What Drives Us
ZERO IMPACT CHILDHOODS
We know that raising a child without plastic sounds crazy (and you’re right - it is), but it’s not impossible.
The global climate crisis is no longer a threat - it’s our lived reality. And while we believe in the power of big ideas and meaningful dialogue, we’ve also got to start turning strategy into real world action. With one foot in front of the other we are rewriting the script; shaking up the way industry thinks, designs and manufactures. Our products solve the single-use plastics problem for parents, and we’re making it possible to raise a child with zero impact. The shift has to start somewhere - we figure it might as well be with us.
WE BELIEVE IN MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE, POSSIBLE
Latest News
Clean Beauty: Switch out the plastic in your self care routine.
ZERO PLASTIC WIPES - Better for your skin, better for the planet.
Our wipes come dry because it's better for the environment. No plastic wrapping, no chemicals added, and the reduced weight means less impact in transit.
But they are also better for your skin.
If your looking for a way to reduce your plastic consumption, and take care of your skin, here are some ideas to get you started.
Our FAVE ways to use ZERO wipes wet.
The ZERO wipe superpowers come out when wet. Add water and you have the ultimate water wipe. No sticky residue, no irritation on skin from fragrances or additives. And, they are super soft!
#1 - With micellar water to wipe away your makeup without irritation. The fibres of our wipes grip makeup like nothing else you’ve tried.
#2 - Use warm water to cleanse off oil-based cleansing balms, face masks or activate a treatment with steam.
#3 - Toner or liquid treatment like AHA - cotton pads can be abrasive, but not these babies.
PLUS - Rinse & repeat for a more sustainable wipe - Yep, that’s right, our wipes are designed for you to wet, rinse and repeat.
Our FAVE ways to use ZERO wipes as is.
Our wipes come dry and you can use them in much the same way you use a cotton pad only they are softer, a better shape for navigating your beautiful face, and - let us say it one more time, they didn’t come wrapped in plastic.
#1 - Use with micellar water to cleanse skin of makeup or skincare treatments.
#2 - To correct makeup - great for edges of a red lip, or an OTT smokey eye.
Enjoy!
WHY WOOD PULP?
When designing our dry wipes, we experimented with and researched extensively the most environmentally friendly and best-functioning fiber. Our result; is wood pulp.
Compostable, biodegradable, and made from 100% Natural Material. Whilst the same can be said about Cotton and Bamboo wipes; we have found that Wood Pulp is the natural material that has the smallest environmental impact across its whole lifecycle. With wipes being needed day-to-day and often only having single use; we believe choosing a fiber with the lowest environmental footprint from start to finish is the most ethical mode of production.
What is Wood Pulp?
Wood pulp spun lace non-woven is made from trees, taken from well-managed natural forests. Wood pulp is a renewable source of biomass produced from the kraft pulping process. The wood is broken down into its cellulose fibers for it to be transformed into our tissue. Because the wood pulp is a cellulose-based fiber it is incredibly absorbent. Don't be alarmed by the fact it is made from wood; this 60gsm wipe we have created is softer than cashmere in our opinion! Our wood pulp has superior strength compared to cotton wipes and can be used for baby's bottoms to tough stains on kitchen counters.
How is it better than other wipes?
The most common kind of baby wipes on the market currently contain some form of Polypropylene or made of Polyester. A staggering 90% of wet wipes contain polyester fiber! (Zhang et al., 2021) As a biobased product, wood pulp is reporting a “60% lower environmental impact compared to polypropylene” (Echeverria, 2021). Whilst we know polypropylene wipes are more cost advantageous, we know that producing wood pulp is not only bettering the environment but offers a better performance as a wipe! Choosing wood pulp over polypropylene wipes has endless benefits. The production of wood pulp wipes requires LESS fossil fuel depletion, LESS ozone depletion, LESS toxicity for the human health of those involved in the production, and the list goes on!
Lifecycle of Wood Pulp?
One thing we require of any product of the Zero Store is its ability to be compostable and 100% biodegradable. Synthetic wet wipes are a huge contributor to waste, especially in sewer systems, and we believe that there is no excuse for wipes ending up in a landfill. Any wipe made with synthetic fibers or chemicals will end up in a landfill as they are unable to biodegrade. Once you have finished using our wipe; either dry or wet, they can be composted at home or industrially. The wipe will be broken down in about 45 days. Our bio-based wipe not only outperforms the plastic-based wipe in lower resource consumption it reduces the contribution of plastics and microplastics in our environment.
Sources:
Echeverria, D. V. (2021). Process-Based Modeling Framework for the Life-Cycle Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability Dimensions of Cellulose-Based Material. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
Yun, T., Cheng, P., Qian, F., Cheng, Y., Lu, J., Lv, Y., & Wang, H. (2020). Balancing the decomposable behavior and wet tensile mechanical property of cellulose-based wet wipe substrates by the aqueous adhesive. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 164, 1898–1907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.08.082
Zhang, Y., Wen, Z., Lin, W., Hu, Y., Kosajan, V., & Zhang, T. (2021). Life-Cycle Environmental Impact Assessment and plastic pollution prevention measures of wet wipes. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 174, 105803. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105803
This Article is by Meg Fisher
Zero Wipes Sustainability & Product Development Lead
Bachelor of Commerce at UNSW
Bachelor of Design in Textiles UNSW
MS Candidate in Sustainable Fashion at GCNYC
Everything you need to know about Zero Plastic Free Dry Wipes
Is ZERO Australian owned?
The ZERO brand is Australian owned and operated.
What does ZERO refer to?
We are so glad you asked. Zero stands for both ZERO plastic, and ZERO waste.
At ZERO, we believe the problem created by plastic is MASSIVE for both people and the planet, so we have taken a firm stand on not using ANY plastic in our products. When we select the materials used in our products, we make sure that they create ZERO harm at the end of life. This is a non-negotiable design constraint for us. We won’t make a product unless we know that when our product degrades at its end of life ZERO products won’t add harmful chemicals and microplastic to the soil.
What is a dry wipe? & How do I use it?
If you’re new to the concept of a dry wipe? Here is the low down…The super absorbent fibers of our dry wipe are thick, absorbent, and soft on skin. When you add a little water and use wet, you get all the benefits of a traditional wet wipe, but you don’t get any of the greasy residue or fragrances. When used dry, they soak up liquid like nothing else we have seen on the market and can be used instead of a kitchen cloth that is typically made from polypropylene.
Isn't a wipe just for babies?...spoiler, no way!
We have designed this wipe with babies in mind, but we have discovered that wipes are used by the whole family. Makeup removal, sticky toddler faces and so many other uses around the home, office and gym.
Why is this product more environmentally friendly?
The environmental impact of our product is far superior when compared to a wet wipe because we have removed all the plastic. Wet wipes come wrapped in plastic, but most have plastic in the wipe itself. Sneaky! Our wipe is also a lot lighter to freight so that means a lower carbon footprint. Unlike your standard wet wipe, our wipes are not single use: They are engineered so you can rinse & repeat for a more sustainable wipe. When you try them, you will see what I mean! Our ZERO wipes biodegradable within 45 days in landfill, and If you have a composting unit at home, you can drop them in the compost and watch them disappear. No more landfill, no plastic in the oceans, and no more micro plastics.
What are our 100% plastic free dry wipes made from?
Our wipes are made from 100% wood pulp. And before you ask, we thought long and hard about making a product out of wood, after all you have to cut down a tree. But, here’s our position. We made this product to replace plastic product equivalents like wet wipes and polyester dish cloths. Plastic is bad. Really bad. It's made out of crude oil and chemicals and the process of making plastic emits huge amounts of carbon to the atmosphere, and toxic run off to our waterways.
Read more about why we chose wood pulp, and how it stacks up: Why wood pulp?
But couldn’t you have made it out of something else?
We think we can soon, and we are experimenting with bamboo, hemp and a fermented material called PHBV - its essentially fermented sugar cane waste. Once we have a product that we know is high quality and is a net improvement on wood pulp, our customers will be the first to know.
How do I dispose of the wipes?
Our plastic-free wipes are biodegradable, and they can go in your compost.
Do the wipes have toxins and irritants?
Absolutely Not. No fragrances, or chemical residue. If your skin is sensitive, these are perfect.
What size is each wipe?
Wipe Sheet Size: 175mm X 190mm
How thick are the wipes?
They are the perfect thickness for use on skin and around the home. The weight of our wipes is measured in grams per square meter or GSM, ours are 60 GSM. To put that in context, your average tissue is around 15 GSM.
How big are the dry wipes boxes:
Pocket Pack: 10.5cm (H) x 9.5cm (L) x 2.5cm (D)
Pamper Pack: 5.5 (H) x 10 cm (L) x 18.5 (D)
Party Pack: 9.5cm (H) x 10 cm (L) x 18.5cm (D)
How many sheets come in a pack:
Pocket Pack: 5 wipes - great for school bags and handbags
Pamper Pack: 35 wipes - ideal for the makeup stand or home office.
Party Pack: 60 wipes - perfect for high frequency areas like the kitchen or bathroom.
