Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic has announced The Hygiene Co as one of six only Australian manufacturers to receive federal co-investment to accelerate local, cutting-edge manufacturing. 

The Hygiene Co co-founder Corey White is ecstatic with this news as it allows him and fellow co-founder Phil Scardigno to continue their mission to bring manufacturing back to South Australia. 

“We topped the list with nearly $645,000, it’s like all our Christmases have all come at once, he says. 

“There are so many reasons why we are committed to manufacturing our plastic-free CleanLIFE plant-based wet wipes here in South Australia. Wet wipes are a significant contributor to the volumes of plastic that ends up in landfill. Wet wipes currently create more than 30 times more plastic than plastic straws. Our wipes are entirely plant-based and plastic free.  

“From a health perspective, if you buy many of the big brand wipes, you are actually wiping imported water on your body, on your baby’s sensitive skin, and around your home. Given wet wipes are typically 75% water, you do not know what the quality of that non-Australian water is. We also do not know the full extent of the impact of microplastics, which is what plastic wipes end up breaking into.  

“For those of us increasingly concerned about the sustainability of the products we purchase, locally-made CleanLIFE products are 53% less carbon intensive just by eliminating unnecessary shipping processes and emissions.” 

And it is not just the Australian Government throwing its support behind The Hygiene Co. Foodland Supermarkets is backing this South Australian start-up company.   

Foodland Supermarkets CEO, Franklin dos Santos said the CleanLIFE products were a great fit for its 95-store network as it offered customers an environmental and sustainable option for products that are used daily.  

“We’re excited to be the first supermarket nationally to support this great South Australian brand into the retail sector. We believe that the company’s products and ethos reflect everything that we stand for at Foodland. We’re in the process of successfully eliminating soft plastics from our stores and this is just another facet to that initiative.”   

The Hygiene Co prides itself on its Australian-owned and ‘influenced’ range of products, which inherits its fragrance selection from local suppliers and regional farmers.   

“We’ve worked closely to develop a range of fragrances for our wipes that reflect Australia. Our floor wipes have been made with Kangaroo Island Eucalyptus, kitchen wipes use lemon myrtle from Byron Bay, while our baby wipes have Riverina Jojoba, says Corey.  

“Since we started, we’ve had a strong uptake of our products with clients and industries Australia-wide. We’re growing quickly to ensure we can continue to meet that growing demand for our products.”  

The Hygiene Co prides itself on its Australian-owned and ‘influenced’ range of products, which inherits its fragrance selection from local suppliers and regional farmers.  

“We’ve worked closely to develop a range of fragrances for our wipes that reflect Australia. Our floor wipes have been made with Kangaroo Island Eucalyptus, kitchen wipes use lemon myrtle from Byron Bay, while our baby wipes have Riverina Jojoba, says Corey. 

“Since we started, we’ve had a strong uptake of our products with clients and industries Australia-wide, including the medical sector. We’re growing quickly to ensure we can continue to meet that growing demand for our products.” 

The Hygiene Co currently employs 24 South Australians, which is expected to grow to 40 in the next 12 months. 

CleanLIFE wipes are now available at selected Foodland stores and nationally from Chemist Warehouse stores. Visit www.cleanlife.com.au for more details.