MEET THE MAKER

LOVE OUR COMMUNITY

Phil Scardigno and Corey White – Co-Founders of THE HYGIENE CO.

What inspired The Hygiene Co. to create brands like CleanLIFE and GAW?

With most wet wipes in Australia imported and made from plastic, the opportunity to do something that was great for the environment and made locally was a strong drawcard. Quite simply, nothing existed for a locally made brand to support jobs, investment and manufacturing.

How do The Hygiene Co. brands stand out in the market?

We are purposed for the wonderful Australian lifestyle; our ingredients being uniquely Australian and our unique packaging — GAW using green and gold and CleanLIFE highlighting what’s actually in the wipes. Furthermore, we are a great option for so many Australians — families, tradies, adventurers and pet lovers — who want to choose Australian-made and plastic-free wipes. I know what I would rather be wiping my body and kitchen bench with!

What are the biggest challenges for your brands in 2026?

Getting major retailers to put the environment ahead of a cent or two in profits is a never-ending challenge. For example, some of the big chains use hundreds of millions of plastic trolley wipes annually instead of a locally made, plastic-free option. We want Australia to follow the UK and ban single-use plastic wet wipes and reduce the estimated 25,000 tonnes of wipes containing plastic that end up as landfill in Australia every single year.

How does the company innovate to keep its brands top of mind for shoppers?

We aim to create products that our existing customers — and new customers — want and that address pain points for their everyday lives. A good example of that is our revolutionary vinegar wipe. A common enquiry we received was the need for a preservative-free cleaning product that is safe near food, but it didn’t exist, so guess what? We created it! We are so lucky to have a plant-based wet wipe factory in our own backyard. This means we can use Australian natural scents and Australian purified water in our wipes.

What do customers love most about The Hygiene Co.’s brands?

  1. Effective: Our wipes perform the same, if not better, than many imported brands, but we have the trust and safety of Australian-made quality, Australian scents and plastic-free materials.
  2. Trusted Australian-sourced ingredients: Parents are looking at labels more and more.
  3. Microplastics in our home and body: People are starting to understand the need to minimise exposure to these.
  4. Reducing landfill: Plastic wet wipes take 100-plus years to break down — plant-based, biodegradable and compostable wipes are a better solution.
  5. Imported water: A wet wipe pack is 75% water. Aussies know they would rather wipe their skin or bench with purified Australian water rather than imported water from unknown sources.
  6. Flushable options: The Hygiene Co. is the first company globally certified to AS/NZS 5328 (the Australian Flushable standard). This brings a great opportunity for makeup-removal wipes, feminine hygiene wipes and toilet cleaning.

What’s on the horizon for the business over the next 12 months?

We are receiving more and more interest from South-East Asia for our wet wipes, especially in the personal hygiene and care space, as well as awareness of our world-first, Australian fermented vinegar wipes with no added preservatives. With sales already tracking in Singapore, we will be incredibly proud to range CleanLIFE and Great Aussie in more countries throughout the world. Being Aussie-made is a badge of honour and we wear it proudly.