G’day Goodeau Gang!

Let's talk about our latest batch of deodorant refills. We’ve got some annoying news, lessons learnt, and lots of thanks for stick-ing with us.

When we placed our order with the manufacturer, we discussed that the inside lining of the tubes would be wax (yay), and the outside would be matte and uncoated (double yay). That’s the combo we were chasing – fully compostable and kind to the planet.

When the refill tubes landed we noticed they were shiny, so we got up close and personal (yes, we peeled them apart with tweezers like deo detectives), we discovered a sneaky surprise… a super thin plastic coating. Not obvious, but enough to mean these tubes aren’t backyard-compost-bin-ready. Womp womp.

Our lowest-waste option right now is to simply use the tubes we received and take the lesson for next time. Chucking them out because they’re not perfect would be a much bigger waste, and they’re still light years better than your average over-packaged deo.

The best way to maximise recycling efficiency is to peel off the outer coating, and make sure the tube is free from residue. To make this even easier you can soak the empty tube / lid in hot water and let it sit. After this the coating will be very easy to peel off and separate, leaving you with the option of composting or recycling the rest.

Packaging recyclability guidelines determine that a paper product with a PE coating that is <5% by weight is still recyclable, however going through this process is still best as it reduces the need for extra filtering, especially since recycling capabilities can vary between council areas due to different machinery.

This was our first big order direct from a manufacturer, and yep, we learnt a lesson or two. We assumed good intentions (and still do - we think the supplier was trying to improve durability and make them look schmick), but we’ll be triple-checking every detail from now on and confirming every minor detail in the contract.

So, thank you for stick-ing with us. We know they’re not quite the dream tubes we’d hoped for, but they’re still pretty awesome. And with your support, we’ll keep improving, growing, and getting closer to that low-waste future we’re all working towards.

Candice and the Goodeau team.

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Interested in learning more about our packaging decisions?

Read more about why we don't use home compostable satchels, why we choose aluminium, or choosing between home compostable or aluminium refills.