It’s long past being debateable – the actions of humanity are destroying this planet. As more and more realise this thing we’ve got going on might be finite, many are also choosing to vote with their wallets, supporting the companies and brands that are taking steps to reduce their impact on the globe and make real change.
So, for an increasing number of consumers, a brand’s environmental policy needs to be clear cut and available to guide us in making informed decisions about who to shop with and who to avoid. We’re here to help, with these; our 5 IDEAL sustainable brands we’re into right now.
EVOPURE – CBD OIL
CBD oil is all the rage right now, thanks in part to a wide variety of suggested health benefits it provides. This has led to a seemingly never ending range of CBD brands popping up. Many, it has to be said, are simply looking to make a quick buck off the trend, selling subpar products with artificial ingredients, low cannabinoid content, or in the worst cases, none at all.
Striving to do things the right way are Evopure, who call themselves ‘plant lovers with big dreams’. They tick the box when it comes to environmental concerns, consumer friendly business decisions, and sustainable farming. Evopure’s CBD oil is 100% organic and contains all of the beneficial ingredients of the hemp plant in their naturally occurring ratios. They also provide full third party testing results so you can see exactly what’s in every single batch, and provide a 30-day happiness guarantee, making the whole thing as close to risk-free as shopping can be.
Evopure only uses hemp from 100% sustainable farming, meaning every single plant that’s harvested is replanted. They also donate 1% of all profits to 1% for the Planet, an organisation dedicated to reducing the global impact of agriculture. They also use CO2 extraction to get their cannabinoids from the hemp plant, a specialised process that removes all the beneficial ingredients without any need for dangerous chemicals or pollutants.
ALLBIRDS – FOOTWEAR
The world produces over 20 billion pairs of shoes every year, and 38% of these end up in landfill. Since most shoes are full of rubber, plastic, and nasty chemicals, this is something that urgently needs to change, but the old capitalist behemoths like Nike and Adidas are content to use the same manufacturing processes and ingredients they’ve used for decades.
For those who don’t know, this is what a footwear factory looks like. Shoes tend to spend a little time here, then in use on our feet for a few months or years, then get dumped off at landfill where they will remain for thousands of years.
It doesn’t take a genius to see that this isn’t sustainable, but Allbirds are flipping this whole setup on its head. So what do they use to make their footwear?
- Recycled bottles
- Natural castor bean oil
- Merino wool from sheep maintained with the highest standards of welfare via organisations such as ZQ Merino
- 90% of all packaging is recycled cardboard
Their manufacturing process also uses 60% less energy than the production of traditional, synthetic footwear, and Allbird is 100% carbon neutral.
It’s easy to assume all of this comes with a catch – Allbird’s shoes must be more expensive, or less hard wearing, right? Not at all – not only are the shoes very reasonably priced, but they are some of the most comfortable we’ve ever worn. In fact, TIME magazine itself called them ‘the world’s most comfortable shoes’. So, if you’re looking for a new supplier of sustainable footwear to keep you comfortable without any guilt,they’ve got you covered.
YALA – BEDDING
Bedding, though the preserve of comfort usually, has some rather discomforting practices and materials used in the industry. Indeed, many contain plastics and synthetic ingredients that make them non-recyclable and non-biodegradable. Yala is turning the tables with luxury, high quality bedding made from bamboo plants, a material specifically because it’s a highly environmentally friendly material that regenerates naturally and produces 35% more oxygen than trees of a similar size.
Yala also ensures that:
- All fibres are sustainably sourced, and always from recycled materials whenever possible
- Animal fibres come from humanely treated animals
- All material work such as spinning and dying is done locally to minimize carbon footprint
- Only natural and azo-free dyes are used, and all water used in the dying process is reclaimed
To learn more about Yala’s sustainable production, take a look at their page on the topic here.
PHB ETHICAL BEAUTY – SKINCARE & COSMETICS
Beauty is another area where drastic improvement is needed. Luckily, consumers are making their voices heard and many makeup brands have launched eco-friendly ranges in recent years, or are planning to do so in the near future.
Unfortunately, it’s going to take a long time for this progress to catch up with the total demand, and there are still absolutely huge amounts of unsustainable and damaging beauty products being created every single day. Animal testing is still commonplace, and most makeup packaging isn’t even recyclable (the average moisturiser tub takes around 1,000 years to decompose).
But if you’re looking to keep up your beauty regime while reducing your impact, PHB Ethical Beauty might well appeal.
Their products are:
- Handmade in the UK with no heavy machinery or pollutants
- Ethically sourced
- 100% palm oil free
- 100% alcohol free
- Halal
- 100% organic
- Never tested on animals
- 100% vegan
And if that wasn’t enough, 20% of all profits goes to their charitable arm, the OneLove Foundation. You won’t be sacrificing quality here; the company has won ridiculous amount of awards and earned positive reviews all over the place.
ECO TOOLS – SPA PRODUCTS
There aren’t many things that can relax you better than some real me time. Products such as sleep masks, home spa sets, loofahs and cleansers are without a doubt a huge part of that but with so many brands using low quality plastics, synthetic chemicals, and artificial additives, many of these products can do more damage than good – both to sensitive skin, and to the planet.
EcoTools makes sure all of their packaging and products comes from recycled materials. They also guarantee their products are 100% cruelty free, use paper made from bamboo instead of trees, and even use recycled bamboo for any wood parts of products such as hairbrush handles.
You can also rest assured that your money is going to the right places. Alongside their sustainable production, EcoTools also support environmental charities and women’s empowerment. Combining some of their beautiful makeup brushes with some products from PHB Ethical Beauty will allow you to complete your set of environmentally friendly beauty products and keep you and the planet looking and feeling their absolute best.