From Plastic-Free to People-Powered-Inside Pleasant State’s Eco Revolution

At 2A Essence, we’re excited to introduce Sian Murray, the dynamic Co-Founder of Pleasant State a trailblazing Australian brand transforming the way we clean our homes. Born on the Sunshine Coast, Sian combines her background in digital marketing with her deep love for the ocean and sustainability. What began in 2020 as a shared vision between two women has evolved into a powerful movement, redefining the cleaning industry with non-toxic, zero-waste, and beautifully designed products that genuinely work all while protecting our planet.

In this Meet Your Maker interview, Sian shares the story behind Pleasant State’s innovative waterless cleaning bars, the challenges of leading a sustainability-driven brand, and the incredible milestones they’ve achieved including saving over 315,000 plastic bottles from landfill and raising $1 million in community investment. From their B Corp certification to their commitment to transparency and local production, Pleasant State stands as a true example of how business can be both purpose-led and profitable.

Let’s dive in!

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey?

I’m Sian, Co-founder of Pleasant State. I live on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, and in February I had my first baby! My background is in digital marketing and brand direction. As a surfer and someone who loves the outdoors, I’ve always been passionate about protecting our environment, but now that I have a little one to look after, reducing the toxins in my home is top of mind as well. 

In 2020, my co-founder Ami and I launched Pleasant State with the belief that home care could be reimagined to be better for people and the planet. What started with two women and a big idea has now grown into a people-powered brand, with tens of thousands of homes using our products, more than 315,000 plastic bottles stopped from going to landfill, and we’ve raised over $1 million in community investment. I’m really proud of the work we do and the difference we’re making at Pleasant State. 

2. What inspired you to start your eco-friendly business?

It was a mix of frustration and a health wake-up call. Ami had been suffering from chronic headaches and started cutting plastics and toxins out of her life, but she couldn’t find a plastic-free, non-toxic cleaning option. At the same time, I was fed up with the lack of sustainability and accountability in the cleaning category. We realised we could combine our skills to create a brand and a product that actually worked, was toxin-free, looked beautiful, and was much better for people and planet. 

3. Tell us about the products you make. What makes them unique?

We’ve created Australia’s first concentrated cleaning bars that dissolve in water to make powerful, non-toxic cleaning solutions. We’ve paired our formulas with beautiful glass and silicone bottles that can be refilled again and again. 

They’re zero-waste (even our bar wrappers are home-compostable), non-toxic and ridiculously good-looking! We use essential oils instead of artificial fragrances to scent our products so they smell amazing. We make all our cleaning solutions in Australia using the highest quality ingredients. And we’re Australia’s first and only B Corp-certified cleaning brand.

4. How do you source your materials?

We support local as much as possible. Sourcing local ingredients and working with local suppliers where possible, while ensuring that we work with partners that share our commitment to sustainability throughout the entire supply chain. 

Our cleaning bars are made in Australia, on the Sunshine Coast, with carefully selected non-toxic ingredients. Including essential oils sourced from a business in Noosa! While our bottles are sourced from overseas (there are no glass manufacturers that can meet our MOQs in Australia), we’ve made sure they are made to last, from glass and silicone instead of cheap plastic. Our compostable packaging and boxes are also locally sourced. 

5. What does sustainability mean to you and your business?

Sustainability is fully embedded in every decision we make at Pleasant State. It's not a bolt-on or as an afterthought. We consider not only our operations but also upstream and downstream activities.

Pleasant State was born out of a passion to create a social enterprise that would positively impact people and planet. But to do so in a way that we could demonstrate that social and environmental outcomes don't need to be compromised in building a profitable business. In fact, good business should drive good financial results.

We decided to adopt the B Corp model to ensure we built a business that met the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps use profits and growth as a means to a greater end: a positive impact on their employees, communities, and the environment.

For us, what this looks like across the elements includes, but is not limited to:

Environment: We design zero-waste cleaning solutions that eliminate single-use plastics and toxic chemicals. Our products are packaged in single-use plastic-free and home-compostable materials, and we work with suppliers to eradicate plastic waste in our supply chain. Having no water in our products means we can save 95% in transport emissions when shipping our products. 

Social: We prioritise the well-being of our community by paying fair wages and offering local employment opportunities. Our approach includes diverse ownership, support for local businesses, and donations to charity partners such as Take 3 for the Sea. 

Governance: In 2023, we decided to do a crowd-sourced funding campaign that would effectively make Pleasant State a community and customer-owned business. This ensures we remain committed to open and transparent communication about not only our financial results but also our environmental and social results. We also engage with these investors, our customers and the community to support key decision-making within the business. Each year, we publicly share our impact goals. We then provide quarterly progress updates so our community can see the impact we are making in real time. We also maintain a pay-equity ratio of 1:5 to promote fairness within our organisation.

6. What challenges have you faced in building a sustainable brand?

Being a sustainability leader comes with significant challenges that require us to continually evolve and adapt. 

1. Cost of sustainable production: Sourcing high-quality, sustainable and non-toxic materials and ingredients, and making our products in Australia comes with a higher cost. This means we have to work hard to ensure our products are at a fair price for our customers and clearly and effectively communicate the value of our products over cheap, low-quality just-add-water imports entering the market. 
2. Challenging consumer habits: Encouraging individuals to switch to sustainable and non-toxic alternatives can be challenging due to ingrained habits, convenience and price factors. This is why we work hard to create inspiring and engaging content that empowers our consumers to make more sustainable choices. 
3. Balancing growth and sustainability: As we grow, balancing business expansion with our commitment to ethics presents challenges. We work hard to scale in a responsible manner that aligns with our ethos and values. 
4. Continuous Improvement: Being a leader in the sustainability space is an ongoing journey that requires continuous work. We can always improve and are always looking for new ways to improve our current range while looking for opportunities to solve other challenges with new products. We challenge ourselves to stay ahead of the curve by embracing new technologies and practices at Pleasant State. 

7. What are you most proud of in your journey so far?

The startup journey is a rollercoaster of highs and lows; no two days are the same. But there have been many highlights that have kept us just as motivated as ever since we began working on Pleasant State in 2020. 

1. We Won the Promoting Sustainability Award at the Queensland 2023 Telstra Best of Business Awards!
2. Won the Marie Claire 2024 Promoting Sustainability Award.
3. Won Trans Tasman Growth and Innovation Award: In 2022, Pleasant State won the Trans Tasman Growth and Innovation Award, which was presented by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. 
4. Raised over $1 million in investment through crowd-sourced funding: In 2023, we ran a crowd-sourced funding campaign that brought in over $1 million in investment from 724 investors. The majority of them were female, and many of them were customers. 
5. To date, we’ve helped tens of thousands of people create healthier and happier homes with our revolutionary products. This growth has allowed us to save over 315,000 plastic bottles from going to landfills and donate and gift over $75,000 to our charity partners. 
6. Creating products that our customers love: Our products have a 4.7 out of 5-star efficacy rating from thousands of reviews, and 93% of our customers would recommend our products to their friends. 

8. Any tips for customers who want to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle?

Start with one thing! It’s so easy to get overwhelmed. Choose one area, like cleaning! And make the swap. Look for products with clear labels, transparent ingredients, and sustainable packaging. Shopping from a reliable retailer like 2A Essence will take a lot of the guesswork out of it for you. Remember, you don’t have to be perfect; every small change creates momentum, and when thousands of us make those swaps, the impact is enormous.

9. Where can we find you or learn more about your work?

We would LOVE you to join the Pleasant Journey! You can check out our products at pleasantstate.com or follow us on Instagram at @pleasantstate. We share the behind-the-scenes of running a sustainable business, impact updates, and tips for reducing the crap in your life! 

10. Finally, what does the future hold for your brand?

It’s been an interesting 12 months for Pleasant State. We had a really tough year after a lot of cheap import brands entered the cleaning market. This meant we had to make some big changes within the business. We had to remind ourselves that we don’t want to compete with imports, many of which are greenwashing, in our space. It was a good reminder to return to our ‘why.’ This, combined with the birth of my first child, made the last year a huge balancing act. 

But thanks to the support of our amazing community, we made it through! And we now have big plans for Pleasant State. Including the rollout of our new retail strategy, which means you’ll be finding our products stocked by more and more amazing aligned retailers like 2A Essence!

We’ve also got new products in the works and are working on some exciting broader campaigns that will help our community cut the crap in their homes and in their lives.