Melbourne-founded retailer estimates more than 500 kilograms of plastic dispatch packaging avoided since 2019 and continues a mail-in route for eligible beauty empties.
Independent online retailer Sassy Organics has marked its tenth year by publishing a detailed account of the practical sustainability measures behind its operations, including the progress it can measure and the packaging problem it cannot solve alone.
Since removing plastic satchels and plastic packing tape from online orders in 2019, Sassy Organics estimates that it has prevented more than 500 kilograms of plastic dispatch packaging from being used. Orders are instead packed in cardboard mailers with paper-based protective materials.
The retailer has also operated a TerraCycle mail-in program since 2020 for eligible beauty and personal-care packaging that cannot be placed in standard household recycling. It accepts qualifying empty packaging from any brand or retailer and provides AU$10 in store credit for each box received and processed.
Sassy Organics founder Aida Rejzovic
“Small retailers do not control every bottle, pump, tube or jar selected by manufacturers. We do control how orders leave our door and whether customers have a realistic path for some of the hard-to-recycle packaging left behind,” said Sassy Organics founder Aida Rejzovic.
The mail-in model is designed for online customers, including people who may not regularly visit a major in-store beauty recycling point. Participants arrange postage and are encouraged to send a fuller box to reduce the environmental impact of transport. The complete eligibility list and exclusions are published online.
Sassy Organics’ new public commitment deliberately avoids suggesting that every item in its 3,000-product range is plastic-free. Product packaging varies by manufacturer, and the retailer identifies refillable, reusable, plastic-free and lower-waste options only where those attributes genuinely apply.
“It would not be credible for an online beauty retailer to imply that it has eliminated all plastic,” Rejzovic said. “Our approach is to remove avoidable plastic where we have direct control, provide a practical option for eligible packaging that remains, and be honest about the work that is still unfinished.”
Further information
Sassy Organics commitment: sassyorganics.com.au/page/
TerraCycle recycling program: sassyorganics.com.au/
About Sassy Organics
Founded by Aida Rejzovic in Melbourne in 2016, Sassy Organics is an Australian, founder-led online retailer offering more than 3,000 thoughtfully selected beauty, wellness, baby, home and everyday products. Every product and brand in the store is vegan and cruelty-free.
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