Resparkle vs Zero Co: the plastic-free truth

May 14, 2026

Resparkle Natural Laundry Powder refill sachet displayed with orange slice and white cloth

By the Resparkle team, a small family business based in Brisbane. Last updated: 2026-05-26.

TL;DR: Zero Co shut down on 30 April 2025. If you were a Zero Co customer, Resparkle is the closest like-for-like replacement on the plastic-free laundry claim, with one important difference: Resparkle Natural Laundry Powder ships in an industrially compostable bag that contains no plastic at all, including no recycled plastic, while Zero Co's refill pouches were made from recycled plastic and required 15 empties before you could mail them back. The comparison matters because the two brands said similar things on the front of pack, but the underlying plastic story was meaningfully different.

Zero Co has closed, here is what you need to know

Zero Co, the Australian refillable cleaning brand founded by Mike Smith in 2019, ceased trading on 30 April 2025. The brand built a following on the idea of a closed-loop plastic-refill system: reusable "Forever Bottles" made from salvaged ocean and landfill plastic, with refill pouches customers sent back for reuse. It was a genuinely interesting model, and it attracted real loyalty.

The closure came after operational failures in Zero Co's 2024 pivot to ForeverFill, a paper-based refill system intended to cut plastic use further. Manufacturing seal defects and fulfilment delays that Zero Co could not resolve led founder Mike Smith to close the business while it was still solvent, rather than continue trading with a product it could not ship reliably.

Sources: SmartCompany, Inside FMCG.

If you found this article searching for a Zero Co alternative, the rest of this piece gives you the information to make an honest comparison: what each brand's plastic-free claim actually meant, how the models differed, and what to consider when switching.

What this article covers

A look at the packaging systems and plastic-free claims behind both brands, how the refill model compared to a compostable-bag model, the performance evidence available from each brand, and what former Zero Co customers should weigh up before switching. Every claim is sourced.

The plastic-free comparison: two very different things

Both brands used "plastic-free" or similar language in their marketing. They did not mean the same thing.

Zero Co's model was a plastic-reduction model, not a plastic-elimination model. The Forever Bottles were made from salvaged ocean and landfill plastic. The refill pouches were made from recycled plastic. Customers sent empty pouches back (once they had accumulated 15), and Zero Co cleaned and reused them in a closed-loop system. Per independent analysis, only 42% of Zero Co customers participated in the return system. The other 58% received recycled plastic pouches that did not make it back into the loop.

The model was meaningfully better than buying a new plastic bottle every time. It was not plastic-free.

Resparkle's model is packaging that contains no plastic at all. The Natural Laundry Powder ships in an industrially compostable bag made from plant-based fibre. There is no plastic in the packaging, recycled or otherwise. Customers who accumulate 10 or more used bags can request a postage-paid return label to send bags back for industrial composting. The product ships once, composts after use.

The distinction matters for households whose goal is getting plastic out of the laundry routine entirely, rather than reducing how much new plastic enters circulation.

For a deeper explanation of what "compostable" actually means in a laundry context, see compostable vs biodegradable packaging (when published).

Side-by-side comparison

Dimension	Resparkle Natural Laundry Powder	Zero Co Laundry Liquid (historical)
Format	Powder	Liquid
Currently available	Yes	No, Zero Co closed 30 April 2025
Packaging	Industrially compostable bag, no plastic of any kind	Refill pouches: recycled plastic. Forever Bottle: ocean + landfill salvaged plastic
Plastic in packaging	None	Recycled plastic (pouches) + salvaged plastic (bottle)
Return/end-of-life system	Postage-paid return for 10+ bags; composts industrially	15 pouches to trigger return; pouches cleaned and reused
Price per wash	$0.33 (RRP $18 / 55 washes)	Per-wash cost not confirmed from verified sources
Independent lab data vs named benchmark	Yes, independently lab tested to outperform CHOICE's #1-rated supermarket detergent on five common stains	Not published
Per-ingredient EWG ratings	Yes, every ingredient EWG 1 or 2	Not published
Plant-based formula	Yes	Yes (described as "plant-based" by the brand)
Grey water safe	Yes	Yes
Made in Australia	Yes	Yes
Distribution	Direct online (resparkle.com.au)	Was sold direct and via Woolworths; no longer available
Awards	Gold + Editor's Choice, 2020 Australian Non-Toxic Awards	None confirmed
Founded	2013 (Mornington Peninsula farmers market); Brisbane family team	2019 (Melbourne), closed 2025

The refill model vs the compostable model, what the difference meant in practice

Zero Co's core argument was clever: instead of putting plastic into the bin, put it into a closed loop where it gets cleaned and reused. For the 42% of customers who consistently returned their pouches, that worked. For the other 58%, the recycled-plastic pouch ended up in kerbside recycling or landfill at roughly the same place a standard recycled-plastic pouch would have.

Resparkle's approach is structurally different. There is no loop to participate in, because there is no plastic to loop. The bag composts. The input material is plant-based fibre. The two end-of-life scenarios diverge sharply: a composted bag returns to soil, while a recycled plastic pouch eventually downcycles into a lower-grade material.

We believe families deserve better than having to track 15 empty pouches before their packaging choice makes environmental sense. That is why we built the product without plastic from the start.

Performance evidence: what each brand published

This is where the comparison has a clear answer.

Resparkle publishes an independent lab-test claim: independently lab tested to outperform CHOICE's #1-rated supermarket detergent on five common stains (source). The benchmark is named, the claim is comparative, and it answers the question eco-laundry shoppers ask most: does it actually clean as well as the stuff at the supermarket?

Zero Co did not publish independent lab comparison data against a named benchmark as of its closure (verified across the brand's own published material and third-party reviews). Zero Co's cleaning claims were formulation-led: plant-based ingredients, grey-water safe, vegan and cruelty-free. Third-party reviews were generally positive for general washing, with some concerns raised about stain removal on tougher loads.

For a buyer choosing between two eco laundry products on performance, the available evidence points one way.

Ingredients

Resparkle publishes per-ingredient EWG hazard ratings on the Natural Laundry Powder product page:

Ingredient	EWG	Function
Sodium Carbonate	1	Cleaning and sanitising
Sodium Percarbonate	1	Oxygen bleach
Coconut Surfactant	1	Surfactant
Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose	1	Stain remover
Sodium Metasilicate Pentahydrate	2	Builder
Sodium Citrate	1	Chelating
Natural Enzyme Blend	1	Breaks down protein and starches
Essential Oil Blend	n/a	Fragrance (Lemon Eucalyptus variant only)

Zero Co did not publish per-ingredient EWG ratings. The brand described its formula as "plant-based" but the full ingredient list with hazard ratings was not available on any source reviewed.

For more on what EWG ratings mean for laundry products, see EWG ratings explained for laundry detergent (when published).

Where Resparkle doesn't win

Three honest gaps, named specifically.

Resparkle is direct-to-consumer only. Zero Co was available through Woolworths as well as direct. If buying online is a friction point for your household, that is a genuine difference. Resparkle is not currently in supermarkets.
No strong scent option. Resparkle offers Lemon Eucalyptus (lightly scented) and Fragrance-Free. Zero Co offered laundry liquid with more pronounced scent profiles. If laundry scent is a priority, Resparkle's current range is lighter.
Powder format requires slightly more measuring. Zero Co's liquid came in a bottle with a measuring-cup cap. Resparkle's powder requires a 2 to 3 teaspoon scoop. For households that valued Zero Co's pour-and-go convenience, there is a small adjustment period.

These are real differences. Depending on your priorities, one of the alternatives in the Best Zero Co alternatives in Australia guide may be a better fit than Resparkle for your household.

Who should switch to Resparkle from Zero Co

Resparkle is the right call if the reason you chose Zero Co was reducing plastic in your laundry routine. Resparkle's packaging takes that further: no plastic at any stage, not even recycled plastic, and an industrially compostable bag that requires no 15-pouch threshold to work. The per-wash cost is $0.33, the formula is independently lab tested, and every ingredient carries an EWG 1 or 2 rating.

Consider other options if what you loved about Zero Co was the refill-and-return model as a concept (Resparkle's model is compostable, not refillable), the pronounced scent of a liquid detergent, or the convenience of supermarket pickup.

For former Zero Co customers: the transition

Resparkle's powder works in both front-load and top-load machines. Dose is 2 to 3 teaspoons per full load. The 600g bag covers 55 washes at $0.33 each, making it comparable on per-wash cost to where Zero Co was priced before its closure sale. The Complete Laundry Bundle (4 × 600g powder plus a Universal Stain Remover) is the best entry point for households switching from a subscription model.

Frequently asked questions

Is Zero Co still available anywhere?

Zero Co ceased trading on 30 April 2025. Its website, zeroco.com.au, is no longer active. The brand is no longer available for purchase through direct channels. Some third-party retailers may still have clearance stock, but no ongoing supply exists.

Was Zero Co actually plastic-free?

Zero Co's marketing used plastic-reduction language, but its refill pouches were made from recycled plastic and required 15 empties to trigger a return. Only 42% of customers consistently returned pouches. The model reduced new plastic entering circulation and made use of salvaged plastic for the bottles, but it was not plastic-free in the sense of containing no plastic. The distinction is meaningful for households whose goal is eliminating plastic from the laundry routine rather than reducing it.

What is the difference between Resparkle's compostable bag and Zero Co's recycled-plastic pouches?

Resparkle's bag contains no plastic of any kind. It is made from plant-based fibre and certified industrially compostable, meaning it breaks down in an industrial composting facility rather than persisting as a plastic material. Zero Co's pouches were made from recycled plastic, which is better than virgin plastic but still plastic-derived. The end-of-life paths differ: compostable material returns to soil, while plastic (recycled or otherwise) eventually downcycles or enters landfill.

How does the Resparkle bag return program work?

Resparkle customers who accumulate 10 or more used bags can request a postage-paid return label through the brand's website. The bags are then sent for industrial composting. You do not need to wait for 15 empties (as Zero Co required for its pouches), and there is no plastic to dispose of.

Does Resparkle work as well as the laundry detergent I was using before?

Resparkle's Natural Laundry Powder has been independently lab tested to outperform CHOICE's #1-rated supermarket detergent on five common stains. For former Zero Co customers, Resparkle's independent benchmarking is the available evidence on cleaning performance; Zero Co did not publish equivalent data.

See the lab test results yourself

Resparkle Natural Laundry Powder and Universal Stain Remover, the Complete Laundry Bundle

If plastic-free packaging and independently benchmarked performance are the criteria that matter to you, the Resparkle Natural Laundry Powder product page has the lab test claim and the full ingredient list with EWG ratings. Read the lab test results and decide what fits your household best.

See the Resparkle Natural Laundry Powder