Plastic-Free AND Non-Toxic? 33 Brands Doing It All.

I’ve often felt the frustration of being pulled in two directions when shopping for products: choosing between something that’s good for my health or something that’s good for the planet.

It feels like the two rarely intertwine.

Not everything that is ‘zero-waste’ uses safe ingredients. And many non-toxic brands use a lot of plastic…

But in my ideal world, we shouldn’t have to choose between the two. (Isn’t what’s good for us and what’s good for the planet the same thing anyway?)

Abbie and I often have this conversation, and we think you probably feel the same! So, we finally put together a post highlighting brands that are doing a phenomenal job at creating both non-toxic & zero-waste(ish) products!

Reducing Plastic Is Good For Your Health

Up until recently, most ‘zero-wasters’ have been focused on reducing plastic (and waste in general) for environmental reasons.

They want to curb climate change. They want to reduce biodiversity loss. They want to save the polar bears.

But as I mentioned, environmental health and human health are intricately intertwined. We are not separate from the environment.

Research has only begun to scratch the surface on what plastic pollution is doing to human health. Microplastics have been linked to everything from oxidative stress and inflammation to heart attack, stroke, and all-cause mortality.

Microplastics are everywhere—our water, air, and food. They can cross the blood-brain barrier and they can accumulate in all of our organs.

We have to get this plastic pollution problem under control.

My point is that you no longer have to be a tree hugger to start reducing your plastic footprint. And while a lot of things are outside of our control, our job here at The Filtery is to help you do what is within you control… And that includes choosing healthier products!

33 ‘Zero Waste’ & Non-Toxic Products (The Roundup You’ve Been Waiting For!)

But before we get started, we need to clarify some things. The sustainability industry is vast and unregulated, with no real consensus on what terms like ‘sustainable’ actually mean.

Throughout this post, you’ll see the terms ‘zero waste’ and ‘plastic-free’ because those are easily recognizable words. And we want to help you (and as many other people as we can) discover new brands.

But reality is often less black and white. (For example, sometimes ‘plastic-free’ actually means ‘very-low-plastic.’)

All of the brands we’ve featured are committed to sustainability, but each is taking a different approach (and that’s totally okay!).

To help make your decision easier, I’ve created a simple system to help you make an informed choice:

🌟 Plastic conscious: They acknowledge the plastic problem and are taking some action, but many of products still contain plastic (including post-consumer recycled, aka PCR). It may depend on which specific product(s) you choose—some are plastic-free and some are not.

🌟🌟 Low plastic: Most products are plastic-free, but some still contain more plastic than ‘necessary’ within their industry.

🌟🌟🌟 Basically plastic-free: Plastic is used only for essential things that can’t be made with a plastic alternative (for example: spray pump lids).

🌟🌟🌟🌟 Totally plastic-free: Absolutely no plastic is used at all.

I personally believe it’s semi unfair to sustainable brands to compare apples to oranges. It’s easier to make some types of products in a plastic-free version than others. Additionally, some brands have much larger collections, increasing the chances that plastic has to be used for something.

So, that’s why I’m including brands that are low-plastic. Ultimately, of course, you get to decide which brands you give your money to!

Okay, let’s get into it.

P.S. This guide contains product recommendations and we may receive compensation if you purchase through certain links. As always, we only make recommendations that are genuine!

Home Cleaning & Personal Care: Practically Plastic-Free & Non-Toxic Products

a group of Meliora products lining up on the table

Attitude

🌟 Plastic conscious
Plastic usage: Only a few product lines are plastic-free: Oceanly, Refillable Aluminum, & Leaves bar. But they have slowly been increasing their plastic-free products over the past several years!
End of life: Home compostable, refillable, recyclable.
Refills available: Yes
Types of products: Plastic-free makeup, skincare, haircare, body care, suncare, baby & kid care, home products.
The Filtery review: Abbie has used a lot of Attitude’s products over the years and is a big fan of most of them. Attitude is included in the following roundups: shampoo for curly hair, non-toxic toothpaste, face wash, hand sanitizer, non-toxic cleaning products, shampoo bars, and lip balms.

Blueland

🌟🌟 Low plastic
Plastic usage: Bottles for cleaning products & body wash are plastic. Although, they are refillable. Blueland is focused on reducing single-use plastic.
End of life: Packaging is recyclable, some is home compostable, some is industrial compostable.
Refills available: Yes
Types of products: Home cleaning, soap, body wash, face wash
Other notes:
- I love that Blueland is one of the only brands (in addition to Branch Basics) that offers detergent pods without PVA.
- Some of Blueland’s products contain undisclosed “fragrance,” so I mostly recommend their fragrance-free options.
The Filtery review: Yep! Read Abbie’s Blueland product review

Meliora

🌟🌟🌟 Basically plastic-free
Plastic usage: The only plastic is in the sprayer for the glass bottle.
End of life: All product packaging is recyclable and/or home compostable (except for the bottle sprayer).
Refills available: Yes
Types of products: Home cleaning, laundry, hand & body soap
The Filtery review: Yes! Meliora is an eco-warriors dream brand!

No Tox Life

🌟🌟🌟 Basically plastic-free
Plastic usage: Deodorant canister is plastic (but refillable!)
End of life: Packaging is recyclable, home compostable, and water-soluble cornstarch based packing peanuts.
Refills available: Yes
Types of products: Kitchen cleaning & accessories, bath & body, deodorant
Other notes:
- They do use phenoxyethanol in some of their products (at less than 1%) if that is an ingredient you avoid.
- They also use undisclosed fragrance in some of their products, but they say it’s essential oils and phthalate-free aroma isolates.
The Filtery review: Not yet!

Beauty, Makeup & Skincare

Attitude

See above for more info about Attitude. In addition to their plastic-free cleaning and personal care lines, they also make plastic-free skincare and makeup.
Abbie is a big fan of their Oceanly Pro-Aging Mini Ritual Set (pictured above). It’s great for travel!

Axiology Beauty (makeup)

🌟🌟🌟🌟 Totally plastic-free
Plastic usage: None!
End of life: All products are wrapped in paper or cardboard and are recyclable or home compostable.
Refills available: No
Types of products: Multi-functional eye-lip-cheek balmies, lip balm, foundation.
The Filtery review: Mentioned in: non-toxic makeup. Abbie has some of the all-over balmie sticks & crayons and really enjoys them!

Birch Babe (skincare)

🌟🌟 Low plastic
Plastic usage: Lids & droppers
End of life: Most products are curbside recyclable.
Refills available: Kind of! Serums can be bought in ‘refills’ with a lid instead of another dropper.
Types of products: Skincare, baby care
The Filtery review: Read about our Birch Babe experience in our non-toxic face wash post & our 35 non-toxic Canadian brands post. Abbie and I are both big fans of Birch Babe’s gentle face scrub! Abbie also loves their Hydrating Face Cream, Vitamin C Serum and body bars.

Use code THEFILTERYBB10 for 10% off your Birch Babe order.

Canary (oral & body care)

🌟🌟🌟 Basically plastic-free
Plastic usage: Lids for soap pumps
End of life: All product packaging is either glass (recyclable), cardboard, or compostable pouches.
Refills available: Yes, on some products
Types of products: Oral care (including mouthwash), hand soap, body soap.
Other notes:
- Canary does use a few “iffy” ingredients such as polysorbate 20 and potassium hydroxide. These are not extremely concerning, in my opinion.
- They also use “Natural Flavor” in a couple of their toothpaste options (but not all).
The Filtery review: Not yet!

Captain Blankenship (hair care)

🌟🌟 Low plastic
Plastic usage: Pumps, lids, & gallon-sized refill bottles. A few products are packaged in recycled ocean plastic bottles.
End of life/Take Back Program: Yes! Most products are packaged in stainless steel which is curbside recyclable. There is also a recycle program in partnership with PACT collective.
Refills available: Gallon size refills coming soon.
Types of products: Hair care and styling products
Other notes:
- Unfortunately, Abbie does not recommend their Conditioner, as it’s not totally non-toxic. Their other products are fine. (Look for the MADE SAFE certification!)
The Filtery review: Not yet!

Use code THEFILTERY for 20% off.

Chagrin Valley (skincare)

🌟🌟 Low plastic
Plastic usage: Caps, spray tops, and pumps
End of life: All packaging is recyclable, home compostable, or reusable.
Refills available: No
Types of products: Skincare (face, body, hands), including for babies and men!
The Filtery review: Chagrin Valley is an OG player in the sustainability and natural products game. Not only are their products great, they’re a leader in sustainability and environmental stewardship. Chagrin Valley is mentioned in: benzene-free dry shampoo, shampoos and shampoo bars, and non-toxic face wash

Davids Toothpaste (oral care)

🌟🌟 Low plastic
Plastic usage: Toothpaste tube caps & reusable floss container.
End of life/Take Back Program: With proper cleaning, the tube and packaging are curbside recyclable and you can return the tube key that comes with each box.
Refills available: The floss is refillable
Types of products: Toothpaste, floss, tongue scraper, toothbrush
Other notes:
- Davids carries both fluoride-free and (rod-shaped) nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste, so you can choose which one you prefer.
- Their floss is made from polyester, so I don’t necessarily recommend that. (It is made without added PFAS though.)
The Filtery review: Davids is mentioned in our non-toxic toothpaste roundup.

Desavery (skincare)

🌟🌟 Low plastic
Plastic usage: Spray caps, pumps, & lids.
End of life: Glass jars are recyclable.
Refills available: No
Types of products: Skincare & serums
The Filtery review: Here is Abbie’s full review on Desavery

Dew Mighty (skincare)

🌟🌟🌟🌟 Totally plastic-free
Plastic usage: None
End of life: Packaging can be reused and curbside recycled.
Refills available: Yes
Types of products: Waterless serums, facewash, & moisturizer
The Filtery review: Not yet!

Use the code THEFILTERY for 10% off Dew Mighty.

Earth Harbor (skincare)

🌟🌟 Low plastic
Plastic usage: They have an entirely plastic-free line. Other than that, the lids, pumps, & sprays are plastic.
Take Back Program: You can return your empties as part of their mail-back program with PACT Collection.
Refills available: Kind of! Some products can be bought in ‘refills’ with a lid instead of another dropper.
Types of products: Skincare such as cleansers, toners, moisturizers, & masks
The Filtery review: Not yet

Elate (makeup)

🌟🌟🌟 Basically plastic-free
Plastic usage: A few lids & droppers
End of life/Take Back Program: All packaging can be recycled at home and they work with PACT collective for a take back program.
Refills available: Yes
Types of products: Makeup: Face, lips, eyes, primers, tools, palettes & more. Yes, even mascara!
The Filtery review: Elate is mentioned in: Low waste, non-toxic mascara

Eu’genia Shea (skincare)

🌟🌟🌟🌟 Totally plastic-free
Plastic usage: None
End of life: All packaging is metal and curbside recyclable (or reusable because they’re so cute).
Refills available: No
Types of products: Fairly sourced and fairly paid shea butter
The Filtery review: Eu’genia Shea is mentioned in: Non-toxic lotion & moisturizers

Fat and the Moon (skincare & makeup)

🌟🌟🌟 Basically plastic-free
Plastic usage: Lids & spray caps on some products
End of life: Packaging is curbside recyclable (glass & aluminum) and refillable.
Refills available: Yes! Only for some products
Types of products: Lip & cheek stains, skincare (face, body, bath), haircare, mom & baby care.
The Filtery review: Yes, Fat and the Moon is mentioned in: Our favorite safe & natural dry shampoos, non-toxic lipstick, deodorant, and clean makeup for teenagers

Huppy (oral care)

🌟🌟🌟🌟 Totally plastic-free
Plastic usage: None
End of life/Take Back Program: Packaging is compostable, containers are refillable or curbside recyclable.
Refills available: Yes
Types of products: Toothpaste tablets, bamboo toothbrushes, vegan floss, mouthwash tablets.
Other notes:
- They do use “natural flavors” in some of their products
- Their nano-HAP is round/sphere-shaped, which is good, but it’s not the best. (It’s not the specific brand that’s been approved by the EU.)
The Filtery review: Huppy is mentioned in: non-toxic toothpaste guide, plastic-free toothbrushes, and mouthwash reviews

Little Seed Farm (skincare)

🌟🌟 Low plastic
Plastic usage: Plastic lids, droppers, and samples. Plastic-reduced! Most products come in glass or aluminum; some products have plastic lids & droppers; and samples come in plastic pouches.
End of life: Packaging is mostly metal or glass, which is reusable or curbside recyclable.
Refills available: No
Types of products: Deodorant, skincare (face, lips, body), soap, baby.
The Filtery review: Abbie loves their deodorant—it really works! She’s been using it for a couple of years now.

Meow Meow Tweet (skincare)

🌟🌟🌟 Basically plastic-free
Plastic usage: Bottle pumps, which are reusable.
End of life & take-back program: Products are backyard compostable, curbside recyclable, & reusable. There is a bulk container take-back program.
Refills available: Yes
Types of products: Deodorant, skincare (face & body)
The Filtery review: Meow Meow Tweet is mentioned in: Non-toxic deodorant for teens & tweens; petroleum jelly alternatives; deodorant for sensitive skin

OSEA (body & skincare)

🌟🌟 Low plastic
Plastic usage: Caps, pumps, and a couple products
End of life & Take Back Program: Most products are packaged in glass which is curbside recyclable. There is a take back program, but only for those local to L.A.
Refills available: No
Types of products: Skin, body, and face care.
The Filtery review: Abbie has been using OSEA for years! It’s a fan-favorite, even among the *normies.* They have a lot of great products to choose from.

Use the code THEFILTERY10 for 10% off your first order.

Papr Cosmetics (deodorant)

🌟🌟🌟🌟 Totally plastic-free
Plastic usage: None
End of life/Take Back Program: Cardboard tubes are curbside recyclable or home compostable.
Refills available: No
Types of products: Stick deodorant.
The Filtery review: I have used it and really like it. They have great scents and one for sensitive skin (since baking soda doesn’t agree with me).

Pit Liquor (deodorant)

🌟🌟🌟 Basically plastic-free
Plastic usage: Spray pumps & lids.
End of life: Glass bottles are refillable and refill bottles are reusable or recyclable in curbside recycling.
Refills available: Yes, refills are available in bulk glass bottles that are honestly super cute.
Types of products: Liquid deodorant made from overproof spirits.
The Filtery review: Not yet!

Plaine Products (hair care)

🌟🌟🌟 Basically plastic-free
Plastic usage: Pumps & some travel sized lids.
End of life & Take Back Program: Yes, full sized (clean) bottles can be returned to be reused.
Refills available: Yes! Refills are plastic-free.
Types of products: Hair care, body care, & travel sized.
The Filtery review: I have used Plaine Products previously and am a fan! I like the subscription model and you might even be able to find Plaine Products in your local refill store.

Use code THEFILTERY20 for 20% off your order.

Raw Elements (sunscreen)

🌟 Plastic conscious
Plastic usage: Outside of the plastic-free line most of their products are not plastic-free or reduced.
End of life: No; plastic-free products can be curbside recycled, metal tins can be reused (I use mine for shampoo bars when traveling).
Refills available: No
Types of products: Sunscreen, bug spray, SPF lip care.
The Filtery review: Not yet

River Organics (makeup)

🌟🌟🌟🌟 Totally plastic-free
End of life: All products are packaged in cardboard and are recyclable or home compostable.
Refills available: No
Types of products: Makeup including lips, eyes, & face products.
The Filtery review: You can find River Organics in our non-toxic mascara & makeup roundups.

Use code THEFILTERY for 15% off.

Soapwalla (skincare)

🌟🌟 Low plastic
Plastic usage: Pump lids, jar lids, and lip balms.
End of life: Glass bottles can be reused or curbside recycled.
Refills available: No
Types of products: Deodorant, body care, & face care.
The Filtery review: I used their deodorant for years and was really happy with it!

Activist Skincare (skincare)

🌟🌟 Low plastic
Plastic usage: Pumps, sprays, droppers, refills
End of life: Glass jars can be refilled, reused, or curbside recycled.
Refills available: Yes, refills come in plastic which saves emissions on shipping glass bottles.
Types of products: Skincare: serums, cleansers, oils, sunscreen.
The Filtery review: Activist is included in our non-toxic face wash guide. I got the sample pack a few years ago and liked them but wasn’t a fan of the subscription model. It wasn’t them, it was me! (But FYI, you can still get the re-fills as a one-time purchase; you don’t have to subscribe! You just get more discounts if you do.)

Home & Household

PlantPaper (toilet paper)

🌟🌟🌟🌟 Totally plastic-free
End of life: Cardboard box is recyclable (or for the cats!). TP is septic-safe.
Refills available: Yes
Types of products: Toilet paper & facial tissues
The Filtery review: PlantPaper is featured in our best unbleached chemical-free toilet paper.

Reel Paper (toilet paper)

🌟🌟🌟🌟 Totally plastic-free
End of life: Cardboard box & paper packaging is recyclable. TP is septic-safe.
Refills available: Yes
Types of products: Toilet paper & ‘paper’ towels
The Filtery review: We featured Reel Paper is mentioned in: better unbleached chemical-free toilet paper and best bamboo paper towels. I also use this on the reg and like it!

Stasher bags (reusable food storage)

🌟🌟🌟🌟 Totally plastic-free
End of life & Take Back Program: Reusable or returnable to be recycled with TerraCycle.
Refills available: Yes
Types of products: Reusable silicone food storage bags.
The Filtery review: Abbie has been using her Stasher bags for years! Definitely recommend. They are also featured in our guides to non-toxic & plastic-free food storage , reusable alternatives to ziploc bags and non-toxic lunch gear.

Who Gives A Crap (toilet paper)

🌟🌟🌟🌟 Totally plastic-free
End of life: Cardboard box & paper packaging is recyclable, or for the cats, tp is septic-safe.
Refills available: Yes
Types of products: Recycled paper & bamboo toilet paper, facial tissues & paper towels & bar soap.
The Filtery review: Yes, mentioned in: non-toxic paper towels, best unbleached chemical free toilet paper.

I hope this guide has helped you decrease toxic chemicals AND waste at the same time. If there are any other low-waste and non-toxic brands you love that aren’t included in this list, let me know in the comments below!

P.S. If you like this kind of content, sign up for Filtered Fridays. In this weekly newsletter, you’ll get exclusive content from Abbie, including the latest news you need to know about, greenwashing examples, and more.