plastic-free savings

Use our calculator to see how much you could save when you say ‘bye’ to plastic

This calculator is an evidence‑informed estimate of how small swaps away from common plastic items can add up over a year. It’s not a personalised budget tool; your habits, brands and prices may differ.

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Savings calculations explained

We’ve built this to be transparent enough that you could recreate the maths yourself. Here’s exactly what’s going on under the hood.

    • Goal: Estimate money saved per person per year when switching from one everyday product to another (e.g. liquid → bar, disposable → reusable).

    • Core idea: For each swap, we compare:

    • Cost per use of the “old” product

    • Cost per use of the “new” product

    • Number of uses per year

    • Formula: Annual saving = (old cost per use - new cost per use) x uses per year

  • Prices:

    • Taken from current Australian retailers (e.g. Coles, Woolworths, Chemist Warehouse, major brands).

    • We use mid‑range, mainstream products, not the cheapest or most premium.

    • Prices are checked and updated periodically, but will never be perfect for every store or brand.

    Usage frequency (how often something is used):

    • Based on publicly available surveys, reports, or peer‑reviewed research where they exist (e.g. handwashing frequency, period product spending, bottled water spending).

    When no good data exists, we:

    • Use conservative assumptions (we’d rather under‑claim savings than over‑claim), and

    • Say clearly that it’s an assumption, not a measured fact.

    Usage per use (how much product is used each time):

    • Where possible, we use brand or expert guidance (e.g. “10 mL of shampoo per wash”).

    If there’s no public data, we:

    • Use simple, clearly stated assumptions (e.g. “liquid soap is used about 3× faster than bar soap”), and

    • Avoid dramatic or viral claims that can’t be traced to a real source.

    • We never present assumptions as facts.
      If something is an estimate (e.g. “3× faster”), we label it as such.

    • We bias toward conservative savings.
      If a range is possible, we choose the lower, safer end so the calculator is more likely to underestimate savings than exaggerate them.

    • We separate “hard data” from “reasonable modelling”.

    • Hard data: prices, survey results, official reports.

    • Modelling: how many bottles a bar replaces, how often someone washes their hair, etc.

    • We don’t use numbers we can’t trace.
      If a popular stat has no credible, original source (e.g. the internet‑famous “6× more liquid soap per wash”), we don’t use it.

    • There’s no public study that gives exact grams‑per‑wash for liquid vs bar soap, so we use a conservative assumption that liquid soap is used about three times faster than bar soap. This reflects typical consumer behaviour and avoids overstating savings.

    • Average handwashing frequency comes from the Bradley Corporation’s long‑running Healthy Handwashing Survey, which consistently finds people wash their hands 7–8 times per day.
      Source: https://www.bradleycorp.com/handwashing

    • Prices come directly from major Australian supermarkets, such as Coles Foaming Hand Wash (1 L for $3.50) and Coles Simply Bath Soap (8‑pack for $4.20). Using these prices and the conservative usage assumption above, the average person saves around $7 per year by switching to bar soap.
      Source: coles.com.au

  • Product prices:

    • Pantene Shampoo 350 mL: $7.50

    • Pantene Conditioner 350 mL: $7.50

    • Ethique Solid Shampoo Bar 110 g: $22 (replaces ~3 bottles)

    • Ethique Solid Conditioner Bar 60 g: $22

    Savings calculations

    • Liquid shampoo + conditioner: $112–$168 per year

    • Solid shampoo + conditioner: $28–$44 per year

    • Annual savings: ~$110–$150 per person

  • Reusable product prices:

    Annualised cost (conservative 3‑year lifespan): $13–$20 per year

    Period underwear*:

    Chemist Warehouse: $10–$12 per pair
    BIG W: $14–$35 per pair (3‑packs at $35)
    Myer (Modibodi): $25–$35 per pair

    Annualised cost (conservative 2‑year lifespan): $50 per year

    Savings calculation:

    • Disposable products: $180–$240 per year

    • Reusables: $40–$60, lasting multiple years

    • Annual savings: ~$120–$240 per person

    *Note that period underwear is usually made of plastic so it’s not a plastic-free swap, however, it may have less environmental impact than disposable period care products.

  • Average Annual Clothing Spend (AUD 600-800 per person)

    We used about AUD 600-728 as a starting point for how much Australians spend on clothes each year. This helps show the scale, but the real savings come from lower laundry needs when switching to natural fibers.

    Laundry Costs and Savings from Fewer Washes (AUD 100-300 per year reduced)

    Laundry costs include energy, water, and detergent. We estimated an average of AUD 100-300 per person per year for typical washing (about 200-300 loads per household, shared among 2-3 people). Switching to natural fibers can cut this by 30-50% because they do not hold onto smells or bacteria as much, so you wash less often.

    Why Synthetics Need 2-3x More Washes

    Natural fibers like cotton breathe better and do not trap smells or sweat as much, so you can wear them more times before washing. Synthetics often need washing after one use due to odor.

    • Studies note synthetics require more frequent washing because they hold onto stink and are less breathable. Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4249026/

    • This leads to 2-3x more washes for synthetic items, reducing loads by 30-50% when switching (e.g., AUD 50 for half synthetic wardrobe, AUD 150 for all).

  • Reusable cup discount

    Coffee purchase frequency

    • No national stat exists; we use a conservative assumption of 2 takeaway coffees per week.

    Savings calculation

    • 2 coffees/week → 104 coffees/year

    • 104 × $0.50 = $52 saved per year

    • Many people buy more, so $50–$100 per year is realistic.

  • Average Australian spending on bottled water

    Australians spend about $580 per person per year on bottled water.
    This figure comes from a United Nations University report, as reported by ABC News.
    Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-17/australias-unquenched-thirst-for-costly-water/102110514

    Average cost per bottle of water in Australia

    Convenience‑store pricing (where most bottled water is purchased):

    • Mount Franklin 600 mL: $3.50

    • Cool Ridge 600 mL: $3.50

    • Pump 750 mL: $4.00

    Source: Coles Express / Shell pricing (publicly listed on Coles Express website).

    Supermarket multipacks are cheaper, but most bottled water purchases occur at convenience outlets, which is why the national average spend is so high.

    Tap water cost:

    Household tap‑water prices are set by state water retailers, not a single national body.
    Across major Australian cities, residential water usage charges fall in a consistent national range of $2.60 - $3.20 per 1,000 litres.

    Cost of a reusable water bottle:

    Costs vary widely, so for calculator purposes, a reasonable, conservative assumption is $20-$30 per bottle that lasts for yeas.

    Switching therefore saves the average person around $570 per year.

    • Most makeup wipes contain plastic and are single‑use.

    • There’s no public study that measures how many makeup wipes people use per day.

    • The closest available data comes from reusable makeup‑removal pads, which serve the same purpose.

    • Australian retailers report that people typically use 2–4 makeup‑removal pads per day, which conservatively translates to 1–2 disposable makeup wipes per day. Source:The Little Big Bamboo

    • Prices come directly from Australian retailers such as Big W Nivea 3‑in‑1 Gentle Cleansing Wipes 25‑pack: $4.25, and Woolworths Simple Cleansing Wipes 50‑pack: $14.

    • This gives us a disposable wipes price range of $4-$8 per pack of 25-50 wipes, or annual cost of $60 - $100 per year.

    • Reusable, plastic-free wipes cost $30 for a 7 pack from Sephora, with fash washers/muslin cloths costing from $2.50 for a 4-pack at Kmart.

    • This gives us an annualised cost of $5-$10 per year, meaning you will save approx $50 or more per year if you make the switch.

    • There’s no public study that measures how many coffee pods Australians use per day. The closest available data comes from coffee consumption statistics showing that Australians drink around 14 cups of coffee per week. Source: Accumulate.com.au

    • To stay conservative and avoid overstating savings, we assume 1 pod per day for home users.

    • Mid range L’Or single use coffee pods cost $8.70 for a 10 pack, whilst mid-range ground coffee, Vittoria espresso ground coffee, is $53 per kilo, and reusable coffee pods from Pod Star are $39.95 each.

    • Using the above prices, single use pods cost approx $317 per year, whilst ground coffee + reusable pods (annualised over 3 years) cost $206.

    • Swapping will save you approx $110 per year!