Why Plastic Free July Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect

At The Living Co, we believe in honesty, and honestly, we’re not 100% plastic-free. That might sound unexpected coming from an eco-conscious business, but it’s true.

Even as a toxin-free, low-waste brand, there are moments where plastic is still part of our world. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned from speaking with our customers, it’s this:

Many of you feel the same.

You want to do better. But all-or-nothing thinking can make you feel stuck. That’s why we’re sharing our honest story this Plastic Free July, because small, conscious steps matter far more than perfection.

Where We Start: The Everyday Rituals That Make a Difference

When people ask us where to begin, our answer is always the same: with the rituals you already have.

For us, that looks like:

In the Kitchen

• Compostable dish cloths instead of paper towels.
• The Good Change Store refillable sprays.
• Natural fibre brushes and bamboo scrubbers.

These swaps make sense because they happen multiple times a day. From wiping a bench to washing up after dinner, that’s a lot of unnecessary waste we can easily avoid.

Body Care Moments

• Bamboo toothbrushes.
• Woohoo Deodorant in compostable packaging.
• Lip balm in compostable packaging.

Simple, essential products we all use daily, now made plastic-free and toxin-free wherever possible.

Laundry & Home Care

• That Red House Laundry Oils for scent.
• Reusable wool dryer balls.

One of our long-time customers, Alex from Melbourne, told us:

“I used to feel overwhelmed by all the things I wasn’t doing. But then I realised, just swapping my dish cloth and laundry routine actually cut so much waste.”

That’s exactly the mindset we want to nurture.

Where We’re Still Working (And Why We’re Sharing It)

No brand, including ours, is fully perfect. Here’s where plastic still shows up for us:

• Courier Packaging: We use compostable mailers, but occasionally need protective plastic wrap for fragile products.
• Product Packaging: Some supplier items have unavoidable plastic elements like safety seals or lids.
• Wholesale Shipments: Bulk deliveries often arrive with plastic cushioning we can’t yet eliminate.

Rather than hiding that reality, we believe in sharing it, because conscious living is about transparency, not guilt.

Plastic Free July: How You Can Start (No Overwhelm Required)

If you’re feeling like Plastic Free July is “too big” to start, we’re here to remind you: It’s not all or nothing. You don’t have to replace everything at once.

Here’s a simple checklist we share with our community:

• Swap one cloth instead of a whole cleaning routine.
• Try one refillable product before buying multiples.
• Choose one reusable tea tool or drink bottle.
• Focus on your most-used ritual, not the least-used.

Another Living Co. customer, Jess from Brisbane, said:

“Plastic Free July used to stress me out. Now I treat it as a reset month, swapping what’s easiest, not everything.”

That’s exactly the spirit we hope to encourage.

Our Anti-Perfect Plastic Free July Promise

We’ll always aim for better. We’ll always look for ways to reduce waste in our product sourcing, packaging and operations.

But we’ll also always be honest: perfection isn’t realistic. What matters is conscious, thoughtful progress.

If you’d like to join us, start here:

• Explore our curated Plastic Free July Favourites Collection.
• Choose one product or ritual to reset this month.
• Share your journey with us: #LivingCoReset

Let’s move forward together, imperfectly, but consciously.