Main image: Photography by Myles Formby for www.photoform.com.au
The new Australian eco-soap company, Single Use Ain’t Sexy, opened its doors to investors last week and it has already raised over half a million dollars to take action on the country’s single-use plastic crisis.
The company’s new product – a first-to-market dissolving hand soap tablet and reusableglass bottle – has saved up to 125,000 single-use plastic soap bottles from landfill.
The company has now set its sights on international expansion and scaling its product offering.
“With hand washing and single-use plastics dominating our lives for much of the past year, we launched an equity crowdfunding campaign last week to empower Aussies to own a piece of our environmental revolution,” said company founder and CEO, Josh Howard (pictured above).
Howard is a former TV producer who has worked with Networks Seven and 10 plus production houses Endemol Shine Australia and Fremantle.
“From the moment we launched, the floodgates were opened and eco-conscious Aussies were rushing to get a piece of the action. Within the first 24 hours we saw over $170,000 registered, which then doubled and tripled over the following days. By day five we’d cracked well over half a million dollars and by the end of the first week we had $700,000 pledged. It just hasn’t stopped climbing – it’s bloody amazing,” Howard added.
“With investors of all ages and from all states pledging to be involved, this monumental growth really proves how passionate so many Aussies are about owning a part of our plastic-free future,” Howard said.
Massive demand has seen Single Use Ain’t Sexy sell out of product twice in its first year in operation and grow sales by an average of 15% month-on-month.
“We became a viral hit right from the start by reaching a community of over 5 million followers through our influencer collaborators, strategic partners and brand ambassadors,” Howard said.
The new soap product made from Josh Howard’s magic pills
The soap tablets also quickly became a favourite on social media amongst some of Australia’s biggest names, including MasterChef judge Melissa Leong, Gold Logie winner Chrissie Swan, Sunrise presenter Edwina Bartholomew, journalist Melissa Doyle and The Block judge Darren Palmer.
The company has received the support of 3AW host and marketing guru Russel Howcroft who will join an advisory board.
Single Use Ain’t Sexy’s ultimate vision is to become the global leader in the “just-add-water” category and accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable packaging.
“By not shipping water, we are also helping our customers minimise their carbon footprint by up to 86%. It is a simple and frictionless way for Aussies to embrace sustainability at home,” Howard said.
The soap tablets retail for just $3 each when purchased in a refill pack of 10.
Single Use Ain’t Sexy’s Equity Crowdfunding campaign launched on June 1st on the Birchal Crowdfunding Platform and Australians can still register to invest here.