New Zealand’s Re.stor seeks to eliminate single-use plastics with water-free cleaning products

Kaycee Enerva

Kaycee Enerva

Re.stor

In a bid to help eliminate single-use plastics in the household cleaning and laundry category, New Zealand start-up Re.stor has launched its range of water-free detergent sheets and cleaning tablets in 500 Woolworths stores across the country.

“We’re pleased to expand our range of cleaning products that consider the environment’s wellbeing,” said Cal Davies, laundry category manager, Woolworths. “There is some fascinating innovation in the category; Re·stor is a great example of this, and we look forward to being the  first retailer in Australia to offer the products.”

The start-up’s new range aims to eliminate the transport of excessive water by replacing traditional cleaning products with a concentrated solid version that users can prepare in their own homes.

For example, its laundry detergent sheets are plastic-free, compact, and fully dissolvable. While the cleaning tablets eliminate 90 per cent of water and concentrate them into easy-to-use tablet forms – lighter than traditional cleaning powders and liquids, the company says it also uses naturally derived, hypo-allergenic ingredients.

In Australia, the cleaning sector ships an estimated 60 million litres of liquid in supermarkets worldwide each year – equivalent to 24 Olympic sized swimming pools. The more than 53 million single-use plastic cleaning products and detergents used eventually get disposed of in landfills. 

According to the company, its mission is to save 1 million plastic bottles from landfills by 2023. 

“To date, the world has been shipping water across the globe and using plastic as its vessel; the key to change is making waterless and low-waste cleaning products available and accessible to the everyday consumer so that each individual has the power to make a real change, without compromise,” said Renee Lee, co-founder of Re.stor

Despite the company’s intention for sustainability, it recently received accusations from Consumer NZ for being overpriced and performing “worse than water“.

Kaycee Enerva

Kaycee Enerva

A digital content manager based in the Philippines, Kaycee Enerva has written for multiple publications over several years. A graduate of Computer Science, she exchanged a career in IT to pursue her passion for writing. She's slowly practicing sustainability through period cups, and eating more plant-based food.

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