12 of the best sustainable buys to consider this Sustainability Week
As businesses around the world come together for Sustainability Week (22nd – 25th March) to share experiences and discover how they can operate more sustainably, Jess Sewell has been looking at some of the everyday items we should be considering to help us live more sustainably.
From a soap that can be used to scrub anything from your kitchen floor to your armpits, to personalised chocolate from a brand that owns its own sustainable cocoa plantation, and leakproof period friendly underwear that means you can wave goodbye to disposables, check out these stylishly sustainable products…
Sink Your Teeth Into These Foods
Personalised Chocolate – it’s better for the planet and better for you
Available from Ritter Sport
RRP £2.99
Ritter Sport uses 100% certified, sustainably sourced cocoa and all-natural ingredients across its entire range of Rainforest Alliance Certified bars. Did you know they were one of the first and still one of the only major block chocolate brands to own a plantation and grow their own cocoa? They’ve just this week launched an online store selling exclusive buys such as Gift Boxes of 8x bars and Personalised Sleeves which hold your favourite single bar. It’s the only place in the UK you will find a range as big, all in one place.
100% Plastic-Free Chewing Gum
Available via Nopla
RRP £15.99 for 15×12 packets
Nopla has created a range of 3 flavoured plastic-free, vegan and completely sustainable chewing gums. Chewing gums are actually made of 98% plastic, which is how it gets so sticky. This is why it costs UK councils around £60m a year to scrape it off the street floors.
Small Giants – Cricket Snacks
Available via Sainsbury’s
RRP £1.50
Outrageously tasty, naturally nutritious, and super sustainable, these bite-sized savoury crackers made with cricket flour bring you all the sustainability and nutritional benefits of eating insects with none of the yuck! Crickets offer a viable sustainable source of complete protein as they require a fraction of the water, land, feed and energy needed to produce the equivalent protein from other sources.
Health and Personal Care
Liquid Castile Soap – 18 uses in 1
Available via Dr. Bronner’s
RRP from £8.49
Available in a range of scents the soaps are an 18 in 1 product and can be used on the body, pets, babies, within the home as well as for plants. Made with all natural, organic and vegan ingredients, this multipurpose hero makes living sustainably easy, and cuts down on plastic waste from multiple products.
Large Reusable Cleansing Pads
Available via Beauty Kitchen
RRP £7.50
The perfect washable, reusable hemp cotton pad for make-up removal. We all know that single use make up removal wipes are far from sustainable but some of the seemingly better alternatives contain synthetic threads and microplastics. These hemp pads are 100% natural and plastic free, plus they’re compostable.
Mineral Toothpaste
Available via Georganics
RRP £4.90
A sustainable oral care company offering a variety of natural, organic and planet-friendly solutions for a daily personal care routine that is far too often overlooked – taking care of our teeth. Its Orange flavoured Mineral Toothpaste – safe to use with young children and during pregnancy – is fluoride free and SLS free making it an ideal replacement to conventional toothpastes.
Fitness
Weetabix On The Go Sportswear
Available via depop
RRP £7
Fully-recycled sports kits perfect for walking, hiking, running, and so much more! This sustainable sportswear is made from 100% recycled bottles and has been created by Weetabix On The Go to celebrate the launch of their new recycled bottle which saves 84 tonnes of virgin plastic each year.
Pro Round Yoga Mat
Available via Form
RRP £79
Sustainable yoga brand Form is certified carbon neutral but takes additional measures to offset carbon making them “carbon negative” instead. The Evergreen mat with a soft top surface made from recycled plastic bottles is inspired by our connection with nature. The design is completed with the iconic Form Grid, developed to improve alignment and consistency throughout your workout. Features sweat-activated grip, so perfect for a full-on session or for generally sweaty hands!
Leak-proof Activewear
Available via Modibodi
RRP from £19.50
From leading leak-proof underwear brand Modibodi, new activewear stylishly designed to protect against leaks from periods, pee, perspiration and pregnancy leaks. This performance underwear is made from a high performance, sweat wicking Merino Perform fabric and is a sustainable solution to disposables. The outer fabric is all natural, Aussie grown and kicks-ass, just like you. Antibacterial, odour eliminating, moisture wicking and quick drying coupled with our leak-proof Modifier Technology or moisture wicking Modifier Air Technology in the gusset. Available in both a moisture wicking and light-moderate absorbency.
Household Must-Haves
Sprout Pencils
RRP: £9 (5 pack)
Available at sproutworld.com and Amazon
When these cedar-wood pencils become too small to use, flip them upside down, plant into moist soil, and the pencils will sprout into plants, herbs, flowers or trees in 1-2 weeks! It’s a great way of demonstrating sustainability and encouraging people to think about recycling, natural materials, sustainability and the environment in a cool way. It completes the circle of life by giving new life to an end-of-life product that would otherwise waste away in the bin and landfill.
Lavender Candle – light a candle, plant a tree
Available via Vegan Bunny
RRP from £8
Each handcrafted artisan candle is made using essential oils and natural ingredients to create a calming ambiance. The company plants one tree for every candle sold. Candles are also: Vegan, Carbon neutral, Plastic-free plus 5% of profits goes to Viva! Charity.
Sustainable Travel Cups
Available at Ohelo
RRP from £29
Sustainable travel cups that are that are tougher, safer and prettier than others on the market. Ethically made from safer more environmentally friendly materials with a 100% leakproof sip lid and a mesh attachment so your cup can be used as a protein shaker, loose leaf tea strainer, fruit infuser and more! Keeps drinks 12hrs cold/6 hrs hot – never lukewarm. Plus 5% of profits go to sustainable charities.