Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliated; we may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. We only ever add brands & products we truly believe in. Thank you for supporting the brands who are making the fashion industry a better place!

The Best Alternatives to Amazon Shopping

Over the last few years, many people have opted not to purchase from Amazon anymore because of ethical issues. But, I’ll admit, it can be hard to stay away altogether. Sometimes I give up looking for a particular product on another website and take the Amazon plunge, but I know people who use it ALL THE TIME, and this post could be of great help! Especially with Amazon Prime Day around the corner…

Why You Should Avoid Amazon & Support Smaller sustainable Marketplaces

From hurting small businesses to the unethical treatment of warehouse workers, Amazon is in the news often. This trillion-dollar corporation makes over 2,500 thousand dollars per second, and supporting owner billionaires is just something that doesn’t sit well with me. So instead, I’d put my money into a smaller business helping people more like myself and those who care about people and the planet. Here is a helpful little list of the worst things Amazon has been accused of. 

Fortunately, today, we have many Amazon alternatives that are way more sustainable and support small businesses all over the world. Every alternative to Amazon listed here offers unique, ethical & sustainable brands you will feel good about purchasing from! 

Our Top Picks for Sustainable Amazon Alternatives:

1) Shades of Green

Great For | Home Decor, Kitchen & Dining, On-The-Go

This is the place for you if you are looking for products that have undergone rigorous evaluation. Shades of Green offers us carefully curated products that stand the test of time without sacrificing aesthetics. They believe in being as transparent as possible to make your shopping experience easy and trusting. No matter what product you choose, you will be sure to create a healthier living space at this stop!

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2) Leaf’d

Great For | Home, Health & Beauty, Apparel, Accessories, Pet Products, Food

Leaf’d seriously gives Amazon a run for their money with their wide selection of products in just about every category you could need.

Every decision they make about what products to carry align with their values, which include authenticity, diversity, and inclusivity.

Plus, every purchase gives back to a non-profit organization.

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3) Made Trade

Great For | Home, Furniture, Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Gifts

Made Trade includes many different price points, sizes, styles, and values, so you'll surely fall in love with something no matter where you are in your sustainable journey. They ensure each product covers one {or more} values - Sustainable, Fair Trade, Heritage, USA Made & Vegan. Each value has a little symbol next to the product for easier shopping.

use code SUSTAINABLYCHIC for $20 off your first order of $150+

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4) EarthHero

Great For | Clothing, Accessories, Kids, Home, Travel, Outdoor, Tech, Beauty, Pets

There aren’t many online shops that curate conscious goods as great as EarthHero. Their product list is comprehensive; you can shop anything from clothing to audio + tech. They even have an excellent section dedicated to zero-waste shopping. Plus, with every item purchased and reviewed, you can earn rewards towards future purchases.

use code sustainablychic10 for 10% off

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5) Better World Books

Great For | New & Used Books

Do you remember the days when Amazon was just made for books? Well, now there is a socially conscious online bookstore to take its place. To this date, Better World Books has donated 26,502,000 books, $28,430,000 for literacy and libraries, and has recycled and reused 320,019,014 books! It is impressive what they have done for the world regarding education and saving books from landfill. Love it!

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6) Credo

Great For | Beauty

Their mission is to change the beauty industry for the better since it is one of the least regulated consumer categories. Isn’t it crazy that companies can legally use known harmful chemicals - or ones that have not been evaluated?!

There is also so much Greenwashing within the beauty industry, but with Credo, you can trust everything is transparent, clean & safe for you to use and enjoy.

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7) Blk & Grn

Great For | Beauty, Home, Grocery

This wonderful online marketplace is home to all non-toxic, Black-owned brands! Their Black artisans are carefully chosen by Black health experts who know what an authentic all-natural product looks like. Their approval process is rigorous & they don’t add anything unless it meets every requirement. They carry products from over 60 Black artisans, ranging from green beauty and skincare to wellness and health.

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8) The Detox Market

Great For | Beauty, Wellness

Another amazing beauty marketplace, The Detox Market, keeps their ethos simple: no compromises. You can feel confident purchasing from this place because aesthetics is never the number one factor. They will not offer it on their site if performance is lacking or questionable ingredients are found. Their Banned Ingredients List is the strictest in the country, and no product will have any listed.

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9) Grove Collaborative

Great For | Home Cleaning, Wellness

If you want cleaning products, this is the place to check out! Their sustainable home essentials are delivered right to your door with flexible monthly shipments.

By 2025, Grove has pledged to be completely plastic-free, switching everything to their ‘Beyond Plastic’. They also have an app for easier shopping, and everything is highly vetted before listing.

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10) The Little Market

Great For | Gifts, Home, Accessories, Kids, Wellness

One of the sweetest little corners of the internet, The Little Market is full of wonderful Fair Trade products creating sustainable livelihoods for artisans worldwide.

This nonprofit fair trade shop features ethically sourced, artisan-made products with a unique story. Their mission is to believe that every person has the right to dignified jobs.

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11) Safe & Chic

Great For | Beauty, Wellness, Pets, Baby, Home

Since 2015, Safe & Chic has been the premier destination for clean & cruelty-free beauty. They have over 2000 products and over 160 brands, from makeup to pet toys. Each product is free of parabens and has never been tested on animals. In addition, they have thoroughly researched thousands of products for safety and effectiveness and dedicated a lot of time to educating the public on harmful chemicals.

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12) Simple Switch

Great For | Clothing, Home, Grocery, Travel, Outdoor

Simple Switch is out to help you cast your vote with each dollar you spend. With this sustainable online marketplace, every purchase you make has a positive impact. You can even shop based on certifications (like Fair Trade) and impacts (like supporting education) that matter most to you. So regarding your values and giving back, this is the best online shopping destination!

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13) Ten Thousand Villages

Great For | Gifts, Accessories, Home

Ten Thousand Villages has been putting people and the planet first for over 70 years - and you may have even visited one of their shops in person before! More than just a store, this market-to-market movement is connecting us to some of the most talented artisans worldwide. Every product celebrates the culture and the planet, so you know not one is compromised for the other.

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14) Thrive Market

Great For | Grocery, Wellness, Beauty, Kids, Pets

Thrive Market offers food made of real ingredients, safe for the environment, fairly priced, created for your needs, and delicious. They want to make sure everything that comes through your home is non-toxic, eco-friendly, affordable & effective - and they even go a step beyond for those who cannot afford this, and with every paid membership to Thrive Market, one goes to someone in need!

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15) Uncommon Goods

Great For | Gifts, Home, Kitchen, Accessories, Kids

This is such a cool spot to find unique gifts. Their range of products are made by independent designers all over the world. They look for goods that serve a purpose, solve a problem, are handmade with exceptional craft and skill, use unusual or recycled materials, & make them wonder, "Why hasn't anyone thought of this before?" Truly a fantastic place to browse.

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16) Obakki

Great For | Gifts, Home & Kitchen

We’re obsessed with Obakki’s collection of home goods—their pieces are so gorgeous! Everything is made by their artisan partners in small batches, from their Italian glassware collection to these stunning Japanese totem candles to these naturally-dyed and handwoven baskets. In addition to paying artisans fair wages for their craft, their non-profit Obakki Foundation allows them to give back even more.

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WANT MORE SUSTAINABLE BRANDS? VISIT OUR BRAND DIRECTORY!

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related reading you may also enjoy:

image: Sabai Design

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliated; we may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. We only ever add brands & products we truly believe in.

The Best Sustainable Vegan Furniture

The homes we create for ourselves are so important – a home should be a safe space, a nest, a place to hibernate and care for yourself. But the planet is our primary home, so we need to make sure that when we are furnishing our homes, we are caring for the planet, and all those living on it, too. It’s for this reason that sustainable, animal-free furnishing is growing in popularity. 

Why sustainable, vegan furniture matters

Today, we are in a climate crisis. If we don’t act now to radically reduce our emissions, we will see further climate catastrophe; even more unruly wildfires, deadly floods, hurricanes and extreme, unliveable temperatures. We are facing mass extinction events, and a biodiversity crisis too, where many animal and plant species are becoming endangered and even disappearing. 

While only system change can truly curb further crises, we all have our part to play – not only in using our voices to push and vote for said change, but to do our bit to reduce our personal impact. While we hear about sustainable and ethical fashion fairly often, sometimes we think less about furniture. 

Not only should we buy less, buy better and care for the furniture we already have, we should consider vintage, and when buying new, consider animals, people and the planet. After all, just as with fashion, furniture and homewares are made by people who deserve fair treatment, and can either cause immense cruelty to animals and environmental harm, or be kinder, with a lower impact. 

If you’re wondering ‘why vegan’, it’s important we remember that sustainability is also a form of social justice, and that all animals – humans and non-humans deserve protection. Too, animal-derived materials have disproportionately negative environmental impacts compared to many of their non-animal counterparts. So, let’s look at how to nail sustainable, vegan home furnishing…

Sofas – the centerpiece of the living room

A stylish home has a stylish couch. Sofas and lounges are one of the largest pieces of furniture anyone has, and our eyes often head straight to them in a living room. Many couches are made with either leather or wool, and some are filled with down. 

Given the massive emissions, land clearing and water use associated with leather production – even when it’s vegetable tanned – and the similar impacts caused by wool, not to mention the cruelty to animals involved in producing these materials, it’s worth finding alternatives. Too, feather down comes from either live-plucked or slaughtered birds largely raised in polluting factory-farms. We can do better than that. Whether you choose a totally different material like a sustainable cotton velvet or corduroy, linen, hemp or a plant-based leather, there are plenty of options when buying new – which, remember, isn’t your only option! Here a few top of the line examples of what you could fill your home with:

1) Sabai

This BIPOC owned brand makes a classic ‘essential sofa’ from recycled velvet, FSC wood and recycled fiber filling that doesn’t release the same supposedly toxic substances some foams can. This company also aims to ‘close the loop’ by offering to replace parts of your sofa which might wear out after about a decade, so you don’t need to buy a whole new couch. 

Sabai also offers love seats, ottomans and plenty of other gorgeous interiors – made sustainably and ethically in North Carolina. 

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2) Medley

Made fairly in Los Angeles, these sofas come in 75 material options, with plenty of plant-based, ethical options to choose from. Propped up on American, consciously sourced hardwood and filled with non-toxic certified foam, Medley offers mid-century and other minimalistically styled couches in a variety of sizes and shapes to suit your needs. 

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3) Ecobalanza

With plenty of material options available, Ecobalanza’s perhaps most sustainable and animal-friendly option is their organic cotton couch filled with natural kapuk fiber. The brand uses only Forest Stewardship Certified (FSC) wood as well as certified organic latex. 

Everything here is made to order, ensuring reduced waste and only loved furniture is made. In a world where so many purchases head to landfill so soon, this is important. 

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4) Gus* Modern

Ever wanted a modular couch made partly from apple skins, cores and seeds diverted from apple juice industry waste streams?

Now you can. 

Gus* Modern offers AppleSkin couches and chairs, with this material reducing agricultural waste, maintaining a smaller land and carbon footprint than leather, while being oh so comfortable to sit on.

While this material is pricier, it’s worth noting many eco-conscious homeware brands offer (water-based and solvent free) PU vegan leather which is far from perfect, but which still has a far reduced production impact, and is free from cruelty. 

Gus* couches and chairs also only use FSC wood to ensure forest protection, and instead of down-filled cushions, otherwise discarded plastic bottles are recycled into a soft, comfortable filling. 

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Rugs and blankets – the cozy elements 

The simplest way to warm up a room is to add a soft rug to it. Rugs and throws that lie under and drape over couches are very often made from wool, supporting a slaughter industry. If you’d rather choose something kinder, there are plenty of options – recycled and organic cotton, hemp, post-consumer waste fabrics, Tencel and more. 

Whether you want an earthier, more textured and sturdy rug, or something super soft and pillowy (better suited for a part of your home with less foot traffic) there are some great selections out there. Here are a few: 

1) Miss Amara

This Australian brand has a beautiful collection of rugs, and with an easy search function that allows you to select only the materials you’re looking for, choosing sustainable and vegan is easy. Offering materials like jute, cotton, recycled plastic-bottles, hemp and even bamboo silk, Miss Amara has simple, block-coloured rug offerings, as well as intricate patterned and linear detailed designs. 

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2) Bhumi

Offering the softest, classically styled cable knit blankets and throws made from certified organic and fair trade cotton, Bhumi is an ethical, animal-free label. These blankets are free from unsustainable chemical bleaches and dyes, even recommended for babies and their sensitive skin. Everything at Bhumi is made in fair trade Indian facilities. 

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3) Hook and Loom

Recycling post-consumer cotton textiles into loomed rugs that don’t require any latex backing, Hook and Loom’s eco-cotton collection is a sustainable choice.

With both neutral and bold colors, minimalist block patterns and a wide variety of sizes available, there’s plenty to explore here. 

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4) Zouzou

This label is designed in very limited runs, so you know your rug will be unique, and that there’s always something new to explore from Zouzou. Made ethically in India using bamboo silk – a kind of bamboo viscose which can be made more sustainably – Zouzou is a great choice if you’re looking for muted tones and an animal and plastic free rug. 

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5) Slow Down Studio

If you’re looking for a blanket to bring a bit of color and life to your bedroom or living area, Slow Down Studio might be your new favorite. Woven with American grown and recycled cotton, this label offers limited edition collaborations with different independent artists. 

Abstract forms and shapes, illustrations and patterns look beautiful against more minimalist furniture pieces, with these pieces spun and woven in the USA.

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Bedding that won’t keep you up at night

Who wants to rest their head on a bed that’s caused environmental destruction and cruelty, when dreamier, green and ethical options exist? When it comes to bedding, again, we need to watch out for down feathers. We also want to avoid unsustainable virgin synthetic replacements, and again, wool. Too, if you’re looking for bed sheets that keep your hair and skin extra smooth, you might want to find a silk alternative.

1) MINNA

Feature cushions can enliven a bedroom and bring some texture to a space. MINNA is a queer owned business dedicated to cultural preservation, parterning with family-run and independent co-operatives full of artisans using indigenous techniques to make throw pillows.

MINNA’s organic cotton collection made across Mexico and Peru feature neutral and pastel tones in simple and beautiful patterns.

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2) ettitude

This brand’s bedding is made from bamboo lyocell, a material that’s as soft as silk, breathable like cotton and more sustainable than both. Bamboo lyocell is made in a closed-loop system, avoiding water pollution while transforming bamboo fibers into the softest material you’ve touched. 

In beautiful dark green olive, dusty rose, pastel and neutral tones, ettitude has something for everyone. 

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3) Avocado

If you’re looking for bedding, Avocado’s got it all. FSC hardwood bed frames, pillows filled with kapok seed-hair fiber from growing trees, certified vegan, organic cotton, non-toxic mattresses, you name it. With a wealth of information on their ethical practices, responsible and fair trade sourcing, material choices and everything in between, you can be comfortable knowing that the vegan options at Avocado are as good as bedding gets. 

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4) VISO

Another label to enliven both your living and bedroom, VISO offers cotton throw cushions and blankets to snuggle up with. VISO is another label offering limited-edition designs, and supports artisan communities through their label, which uses recycled and plant-based materials. 

Featuring block colors and abstract forms, VISO’s blankets also make for beautiful wall hangings, which make a bedroom feel extra warm and homely. 

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About the Author

Emma Håkansson is the founder and director of Collective Fashion Justice which seeks to create a total ethics fashion system that prioritizes the life and wellbeing of non-human & human animals, as well as the planet, before profit & production. She has written countless articles on ethics, sustainability, and fashion, and has two books due out over the next two years.

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A Guide to Sustainable Packaging

Read on if you’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of plastic packaging you encounter in your day-to-day life - whether grocery shopping, ordering online, eating out, or just purchasing something in general.

I feel you. There’s a lot of plastic in the world. And while plastic isn’t inherently a bad material (it works wonders in the medical field where other materials simply wouldn’t be able to do what plastic does), the overproduction and overconsumption of plastics are out of hand. Plastic is a durable material that can withstand a lot of use and wear before actually breaking down, hence why it can be so helpful in certain instances. But it is NOT designed for single-use in the way our society currently abuses it. 

Thankfully, with more and more research being done and with increased consumer pressure on corporations to take responsibility for the waste they create, inventive, plastic alternatives are emerging!

The Issue With Conventional Packaging & Why Sustainable Packaging Is Important

Ok, how many times have you googled “Is X recyclable”? I bet it’s a lot. And usually, answers from your search bar aren’t very straightforward. That can be for a couple of reasons. 

First, recycling varies depending on where you live. I’ve lived in a handful of places across the U.S., and during my stint in Alabama, my city didn’t offer curbside recycling. Instead, I collected our recyclables and drove them to our town facility. And only plastics 1 and 2, cardboard, and aluminum were accepted. No glass. Now, I live in California. But even the county I grew up in (Orange County) and the county I now live in (Los Angeles County) have super different recycling rules.

Second, there’s a lot of misinformation about recycling in general. It’s hard to get to the bottom of what is and isn’t recyclable because the majority of recyclable materials aren’t getting recycled at all. Yeah, brace yourself for this stat if you don’t already know it. According to the EPA, 66% of discarded paper gets recycled, 27% of discarded glass, and only 8% of plastics. This article by Green Matters breaks it down by material, too. There are so many factors that go into the failure of the recycling system and so many people don’t even know about this issue. I highly recommend giving this article a read, which goes over causes as well as solutions.

As we continue to live during a climate crisis, there needs to be a level of awareness around alternative packaging, whether it’s non-plastic, reusable, or *actually* recyclable. Below are a few general options as well as a few brands working with packaging alternatives. 

image: Funpak

 The Best Eco-Friendly & Sustainable Packaging Alternatives

So let’s talk about plastic packaging alternatives:

Dissolvable Packing Peanuts

• The purpose of packing peanuts is to crowd around an item in a box and protect all of the nooks and crannies while not adding much weight to the overall package. Unfortunately, they used to all be made out of polystyrene, a type of plastic used in products like Styrofoam. As we all know well by now, plastics take 5ever to decompose and almost always end up polluting our environment while they do so. Especially since packing peanuts are so lightweight, they easily fly out of trashcans and into our oceans.

• That’s where these packing peanuts go from nuisance to nifty! In the 90s, after considerable negative feedback from consumers and environmental activists, companies began to turn away from plastics and toward starch. The biggest problem plastic peanuts encountered was polluting our environment and harming wildlife that mistook the pieces of foam for food. But the new and improved, plant-based peanuts are 100% biodegradable and won’t harm wildlife that happens upon a stray one every now and then (because most of them are disposed of at home!).

• So how can I tell if I have the plastic version or the biodegradable goodies? A super-easy way to tell is to put a peanut in a glass of water. If it dissolves, you’re good! If not, you have a plastic peanut on your hands. Sometimes, the biodegradable version is tinted green (versus pink or white) to help you solve the question.

• What do I do with plastic packing peanuts? These are pretty hard to recycle, and most facilities don’t recycle Styrofoam. You can try to google search to see if there is a facility near you that recycles Styrofoam, or you can get creative and reuse those peanuts. This post had some fun suggestions, like stuffing a bean bag or using them for arts and crafts!

image: Noissue

Compostable/Biodegradable Plastics

• Ok, this seems like an oxymoron. Let’s chat about it. The first big thing to know: compostable and biodegradable are *not* the same thing. It’s similar to the “All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares” saying: “All compostable items are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable items are compostable.” Ha. Let’s dive deeper with the help of Google.

• Compostable: “(of organic matter, especially kitchen waste) able to be made into compost.”

• Biodegradable: “(of a substance or object) capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms.”

• When applied to bioplastics, the thing to know is that compostable plastic can become soil-enriching compost. Unless the item is clearly labeled “backyard compostable,” however, most compostable plastic still needs to be broken down in a special facility. Some brands that use this material have send-back programs where they properly compost their bioplastic. As for biodegradable plastic, it does not break down into beneficial compost, but it does, in fact, break down, while standard plastics take up more space and never break down.

• The world of bioplastics is a grey area. Some people in the sustainability community are all in on their support for bioplastics, while others say the material simply doesn’t cut it and actually just creates more of an issue with confusing packaging and marketing. I happen to ride that middle line because I truly believe that imperfect sustainability practiced by thousands of individuals and hundreds of companies is better than absolutely perfect sustainability practiced by the minority.

• While this article is told from a European standpoint, it is still super informative on bioplastics and all their intricacies.

Refillable/Reusable Tins

• We love a packaging option that is reusable! For one, it helps stretch out the item’s lifecycle *a ton*. Instead of getting the item and recycling it, throwing it away, or even returning it in a closed-loop program, a refillable or reusable item can be put to use in your life! This keeps it out of landfills for much longer.

• These items can also have a ton of variety. In the reusable sense, some packaging items may come in glass that you can reuse as plant propagation vessels, food storage, or candles. Some items may come in tins, which are more lightweight and can be easily tossed in a purse to organize your on-the-go vitamins, hair accessories, or makeup.

• For refillable items, whether glass, tin or even plastic, you just scored! Take your refillable items to your local refill or bulk store and load up. Shampoo, multi-purpose spray, spaghetti noodles, sunscreen, gluten-free flour - the list of what your refillable tins can be used for is basically endless!!

• If the packaging item is part of a circular system, you may be able to ship back your container once empty and receive a refill in return. This method helps to eliminate the creation of *new* items and instead places importance on the items we already have and finds a way to utilize them properly.

• Get creative with how packaging items can be given new life right in your home.

image: Noissue

Here are some companies thinking outside of the (plastic) box

Noissue

• This brand is awesome because it is available to businesses of all sizes, which encourages your local mom & pop shop to take advantage of their sustainable practices. You can also choose which type of packaging works best for your business - compostable, recycled, or reusable. They have an entire breakdown of each option on their site here but let me give you the low down. 

• Compostable - to qualify as compostable, packaging must be able to break down in a backyard compost environment within 180 days. This usually leans toward paper and cardboard packaging, since compostable plastics need extra help to break down in a facility. 

• Recycled - while the recycling infrastructure in our country is shoddy, at best, it is *still* better than choosing virgin plastics. And the more we, as consumers, seek out post-consumer recycled materials, the more effort will be put into actually recycling plastics. 

• Reusable - think “I burned my candle down and now it’s a cute succulent pot”! Having your packaging double as something useful in your life not only makes it last longer but keeps it out of the landfill and being useful for longer, too.

• You can learn more about Noissue on their site. 

ErthCycle

• To be blatantly transparent: I am currently in the process of launching this brand as the Marketing Director. But it’s seriously so cool that I couldn’t help but share it with you! ErthCycle is a brand new technology that creates fully biodegradable plastics that 1. Leave behind no microplastics, and 2. Use 20-40% less fossil fuels. Oh, and it biodegrades in a landfill environment, all on its own. I KNOW! This is possible due to the addition of two organic additives to each piece of plastic: calcium carbonate (limestone) and Eco-One™ technology. This power couple replaces the need for more plastic and then acts in tandem to degrade the packaging in a landfill environment at a super accelerated rate; where normal plastics take 500+ years, we’re looking at 3-5 years for full decomposition.

• As I mentioned above, this material resides in the gray zone. There are pros and cons, but it is SUCH a better option than the plastic packaging we currently have. What makes ErthCycle so attractive to larger corporations (think Amazon, FedEx, Costco) is that it’s almost always cost-negative or -neutral, meaning these big businesses don’t have to dole out a crazy part of their budget for eco-friendly packaging. That can be a downside to options like compostable plastics.

• You can learn more about ErthCycle on their site.

EcoEnclose

• This brand has high standards and sticks to them religiously, even if that means the loss of customers that don’t align with its sustainability framework. Their big hitters are circularity, biodegradation, life cycle entirety, and deep-rooted sustainable practices. Let’s break it down for you.

• Circularity - they’re super into post-consumer recycled content, especially domestic recycled materials. They provide packaging that is firstly reusable and secondly recyclable to help elongate the life cycle of that item.

• Biodegradation - they really preach the avoidance of all plastics, propping up all paper and cardboard products that will biodegrade on their own without damaging our soils or oceans. This is great but a little idealistic.

• Life Cycle Entirety - something that’s so important for packaging companies is to consider the item’s life cycle in its entirety, not just from creation to consumer. EcoEnclose considers their emissions the #1 thing they can curb to help climate change. They will choose packaging with lower emissions over many bioplastics, like corn-based PLA.

• Deep-Rooted Sustainable Practices - the final portion of their framework focuses on parts of the packaging process that are often overlooked. For example, stickers, ink, and labels. They are also proud to choose domestic partners that align with their sustainability beliefs.

• You can learn more about EcoEnclose on their site.

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Do you feel slightly better about tackling your plastic packaging now? I hope so.

I’ll leave you with this awesome resource: How2Recycle. This is a super user-friendly site that has boat-loads of information about recycling. Their “Check Locally” tab is an easy way to learn more about recycling in your area. Also, explore their “Store Drop Off” tab to see if you can dispose of trickier items (plastic bags, plastic film, plastic pouches) nearby. Their site also has a “Labels” tab that breaks down the different recycling labels on all different types of products.

Now that you know go forth and reduce, reuse, repair, repurpose, reimagine, and recycle :)

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About the Author:

Paige Annelayne is a freelance writer and digital media specialist currently based in Alabama, who loves to cook, learn about intersectional sustainability, and read a lot of books. Her cat, Gnocchi, her plants, and a good cup of matcha bring her joy. You can connect with Paige on Instagram @vitality.blog and at www.vtltyblog.com

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image: Impossible Foods

The Best VEGAN, Alt-MeatS You Need To Try

Whether you’re vegan or are simply trying to cut back on meat for your health or the planet, don’t worry — there are a ton of plant-based meat alternative options out there that are sure to satisfy those meat cravings. 

Available in most grocery stores, there’s a vegan option for pretty much any meat out there: From the OG plant burgers and sausages, to bacon, salmon, and even caviar. To make your lives easier, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite alt-meat brands that will have even the staunchest of carnivores asking for more. Get ready to impress your friends and families at cookouts this summer — pull out your aprons and get cooking. Happy eating!

Why should you eat vegan alternative meat?

At this point, it should come as no surprise that switching to a more plant-based diet has numerous benefits, both for your health and the planet’s. Here are some of the top reasons to choose that alt-meat option the next time you’re at the grocery store:

• Plant-based meat production releases up to 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional meat production does. In fact, we can reduce our personal carbon footprints by up to 73% if we eliminate meat and dairy from our diets.

• Vegan foods also require less energy and water to produce.

• Animal agriculture is a major cause of deforestation. If everyone in the world became vegan, we could potentially save up to 75% of the world’s farmland.

• It’s a total myth that vegan diets aren’t rich in protein. Most of the alt-meat options we’ve listed below are high in both protein and fiber, and plant-based diets tend to be more balanced overall, providing us with antioxidants, potassium, magnesium, folate, and several vitamins.

• Going vegan can also help with heart health, lower your blood sugar, and reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.

• It tastes fantastic!

What to look for when shopping ALTERNATIVE Meat 

While alt-meats in general are better for the earth than standard meats, there are certain things to look out for when choosing a brand. Go for brands that use whole, natural ingredients — the less processed, the better it is for both you and the planet. Look for products that use minimal packaging, and of course, go plastic-free where possible. Finally, don’t skimp on taste! If you’re forcing yourself to eat something you don’t like, chances are you won’t be able to stick to your no-meat resolutions. Try out different brands (there’s no shortage of choices out there), and choose your favorites. 

OUR TOP PICKS FOR ALTERNATIVE MEAT BRANDS THAT ARE THE REAL DEAL:

1) Beyond Meat

For: Burgers, sausages, meatballs, ground “meats”

Aka the alt-meat OG. This is one we’re sure you’ve all heard of, and for a good reason. The Beyond Burger is pretty much indistinguishable from a traditional beef patty and is super juicy, meaty, and flavorful. It’s made from pea protein, coconut oil, and beetroot, amongst other plant-based ingredients. The brand also stocks ground “meats,” sausages, and meatballs. 

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2) Impossible Foods

For: Burgers, sausages, nuggets, ground “meats”

Impossible Foods is another plant-based meats OG. Its product range is similar to Beyond Meat (it stocks all the classics — burgers, sausages, ground meats, and more), but this one uses soy and potato proteins for its patties. It recently launched its Impossible Pork. In a blind taste test carried out in Hong Kong, participants actually preferred the taste of Impossible Pork over regular! Now that’s when you know it’s the real deal. 

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3) Quorn

For: Burgers, steaks, chicken strips, nuggets 

Quorn is a global alt-meat brand that stocks burgers, steaks, chicken strips, and nuggets. It has third-party certifications for its carbon footprint figures. For example, the carbon footprint of Quorn Grounds is more than 95% lower than that of beef. It’s also better for your health — Quorn’s Spaghetti Bolognese has 90% less saturated fat than a beef version! You can read more about its sustainability initiatives here. Note: All Quorn products are not vegan. Some do contain egg or dairy, but this is clearly marked. All products are vegetarian. 

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4) Hooray Foods

For: Bacon

Hooray Food’s plant-based bacon looks, cooks, and tastes like the real deal — now that’s what we call a game-changer. The vegan “bacon” is non-GMO, soy- and gluten-free. It’s made from coconut oil, rice flour, and tapioca starch, topped with a delicious umami seasoning made from shiitake mushrooms. The bacon gets its signature smoky flavor from liquid smoke. 

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5) Daring Foods

For: “Chicken”

Daring Foods is all about chicken. Choose from amongst the Original, Breaded, Cajun, and Lemon & Herb ($45 for 6 8ounce packets). The chicken is soy-based, and the protein content is comparable to that of frozen chicken. Check out their website for delicious recipes, including gochujang chicken, buffalo wings, and a coconut cashew chicken curry. 

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6) Moku Foods

For: Jerky

Moku Foods’ vegan jerky is made from mushrooms, coconut, chickpeas, and maple syrup (plus other natural flavorings). We recommend starting with the variety pack ($20.49 for a pack of 6 bags), so you can try out all the flavors, which include Original, Sweet & Spicy, and Hawaiin Teriyaki. The jerky is high in protein and fiber, has a tender and meaty texture, and hits all the key elements of a tasty piece of jerky with its smokey, maple-y, umami notes. 

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7) Avafina Organics

For: Caviar

Plant-based caviar. Now that's a new one. Avafina Organic's Chiaviar ($59.95) is a delicate blend of chia, seaweed, and lemon. The Chiaviar combines the briney and buttery flavor profile of the seaweed with the nutty texture of chia seeds and finishes it off with some freshness from the lemon. The blend of superfoods means it's an excellent source of protein, Omega-3, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and micronutrients. Disclaimer: The website notes that the product may contain traces of crustaceans and fish. 

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8) Sophie’s Kitchen

For: Seafood 

If you’re in the mood for some seafood but haven’t been able to find any plant-based options, Sophie’s Kitchen has got you covered. Its crispy breaded shrimp is sure to hit the spot — add it to homemade sushi rolls, tacos, or even a creamy curry, and you’re good to go. It also stocks crab cakes, fish fillets, smoked salmon (bagel brunch, anyone?), salmon and whitefish burgers, and tinned tuna. 

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9) Renegade Foods

For: Charcuterie 

Get ready to get fancy — up your wine and cheese game with Renegade Foods’ all-vegan selection of charcuterie that is sure to impress. You can go for their Signature Charcuterie kits ($85 for a small, $140 for a large) which include a selection of plant-based salamis, organic sourdough crackers, an assortment of nuts, and dried fruit, spreads, olives, and chocolate. You can also choose from their selection of salamis to create your own grazing platter. These include a Smoky Salami Soppressata, a Sweet Salami Toscana, and a Spicy Chorizo (all $39.75 for a 3-pack). 

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10) Field Roast

For: sausages, hot dogs, burgers, roasts, pepperoni, deli “meats”

With its selection of hot dogs, burgers, appetizers, and roasts, Field Roast has got you covered, whether you’re hosting a summer BBQ or a nice roast dinner. We’re super excited about the brand’s latest collaboration with JUST Egg and Chao Creamery — an all-vegan sausage egg and cheese breakfast sandwich!

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11) Ocean Hugger Foods

For: Tuna and eel 

Ocean Hugger Foods brings to you plant-based “raw fish” — aka, tuna made from tomatoes and eel from eggplants. The brand is all about celebrating veggies, and the ingredients lists for their products are fresh and simple. Their Ahimi Raw “Tuna” is made from tomatoes, gluten-free soy sauce, sugar, water, and sesame oil, and their Unami “Freshwater Eel” contains eggplant, gluten-free soy sauce, mirin, sugar, rice bran oil, algae oil, and konjac powder. These are available in sushi restaurants across the United States. 

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12) Good Catch

For: Seafood (fish cakes, sticks, burgers, fillets, and tinned tuna)

Good Catch stocks all your favorite feel-good seafood classics, from breaded fish sticks to fish fillets to crab cakes. Their plant-based “fish” protein is made from a blend of six plant proteins: Pea protein, soy protein, chickpea flour, faba protein, lentil protein, and navy bean powder. They also stock three plant-based tuna options (Naked, Mediterranean, or Oil & Herbs), perfect for throwing in a quick and healthy salad, in a sandwich, or even with chips as a power-packed snack. 

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13) Meatless Farm

For: Plant-based beef, chicken, and pork 

Whether you’re in the mood for beef, chick, or pork, Meatless Farm has got you covered. They make burgers, nuggets, meatballs, and ground meats and recently launched their plant-based “pork” Bratwurst sausages. Meatless Farm uses pea protein as its source of protein, as well as coconut oil for that juicy consistency, carrot fiber for binding, and beetroot, radish, and tomato extracts for color. You can find their full list of ingredients on their website. 

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About the Author

Jyotika is a writer based in New Delhi. She writes about sustainable living and eco-friendly brands, covering fashion, food, travel, and wellness. Previously, she was the fashion manager at her family's bespoke fashion business, where in addition to her other responsibilities she worked on improving textile sourcing from local artisans to encourage grassroots production, as well as conducting sustainability workshops with employees regarding the eco-friendly disposal of fashion materials.

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Are houseplants really green? 

In 2020, when the pandemic hit, the demand for houseplants hit a record high. More than ever before, people wanted to bring a bit of nature and wilderness into their homes while they were stuck inside for a few weeks.

It is not surprising that the houseplant industry was booming during such a tough period. Plants make any room look calm and alive, and they help ease anxiety. Having a houseplant also means that you have something to care for. You get excited to see it evolve and grow new leaves. 

There is no doubt that houseplants are nice to have around in our living spaces! But as plants remind us of the beauty of the natural world, we usually only see the positive aspects of them. 

But how sustainable are they, really? How is this houseplant craze impacting our planet? You'll be surprised by the truth!  

How bad are houseplants for the environment? 

Mass-production in unsustainable greenhouses

The main issue with growing and purchasing houseplants is that most plants we buy in nurseries or stores are mass-produced in a handful of industrial farms that are extremely resource-intensive and have a huge environmental impact and carbon footprint. 

For instance, plants are grown under strict heat and lighting conditions, meaning that a lot of energy is needed to produce them. 

When we look at the whole production chain of houseplants, we can actually see that the biggest source of carbon emissions comes from heating those greenhouses. 

Greenhouses need to be heated to always be at the correct temperature for optimal plant growth. Some of them can be as big as 160 acres, so imagine how much energy is needed to heat them! 

And guess how all this energy is made? Those massive greenhouses often run on fossil fuels, thus contributing to climate change and pollution. 

Counterintuitively, due to economies of scale, big farms are more fuel-efficient than smaller ones. Yet, we should not forget that they are still extremely unsustainable. 

Those large-scale greenhouses also take up massive portions of land that would otherwise be home to trees and other carbon sinks. For example, Costa Farms uses about 4,000 acres of land to grow its plants, which is the size of more than 3,000 football fields! 

Plus, growing thousands and thousands of plants on such a huge surface means that enormous quantities of fertilizer and water are used. Metrolina, the largest single-site heated greenhouse in the United States, uses a total of 1.5 million gallons of water each day! 

This number is terrifying when we know that, around the world, 1.1 billion people lack access to water, and 2.7 billion suffer from water scarcity at least one month of the year.  

Finally, it is important to note that not only are these huge greenhouses very unsustainable, but they are also making it harder for smaller ones to survive. Big producers grow plants at such a large scale that small farms cannot compete, and they struggle to make a profit. 

"Plant miles"

Another major concern regarding the booming houseplant industry is that most plants are imported from faraway countries and travel hundreds, if not thousands of miles, before getting to our homes.  

Transporting plants from where they are grown to the store shelf and then to their final destination, our homes, has a non-negligible environmental impact, and we need to take it into account.

That is how the concept of "plant miles" was invented. "Plant miles" refer to the total distance houseplants travel between the nursery and your home.  

Generally, the higher the distance between the nursery, the store shelf, and your home, the more important the environmental footprint should be. Transporting plants over long distances, whether by air (especially by air!), water or road, generates a lot of carbon emissions. It is all the more true when transporting tropical plants that are imported and shipped from far away countries. 

So, in general, buying native plants that are grown locally will be more eco-friendly than importing them. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that it is not always the case. 

In some cases, producing plants in warmer climates (and then shipping them) eliminates the need for heated greenhouses, and thus, the carbon footprint can be lower than if the plants were grown locally in heated greenhouses.  

For instance, growing plants outdoors in the Canary Islands and shipping them to the United Kingdom by boat usually generates fewer carbon emissions than if the plants were produced in heated greenhouses in the United Kingdom and delivered locally. 

Another thing to remember is that sometimes, you may be geographically closer to a plant producer located abroad than a grower based in your own country. And if it is the case, it might be more sustainable to buy the foreign plant as opposed to the native one. 

Let's illustrate it with the United Kingdom again. Most plants that are imported to the British Isles come from the Netherlands. However, many Brits geographically live closer to the Netherlands than many British producers. So it makes more sense for them to buy the Dutch plants if they want to lower the carbon emissions from shipping.  

And here is a final thing we should be aware of regarding plant miles. Since indoor plants are shipped with thousands of other plants, getting a plant from a nursery to a garden center almost always generates fewer carbon emissions (per plant) than driving your car to the garden center and getting it to your home.  

These are all important things to know whenever you wish to buy a plant to make the best decision and minimize the environmental impact of transportation.  

We are running out of peat 

The unsustainable production and transportation of houseplants are not the only issues we should all consider before our next visit to the garden center. 

One thing we rarely think about is that most houseplants are grown in soil that contains peat, which also has an important environmental footprint. 

Peat is an earthy substance formed by the partial decomposition of organic matter in waterlogged areas like bogs. It is regularly used in houseplants because it has the ability to retain oxygen and moisture, and it is sterile and cheap to produce. 

However, harvesting peat is very unsustainable. The wetlands where peat is produced are carbon sinks, meaning that they store huge quantities of carbon: peatlands, as we call them, store a third of the world's soil carbon!

As a result, when we extract peat from the ground, we are not only destroying a carbon sink, but we are also releasing a lot of CO2 into the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change. 

Another problem is that peat can take thousands of years to form and regenerate, and it is believed that commercial extraction can remove more than 500 years' worth of growth in a single year! 

So the huge, growing demand for indoor plants we are observing now is depleting the world's supply of peat faster than it can be replenished. 

To illustrate that, American greenhouse Metrolina alone uses 12 tractor-trailer loads of peat moss every single week. And it is only one single greenhouse. Imagine how much peat we are using to supply all the greenhouses and nurseries around the whole world?! 

Plastic pots 

Most houseplants are packaged in plastic, and more specifically, they often come in plastic pots. Sure, plastic pots are convenient, lightweight and easy to transport.  

But, while some places accept them for curbside recycling, we usually cannot put plastic plant pots in our recycling bins. They are made from a range of different plastics, making it harder to sort and recycle them.

Many recycling centers do not accept them because they are considered contaminated or simply because they are made of black plastic. Black plastic pots cannot be detected by sorting machines, which means that they either get incinerated or thrown into a landfill, where they will take hundreds of years to break down. 

In total, according to Marie Chieppo, Principal at EcoPlants Plans, 95 to 98% of all plastic plant pots end up in landfills! 

We also need to remember that plastic pots are made using fossil fuels, which is one of the most polluting industries in the whole world.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to find houseplants that are not sold in plastic pots. Even though it might not be the most problematic issue you should consider when buying indoor plants, it is still something to keep in mind next time you visit your garden center.

Is it really that bad to purchase houseplants? 

Now that we have analyzed the environmental impacts of the production and transportation of houseplants, you might probably think: does that mean I should stop buying indoor plants for my home? 

We cannot say houseplants are sustainable, that is for sure! With what we saw, we can even state that buying houseplants is not eco-friendly at all. 

But it is also fair to say that plants are well known for absorbing CO2 and emitting oxygen. However, the plant's ability to remove carbon from the air depends on the type of plant, how much water there is in the soil, and how light the room is. Plus, the more plants there are in the room, the more CO2 is absorbed. 

According to environmental consultant Curtis Gubb, peace lilies and dracaena "Golden Coast" plants are the most efficient at reducing CO2 levels. But we would need to have many of them in a single room and even install additional lighting to observe a real difference.  

Researchers found similar results when it comes to other types of air pollutants. For instance, some plants are able to remove higher amounts of volatile organic compounds and ozone from the air than other plants, but in total, the impact remains negligible. We would need a very high concentration of plants in one room, and even that would not make a huge difference.

So we cannot say that the plants' ability to sequester greenhouse gases plays a big role in reducing their overall environmental impact. Although the impact is positive, it is tiny and cannot offset the negative effects of houseplant production and transportation. 

However, we can nuance some of the negative impacts: houseplants we buy at garden centers or nurseries are produced and shipped with thousands of other plants. Thus, each plant needs a tiny fraction of all the inputs, meaning that the environmental footprint of a single houseplant is limited in the grand scheme of things. 

Like everything we buy, purchasing houseplants has a negative impact on the planet, but you do not have to completely stop buying them if they make you happy. 

The key is to be aware of the fact that houseplants are not very sustainable (and why), but if we consume them mindfully and try to choose more eco-friendly options, we can still enjoy them without feeling guilty. 

How to make your houseplant collection more sustainable?

If you still want to have indoor plants, here are a few tips that will help you be as sustainable as possible when it comes to your houseplant collection. 

As with everything, the most eco-friendly plant is the one you already own. So if you already have some plants at home, make sure to take good care of them. Learn about how much water and light they need, and hopefully, they can live for many years to come.  

If you want to add a few more plants to your collection, you can easily propagate them from cuttings or grow new plants from seeds. 

You can also organize a plant swap with other plant lovers or look for beautiful plants second-hand on online selling platforms and local "Buy Nothing" groups. Getting a plant second-hand drastically reduces the environmental footprint of your "new" plant! 

If you need to buy new houseplants, consider choosing peat-free plants or plants that don't need peat, like cacti or orchids. And do not forget to use a peat-free potting mix when you need to repot your plants. Also, why don't you ask your houseplant supplier to go peat-free? It will show him there is a demand for peat-free plants, and he might decide to make some changes! 

Another thing to keep in mind is that some houseplants are made to die relatively quickly, such as sprayed cacti, chrysanthemums and poinsettias. So avoid buying those if you want more eco-friendly indoor plants or simply plants that will last for years. 

Always try to support suppliers who grow their plants organically, without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Plus, to reduce "plant miles", go for native plants that are produced near you, and preferably some that are grown outdoors or in non-heated greenhouses. 

You should also remember to pick plants that do not come in plastic pots if it is possible or available to you. But if it is unavoidable, consider reusing them or finding a place nearby that recycles them. Lowe's, The Home Depot and some nurseries take them back and offer to recycle them. 

If you grow your own plants from seeds or cuttings, terracotta pots are a great alternative to plastic pots, and they look so much nicer! 

A final tip to be more eco-friendly with houseplants is to collect rainwater to water your plants. Whether you have a rainwater collection system in your garden or if you simply put a bucket out on your balcony to collect rainwater, doing so will make you save a lot of water in the long run. Not to mention that rainwater is better for your plants, so it is a win-win situation! 

Conclusion 

Like most things we buy, houseplants are far from being sustainable. They are often grown in massive greenhouses that are very resource-intensive and that have a large carbon footprint.  

Most indoor plants also travel over long distances before arriving in our homes, contributing even more to their environmental impact. 

They are usually grown in soil that contains peat, which we are slowly but surely running out of. And finally, most houseplants are sold in plastic pots that are hard to recycle and that almost always end up in landfills. 

All those issues are problematic, but it does not mean you should give up on houseplants entirely. By consuming them mindfully and applying a few simple tips to minimize their environmental footprint, you can continue enjoying them guilt-free. Every little bit helps! 

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About the Author:

Eva Astoul is a French freelance writer, specializing in content related to sustainability, simple living, and a growth-focused healthy lifestyle.

She runs her own blog, Green With Less, to inspire people to live a more minimalist and sustainable life.

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