Personal care just became more sustainable and conscious, thanks to the team at Thankyou. With new formulas, improved recycled packaging and a foray into cleaning products, the Australian social enterprise is even more committed to making the world a better place. They’ve even eliminated their iconic launch product – Thankyou water.
Shonagh Walker chatted to Managing Director and Co-founder, Daniel Flynn, about the company’s new direction.
Personal care against poverty
Thankyou was born in 2008, from a desire to eradicate extreme poverty across the world. It started with one bottle of water, the proceeds of which would be given directly to those who couldn’t access clean water. Since then, the company has expanded its range to personal care and now cleaning product. It has donated over $18.1 million to charities including The International Rescue Committee and Water for People.
“I was very moved by extreme poverty,” explains Daniel. “In particular, kids who didn’t have access to clean water. It was that dirty water that ended up killing peoples’ brothers and sisters. That to me was so shocking, particularly as, at the time, the bottled water industry was worth $50 billion. I was moved and challenged by the idea that we live in a world that has these extremes. The idea of using the money from consumerism to solve these injustices – like the world water crisis, but on a bigger level extreme poverty – that just started to captivate me.”
Fast forward to 2023, and the bottled water industry now worth USD 303.95billion, and single use plastics more of a scourge than ever. It was time then, to delete the bottled water from Thankyou’s offerings. In its place, Hand and Body Wash, Hand Sanitiser, Deodorant and home cleaning range, housed in recycled, refillable and recyclable ‘Forever’ bottles.
Sustainable personal care
Ensuring sustainability of the new range wasn’t an easy path, Daniel explains.
“Sustainability is an incredible intention. Everyone intends to do no harm, but it is really complicated as a business. Every step can have unintended consequences. For example, we were exploring an aluminium tin refill system because it’s infinitely recyclable and plastic-free – things that make a lot of sense.
“We landed on recycled and recyclable HDPE which is a type of plastic. But it’s a more sustainable option than others we were looking at. It was important consider the full life cycle analysis, including water waste and carbon. We discovered that not all recycling is created equal. Things like pouches often can’t be recycled in household recycling. It was important to choose high-value recycled material whilst also tying into the systems that exist, like kerbside recycling. It does come at a cost. For instance, our refill products can’t be tinted. It was the right call from a sustainability perspective, but a shift from a design perspective.
“We believe this is a journey. What we have on the market today is a huge step forward from where we were. We hope what we’re innovating for tomorrow will be a giant step forward, too. The key for consumer products is finding that way to meet the mass market and help us all take a step forward.”
Forever bottles
Made from 100 percent recycled and recyclable aluminium bottles, Thankyou’s Forever Bottles are a one-off purchase.
“Hopefully they’re the last bottle you’ll ever buy,” says Daniel. “They’re backed by our 100% recycled HDPE system. The refill deodorant is a giant leap forward. You have a refill deodorant that also delivers a 100% natural origin 48 hour antiperspirant.
“We’ve carried that through to our cleaning product which has an incredible efficacy story. It’s a 100% Natural Universal Cleaner that is also a hospital grade disinfectant. You can dilute the refills at one-to-one for hospital grade and one-to-three for household cleaning grade. When you dilute, you’re reducing material and water waste significantly. The dilution process helps consumers create one of the most sustainable paths forward as they clean with a highly effective cleaner.”
Safe for all
Thankyou’s personal care and cleaning ranges are safe for all skin types to use.
“We’ve called this the new frontier of cleaning,” states Daniel. “This product is safe for sensitive skin. It’s harmless for repeated contact with skin, and safe on food. At the same time, it delivers the same cleaning result as dangerous chemicals. This is a breakthrough for the Australian consumer.
“We’ve always had really strong feedback from the Australian consumer about our personal care range. It’s been great for people with sensitive skin, and we’ve introduced a new fragrance free range. Our natural deodorant offers all of the positives, while still offering 48 hour antiperspirant. We’ve developed products suitable for all skin types, but as per common practice in products, we do recommend patch test before use.”
Taking sustainability a step further and into our wallets, Thankyou has also created an all-in-one hand and body wash.
“This delivers simplicity for consumers in their decision making but also a cost perspective. It’s a product for both occasions,” says Daniel.
Thankyou is available from Woolworths and other retailers.
