards.

This isn't about saying one ingredient automatically makes an entire brand "bad". It simply means great packaging isn't enough for us. 

We call ourselves a low-waste, low-tox store, so we look at both sides of the equation. But greenwashing makes it hard to know what's really better. That's why we're here: to do the research and take the guesswork out of choosing safer and cleaner products.

What Is Greenwashing?

Greenwashing is when environmental marketing makes a product or business look better for the planet than the full picture supports. The ACCC, Australia's consumer watchdog, says vague words like "eco friendly", "green" and "sustainable" risk misleading people into thinking a product causes no harm at all.

Sometimes it's obvious. Other times, it's much harder to spot.

A plastic-free bottle doesn't tell you what's inside it. A leaf printed on the packaging doesn't tell you how it was made. And the word "natural" doesn't tell you whether anyone has actually looked closely at every ingredient.

That's why we never assess a product on one claim. We have a strict process, and plenty of "eco" products don't actually pass it.

What Are the 5 Tests Every Product Has to Pass Before We'll Stock It?

People often ask us why we don't sell a certain brand. Sometimes it's a brand everyone is talking about. Sometimes we know you'd LOVE it. Sometimes the packaging looks perfect. And sometimes saying no probably costs us sales.

But being popular isn't one of our criteria. Taking care of your family and our planet is.

Test 1: Does the packaging meet our standards?

Single-use plastic packaging is a no from us. We look for packaging and systems that cut unnecessary waste, including reusable, refillable, home-compostable or easily recyclable materials like aluminium and glass. Sometimes a reusable product with a well-designed refill system makes sense, so we look at the whole system rather than judging one piece of packaging on its own.

That includes recycled plastic packaging too! While some plastic can be recycled, according to the Australian Government, only 13% of plastic waste was actually recycled in 2024–25. That's why we believe in tackling plastic waste at the source.

When there are great plastic-free alternatives available, why keep choosing plastic, even if it's recycled or labelled "eco"?

We don't want to remove waste from your house only to create more somewhere else. And yes, this means we've said no to products we know would sell.

Test 2: Is it Australian or New Zealand owned?

We only stock Australian and New Zealand owned brands. Shipping toothpaste halfway around the world when there's a brilliant local option has never made much sense to us. Backing local also means supporting businesses closer to home that are trying to do things differently.

That doesn't mean everything can be made here. Some ingredients, materials and products simply can't be made locally. But when something can be made locally, we look for that.

For example, someone recently sent me an Australian owned shampoo bar brand to look at. The bars are made in China. China can absolutely produce ethically and responsibly made products, so that's not the issue. But we have amazing Australian and New Zealand made shampoo bars, so we wouldn't choose an overseas-made one when a great local alternative exists. Harsh? Maybe. But it matters to us.

Want to keep it local? We've pulled together all our Australian made products in one spot, so you can shop them here. 

Test 3: Do the ingredients meet our standards?

This is where things get slightly unhinged, in a good way (haha).

I started Go For Zero after my baby reacted to harsh ingredients, so what's inside a product has always been non-negotiable for me. We don't just ask whether an ingredient sounds natural. We research it. Over the years we've built our own extensive ingredient assessment framework. First we assess every ingredient against the Environmental Working Group (EWG) database, then weask suppliers what each ingredient is, why it's there and we double check whether it meets our standards. You can learn more about our ingredient checking process here. 

It creates an enormous amount of work for our team and for our suppliers. It would be much easier not to do it. But that's not the promise we've made to you.

Test 4: Is the brand transparent?

We ask questions. A LOT of questions. We want to understand the product, packaging, ingredients, manufacturing, certifications and every claim being made about it. 

Our suppliers receive over 100 questions from us! Yep, one hundred. I'm sure some of them LOVE seeing our emails arrive (lol). But if we can't get the information we need to assess a product confidently, that's a problem. Sustainability shouldn't require blind trust.

And we hold ourselves to the same expectation. Go For Zero is a Certified B Corporation, which means our social and environmental impact has been independently assessed against B Lab's standards. Being certified doesn't mean we're perfect, and we certainly don't claim to be. But accountability and continually trying to do better matter enormously to us.

Test 5: Have we actually tried it?

This is one of my favourite parts. A product can tick a hundred sustainability boxes, but if it doesn't work, you're not going to keep using it.

Once something survives everything above, we test it. And not just me. Our whole team becomes the testing crew. Bathrooms, kitchens, armpits, laundry, teeth... nothing is safe around here. We're testing a new toothpaste at the moment that's made it through quite a few hoops already, and we're VERY excited about it. More to come soon!

A sustainable product you hate using and immediately replace isn't a particularly useful swap. If we wouldn't use it ourselves, we don't want to sell it to you.

How Can You Tell If a Product Is Actually Sustainable?

You don't need to investigate products the way we do. Please don't start emailing companies 100 questions. Leave that madness to us. But if you're trying to work out whether something is a better choice, look a little further than the front label.

Don't stop at...	Ask this instead
"Eco-friendly packaging"	Is it reusable, refillable, compostable or actually recyclable where I live?
"Natural"	What are the actual ingredients?
"Plastic-free"	What happens to the whole product at the end of its life?
"Sustainable brand"	Who owns it and where does it come from?
"Green" claims	Does the company explain exactly what makes it better?
Beautiful marketing	Is there transparency and evidence behind the claims?

You don't need perfection. You just need enough honest information to make a choice that feels right for you.

Why Is Go For Zero So Strict About the Products It Sells?

Because I started Go For Zero to give people somewhere they could shop without second-guessing every label.

I've spent years reading ingredients, questioning packaging, researching claims, testing products and asking suppliers a mildly unreasonable number of questions. We've now shipped more than 180,000 parcels to customers across Australia and New Zealand. That's a lot of people trusting us with what they bring into their homes, and we don't take that lightly.

It would definitely be easier to stock every trending "eco" brand. But there are brands you won't find on our shelves for exactly that reason.

Our promise isn't that everything is perfect. Sustainability rarely works like that. Our promise is that we'll ask the uncomfortable questions, do the research and test the product before we proudly offer it to you.

I often say when we know better, we can do better. Packaging matters. But the whole product matters more.

Where Should You Start If You're New to Low-Waste & Low-Tox?

You don't need to swap everything at once. Pick one room and start there:

• Bathroom: Hair Care, Dental, Deodorant & Perfume and Period & Intimate Care
• Skincare: Face, Body, Suncare & Essentials and Makeup
• Home: Cleaning & Laundry, Kitchen & Food Storage and Garden & Composting
• Family: Baby & Kids, Pregnancy & Mums, Men and Pets

If self-care is on your list this month, our Sustainable Self-Care sale runs until 20 October, with up to 25% off brands including Ilo Wellness, Eco Modern Essentials, Raw Medicine, Nutra Organics and more! Plus purchase any Aleph Beauty product and get a FREE Luxe Mini Serum/Primer (valued at $14.40). 

Where Do We Go From Here?

I'm excited that Australia is having bigger conversations about packaging, plastic waste, reuse and recycling. We need them. But I hope we don't stop at the packet.

We need to keep asking what's inside it, where it came from, who's behind it, whether it can be reused or refilled, and most importantly, whether it actually works. Sustainability shouldn't be something a brand can achieve by changing its bottle or adding a green label while ignoring everything else.

And if that means sending another supplier 100 questions? We're going to keep asking. If you ever have a question about a product, or a brand you'd love us to look at, email us at askusanything@goforzero.com.au. We love researching this stuff and helping you.

Love always,
Ellie xo

Ready to Learn More?

If this got you thinking about what's really behind the label, these are good next reads:

🌸 What's Really in Fragrance? The Hidden Chemicals in Perfume - Why fragrance is one of our strictest ingredient standards, and what to look for instead.

🥤 The Compostable Cup Myth: PLA and Bioplastic Guide - Another example of a product that sounds sustainable on the front but isn't the full picture.

💄 Top 10 Ingredients to Avoid in Makeup and What to Use Instead - A simple guide to reading a makeup ingredient list with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell if a product is really sustainable?

Look beyond broad claims such as "green", "natural" or "eco-friendly". Check the packaging, ingredients, brand ownership, transparency, where and how it's made, how long it lasts and what happens at the end of its life. No single sustainability claim tells you the whole story.

What is greenwashing in sustainable products?

Greenwashing is when environmental marketing or claims make a product or business look more environmentally friendly than the full picture supports. Look for specific, transparent information about packaging, ingredients, sourcing and manufacturing rather than relying on words like "green", "eco" or "sustainable".

Is plastic-free packaging actually better?

Reducing unnecessary single-use plastic can help cut waste, but plastic-free doesn't automatically mean a product is more sustainable overall. Reusability, refill systems, recyclability, manufacturing, transport and what happens at the end of the product's life also matter.

What does Go For Zero look for in sustainable products?

We assess five key areas before stocking a product: packaging, Australian or New Zealand brand ownership, ingredients, transparency and product performance. We research products, ask suppliers detailed questions and test products ourselves before deciding whether they make the cut.

Why doesn't Go For Zero stock every eco brand?

Being marketed as "eco", "natural" or "sustainable" isn't enough to meet our standards. A product needs to meet our requirements across packaging, ingredients, brand ownership and transparency, and we need to actually like using it before we'll sell it.