100+ genuinely sustainable brands to shop now and build a better tomorrow

Unsure which brands are doing their bit for the planet? We've got you covered.

Welcome to the Marie Claire Sustainable Brand Glossary: an A-Z of the brilliant brands doing their bit to change how we shop for good.

From beauty to fashion, health and wellness to homes, consider this your ultimate guide to the eco-friendly brands worth having on your radar. If you're keen to make sustainable living a part of your day-to-day, our advice is: do your research, support certified brands (look out for whether brands are a certified B-Corp brand and so on), and remember that where you spend your money - and further, which brands you choose to support - has a huge amount of power.

Do note: the majority of the brands in this glossary have already succeeded in building both eco-friendly workforces and products, while others are on the journey. All are making a notable effort, at varying levels, to build a better tomorrow. We've indicated in the copy whether they're certified as fully sustainable, at current, or on their way to being 100% eco-friendly.

No greenwashing, over here...

Sustainable brands to shop now to build a better tomorrow

A

Advanced Nutrition Programme

Leading the charge in skin supplements since 2006, Advanced Nutrition Programme is a gluten- and artificial flavouring-free supplements brand. Having eliminated single-use plastic in favour of environmentally responsible paper-based pots printed with vegetable ink, the brand scrupulously screens all its ingredients and triple tests for quality and purity.

Aisle

The first period care company to certify as a B Corporation, Aisle offers a sustainable collection of reusable menstrual products – including period underwear, cloth pads, and menstrual cups. Using rigorous ethical and sustainability standards in its supply chain, a 2020 third-party Life Cycle Assessment of the brand's products found that, compared to disposables, Aisle products reduce waste by 99%, and CO2 emissions and energy consumption by 50%. The brand also ensures that its suppliers comply with a signed code of conduct, and adopt a thorough research and development process to ensure it sources the most sustainable textiles possible.

Albiva

Luxury natural beauty brand Albiva is on a mission to minimise its environmental footprint, while maximising its social good – all while creating innovative, results-driven skin care. Having recently been awarded the Butterfly Mark by Positive Luxury in recognition of its efforts, Albiva ensures its ingredients and materials are responsibly sourced and preserve natural habitats, while supporting local economies and providing communities with work, too.

ALICIA SWIM

Inspired by its founder's idyllic upbringing in Mauritius, ALICIA SWIM cuts its swimwear from recycled Econyl yarn – most of which is sourced from fishing nets intercepted in coastal areas. All of the brand's swimwear is manufactured locally in Mauritius, and the brand uses recycled packaging and boat cargo to transport raw materials in an attempt to reduce its environmental impact.

Aligne

Aligne makes modern clothes for modern women, so it only makes sense that sustainability is a huge part of its brand ethos. Focusing on near shore production, Aligne’s garments are currently produced in ethically audited factories in Portugal, Turkey, Romania, China and India. Additionally, all garments are transported to retailers by road, reducing carbon footprint, and the brand’s care labels, swing tickets and packaging are all made from recycled and organic materials.

Allbirds

Recognising that the climate crisis can’t be tackled by one brand alone, Allbirds is calling for carbon labelling to become as ubiquitous in the fashion industry as nutrition labelling is in the food industry. Allbirds’ journey towards carbon neutrality is threefold: first, it measures its impact using an LCA tool, then it reduces it by investing in natural materials and better practices, and, finally, it offsets what is left through verified emissions reduction projects. As a result, the brand achieved carbon neutrality throughout its entire business in 2019 and, in a move towards total transparency last year, became the first fashion brand to label all of its products with carbon footprints.  

allplants

With many meal delivery services offering vegan options that are little more than an afterthought, sometimes the faff of grocery shopping, cooking and washing up can seem like the only way for vegans to eat well. Enter: allplants. In just four years, allplants has grown to become the number one plant-based brand in the UK – not bad, considering it started life as a supper club for friends at its founder’s kitchen table. A certified B Corp, allplants takes the perceived effort out of switching to a plant-based diet by offering nutritionally balanced, healthy, chef-made vegan meals that can be frozen and heated up at your convenience.

Alpha-H

From solar powering its factory and Queensland HQ, to converting its inorganic waste into high-grade premium soils, soil conditioners and potting mixes for use in land rehabilitation projects, Alpha-H have always had an innate connection to the earth. Additionally, all its products are cruelty free, free from any ingredients that might harm the planet or its people, and packaged sustainably.

Ancient + Brave

It isn’t hard to see why Ancient + Brave was recently declared the number-one bestselling health and wellness brand at Selfridges. The ingredients in its nutrient-rich supplements are sourced from environmentally conscious, sustainable, and organic suppliers where possible, and the brand is also a member of the ESGmark and 1% for the planet (with B Corp certification pending).

Antipodes 

Using the best of New Zealand's native ingredients, plant-powered skincare brand Antipodes has never compromised on clean formulations. All products are certified vegetarian, 28 are totally vegan, and all are certified organic. Oh, and the only animal products you'll find here are those which come from lovingly kept bees. Hello, ethically sourced Manuka Honey.

Aqua & Rock

It may have only been founded in 2019, but Aqua & Rock already has some pretty impressive innovations under its belt. From its AquaTriblend fabric, which reuses plastic waste, to its Bio-circular leather, which reuses agricultural waste (all of the leather used in Aqua & Rock's clothes and trainers is fully compostable and goes on to become an organic fertiliser) this is one fashion brand on a mission to remedy our throwaway culture – one innovation at a time.

Aromatherapy Associates

Chances are you've heard of (and/or pined for) Aromatherapy Associates. Revolutionising wellness at home, this pioneering brand is best known for its Atomiser – a technical breakthrough that diffuses 100% natural pure essential oil blends straight from the bottle; no water or heat necessary. Having recently achieved B Corp certification, Aromatherapy Associates believes that businesses should have a legal obligation to protect people and the environment, and is pushing for its suppliers to also become B Corps, so it can ensure the highest standards of ethics throughout its supply chain.

Aspiga

Aspiga’s mission is simple: to work with its suppliers in India and Kenya to achieve a more socially and environmentally conscious future for the fashion industry. Launching its Beach Clean-up programme in Malindi, southeastern Kenya, which takes place once a month and is helped by young volunteers who in return for their work, receive full payment of their annual school fees, Aspiga collected over 1.5 tonnes of plastic from Kenya's beaches in 2020 – all of which was taken to a recycling plant in Watamu. The brand has now taken its Beach Clean Campaign to the UK, too, joining monthly beach clean ups near its two Cornish shops, and trialling one near its head office on The River Thames.

Aspinal of London

Designed to be handed down through generations, iconic accessories brand Aspinal of London is a champion of responsible luxury. Currently focusing its advocacy on the protection of bees, the brand is running the Aspinal Bee Sanctuary – a conservation programme established to help combat the decline of British bees by providing the perfect surroundings for them to thrive – straight from its headquarters in the South Downs. Aspinal has also pledged to remove all single-use plastic by the end of 2022, and continues to cut carbon emissions by transporting products via sea or road rather than air freighting wherever possible.

Aurelia London 

Kind to skin, kind to planet and people, Aurelia London is committed to reducing its reliance on single-use plastic for packaging purposes. Using recyclable glass bottles and jars for a large percentage of its range, the beauty and wellness brand also partners with PhytoTrade Africa to ensure a sustainable supply of African botanicals, as well as fair trade for the communities who harvest them.

Aussie

On track to reduce its virgin plastic usage by 50% in shampoos and conditioners by the end of 2021, Aussie recently introduced a new aluminium reusable shampoo bottle which, the haircare behemoth estimate, will result in around 10 million fewer virgin plastic bottles being produced every year. Result!

Authentic Beauty Concept

Authentic Beauty Concept makes professional haircare with purpose. Used by salons and hairdressers across the globe daily, the brand’s products are packed with carefully selected vegan hero ingredients that are entirely free from silicones and sulfate surfactants. Up to 95% of ABC's ingredients are derived from natural origin, and all of its vegan products are registered with the Vegan Society, too. We also love that the brand collaborates with partner salons to help create a more mindful industry from the ground up. It's an A+ from us.

Avallen 

Putting a fresh (and sustainable) spin on traditional calvados (an apple brandy from Normandy) Avallen is made with nothing but apples, water, and time. Only 1.2l of water is used to produce a bottle of Avallen, compared to the 13 litres it takes to make a bottle of bourbon. 100% of the apple waste from the production process is collected and either used in a local bio-digester to make biogas or sold to local farmers as feedstock. A member of 1% for the planet, the brand's impact-led production methods, which ensure to protect biodiversity; eco-friendly packaging, some of which is made from apple pulp; and streamlined ingredients list make this a booze brand worth having on your radar.

Aveda

Plant-powered hair care brand Aveda has been partnering with charity: water since 1999 to provide clean water to people in need. (In fact, the brand is on a mission to raise more than $2million this year alone to protect and provide clean water to people in India, Nepal, Madagascar and Ethiopia.) Through its annual Earth Month campaign, Aveda has raised almost $65 million for environmental causes around the world, and this year celebrated the day by donating all sales online at aveda.co.uk to its charity partner.

Avène

Avène's Skin Protect, Ocean Respect initiative is committed to using innovative ocean friendly sun filters, without compromising your skin. Respectful of marine biodiversity, and non-toxic for three key species of marine biodiversity – a coral species, a phytoplankton species and a zooplankton species – the brand's Intense Protect sunscreen continues its legacy of melding great skincare with eco-consciousness. Check and check.

Avon Distillery

Distillery is Avon's more sustainable skincare and make-up offshoot, combining high-performance, vegan-friendly ingredients with environmentally-conscious packaging and accessible price points. It's also Avon's first ever product-line packaging that's certified by the Forest Stewardship Council – marking an exciting step towards a more sustainable future for this iconic beauty brand.

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Bamford 

Though beginning as a well-heeled wellness space in the Cotswolds, Bamford has since developed a range of home, beauty and fashion products, in keeping with its gentle, holistic outlook. The brand’s fashion offshoot, The Bamford Wellness Collection, is a soft, breathable range of low-impact exercise and athleisure wear created through a supply chain that has been rigorously checked by The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). Additionally, the collection is cut from an innovative fabric that uses a mixture of certified organic cotton and recycled polyamide; the latter of which is created by re-melting waste fibres that would have otherwise been disposed of – using a mechanised process, rather than chemicals. 

Bands of Courage 

A two person start-up, the empowering messages carried by Bands of Courage’s accessories extend to its business model, too. For every band sold, the brand plants 10 trees, proof of which you’ll receive in the form of a personalised planting certificate and card. Currently in the process of applying for B Corp certification, the brand also uses recycled card and biodegradable packaging, weaves and dyes fabrics by hand by India, and has so far planted over 161,000 trees in a bid to remain carbon negative. 

bareMinerals 

Free from nasties like parabens, mineral oil and coal tar, and cruelty-free right from its beginnings, bareMinerals are specialists in beauty that's kind-to-skin, while being kind to the planet in the process. 71% of its formulas are vegan, including every new product since 2020, and the brand is committed to working with partners that source ingredients ethically.

Bath House

Bath House is a small fragrance and skincare brand founded in 1997 by a creative team of artists and designers who live and work in the Lake District. Seeking inspiration from nature, its fragrances are infused with evocative aromas (if you want to be transported to the Norfolk coast in the shower every morning, this brand's your answer) and pure, natural ingredients.

Baukjen 

It makes perfect sense that Baukjen has secured the position of highest-scoring Fashion B Corp in the UK. Committed to disrupting the fast-fashion industry, Baukjen collections are now made from 92% responsibly sourced fibres, most of which are natural and biodegradable. All of the brand’s cotton is organic or from the Better Cotton Initiative, while all its viscose is now EcoVero – which not only has a smaller environmental impact, but supports responsible forestry too. The brand also works collaboratively with manufactures to adopt a zero-waste approach, and recycles 90% of its textile waste.

Baylis & Harding 

A mainstay in bathrooms across the country, Baylis & Harding's commitment to sustainable luxury in recent years is impressive. Take, for example, their Goodness collection: a plant-based, affordable range that boasts a 98% naturally derived formulation in 100% recyclable (and recycled) packaging.

Bee&Sons

Small fashion brand Bee&Sons takes a no-nonsense approach to the S word. The brand's cosy cardigans are designed to be disassembled and recycled into fresh new fibre through its take back service. Where most brands overproduce, Bee&Sons makes its clothes in batches of 100, and if need be, simply takes pre-orders before creating another 100. Crafted from natural, recyclable yarns, all of Bee&Sons' clothes are made in the UK, reducing CO2 and supporting UK garment workers, too.

BEEN LONDON 

Sustainable fashion brand BEEN London turns unwanted certified materials into beautiful bags that are designed to last a lifetime. Handcrafted in East London, the bags are created using zero-waste pattern cutting techniques, with the brand also creating its linings from textile waste and some of its structural elements from discarded IKEA uniforms. (Yep, really.) Boasting a transparent supply chain, BEEN London estimates that its bags have almost 1/10th of the carbon footprint of those produced by high street fast fashion brands.

Bel Rebel

The first perfume brand to use mycelium (part of a mushroom) and agricultural waste as packaging, Bel Rebel is turning the fragrance industry as we know it upside down. Not only is the brand's packaging carbon negative, but its refillable bottles, Leaping Bunny approved formulas, and small batch approach to production cement Bel Rebel as a sustainable brand worth watching.

Belu

Launched in 2007, drinks brand Belu is on a mission to change the way the world sees water. The brand has invested over £5million with its impact partner WaterAid over the past decade, while its partnerships with luxury UK hotels and restaurants have helped businesses reduce their waste and carbon footprint by removing single-use bottles of water. A carbon neutral social enterprise, Belu is committed to delivering incredible drinks, while making it easy for the conscious consumer to build a better world through their buying decisions.

BIOEFFECT

Icelandic skincare brand BIOEFFECT was created by three scientists who, after a decade of research, discovered a way to bioengineer a plant-based human replica of EGF (Epidermal Growth Factor) in barley plants. One of the most important growth factors for skin, EGF helps boost production of collagen and elastin to ensure skin stays healthy, plump and youthful. But the innovation doesn't end there. The brand's ecologically-engineered greenhouse is powered by sustainable, natural energy, using hydroponic cultivation that preserves more water, and volcanic pumice to make the cultivation even more clean. Nestled in the lava fields of Reykjanes Peninsula, only 50 km from the brand’s Headquarters in Reykjavik, the greenhouse can nurture up to 130,000 barley plants at a time, and uses biotechnology to create clean and stable ingredients. Pretty swish.

BioFuze

With the knowledge that conventional polyester takes hundreds of years to biodegrade, yet accounts for 63% of the material input for textile production, BioFuze created a recycled polyester with biodegradable properties. By infusing a unique additive into its polyester during the melt spinning process, BioFuze creates a fabric that attracts and allows anaerobic microbes to break it down (i.e. biodegrade). It's no wonder, then, that the innovation was recently a finalist in Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas awards.

Biossance

You've probably seen Biossance in the beauty hall, but you probably didn't know just how clever this vegan skincare innovator is. Reinventing ingredients through biotechnology (think a shark-friendly, bioidentical alternative to hydrating hero squalene), Biossance are committed to finding new ways to make brilliant beauty that doesn't negatively impact the earth. We can only hope more brands follow suit.

Birdsong

With the knowledge that 80% of garment workers (including those working in sweatshops) are women, Birdsong was founded to create a fashion industry that feels inclusive, dignified and transformative for local economies. Working mostly with talented migrant and refugee women, as well as survivors of domestic abuse in London’s Tower Hamlets, Birdsong is the only UK-based fashion brand specifically supporting local communities and marginalised women. Aiming to counteract funding cuts to vital women's services, and encourage Living Wages in a localised fashion industry, Birdsong is proof that fashion can be good for both those who wear it and those who make it.

BOL

BOL doesn't just make it easier for customers to get their five-a-day. The plant-powered brand also makes it easier for customers to do some good through their everyday consumer choices. Having achieved B Corp certification, the brand donated 100% of its first year profits to Action Against Hunger, and is committed to using less plastic, less water, less carbon and less land in its production process.

Bondi Sands PURE

Bondi Sands' first foray into sustainable self-tanning is packaged in ethically sourced, 100% recyclable packaging, and is packed with skin-loving ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid for hydration, Vitamin C for radiance and Vitamin E for repair.

Boody

Crafted from organically grown bamboo, Boody makes everyday basics that are built to last. Using bamboo because of water-use efficiency and natural resistance to pest and fungi infestation (meaning it can be grown without the use of harmful pesticides, insecticides or fertilisers), the brand's breathable signature fibre is suitable for even the most sensitive of skin types.

Borgo Santo Pietro

Luxury retreat Borgo Santo Pietro, located in the heart of the Tuscan countryside, is a fully self-sustainable eco-getaway of over 300 acres with 300 sheep, 20 pigs, 15 alpacas, 175 free-range chickens, 70 rabbits, 11 acres of gardens and herb fields, two acres of vegetable gardens, one Herb House and one Fermentation Lab. (In keeping with the five-star luxury, of course.)

Bower Collective

Bower Collective is on a mission to eliminate plastic waste and create a more sustainable world. A treasure trove of minimum-waste home and personal-care products – from fabric conditioner to toothpaste – the company boasts a unique closed-loop packaging system that allows customers to decant their products, then send the packaging back in a pre-paid envelope. With a recent Life Cycle Analysis showing that its system is 90% more carbon efficient than single-use packaging, creating a sustainable (and chic) home has never been easier.

Bulldog Skincare

Bulldog Skincare is on a mission to bring razors into the circular economy. Exactly how, you ask? Well, the brand's Original & Sensitive Glass Razors are crafted using at least 70% recycled glass from discarded beer bottles. The handles themselves are then 100% recyclable, and when they reach the end of their lifecycle, they too can be turned back into – yep, you guessed it – beer bottles. (Or just, you know, anything else made of glass.) Pretty neat.

C

Candiani

Elastane, a non-biodegradable synthetic fibre, is a popular fixture in today's denim, owing to its exceptional stretch. Which is why Italian fabric brand Candiani set out to create an alternative that's every bit as form-fitting, but without the environmental price tag. COREVA™ is an innovative technology that uses a plant-based yarn obtained from natural rubber to replace synthetic, petrol-based yarns. The world's first compostable stretch technology on the market, COREVA™ has since been adopted by the likes of DENHAM and Stella McCartney.

Caudalie

Members of the 1% for the Planet network since 2012, beauty editor beloved skincare brand Caudalie contributes 1% of its global turnover to environmental associations every year for the planting of new trees. This makes the brand Europe's largest contributor and the world's top contributor among cosmetic stakeholders. That means that the brand have so far planted over 8 million trees in the eight key zones of deforestation around the world, and covered their CO2 emissions 4 times over in the process.

Chāmpo Haircare

Created, tested and produced in Dorset, Chāmpo Haircare puts its formulations through rigorous microbiological testing to assess the microbiological quality of both the raw materials it uses and the overall formulations. Focusing on ingredients that are classified as naturally derived, all the brand's haircare treats are vegan, too.

Chantecaille

Cult French beauty brand Chantecaille has a 20-year history of environmental philanthropy – raising awareness of everything from dwindling numbers of Monarch butterflies, to endangered sea turtles, coral reefs, gorillas, wolves, bees, elephants, giraffes, and more. (To date it's donated just over $2 million to such causes.) The brand's "naturally beautiful" ethos is one that's reflected in its approach to production, too, with all botanicals used in Chantecaille's skincare sustainably sourced, and most of its packaging from stock that is FSC- or SFI-certified.

Circla

Believing that convenience is key to convincing more people to adopt a refillable lifestyle, Circla takes the faff out of refills by delivering direct to your doorstep. (Think the milkman, but ten times more exciting.) Since launching last March, Circla has curated a range of 25 independent brands on its platform, showcasing the best of British sustainable, vegan and organic beauty, and its widely recyclable packaging can be reused more than 50 times. Oh, and it goes without saying that all its deliveries are emissions free, too.

Circular&Co. 

Circular&Co. is on a mission to educate and inspire people about welcoming circularity into their everyday lives. Launched in 2018, its Circular Cup is the world’s first reusable cup made from single-use paper cups. Designed with both practicality and circularity in mind, the brand's sleek, sustainable travel mug is 100% leakproof, designed for ten years’ use and is 100% recyclable, too. Christmas list? Sorted.

Clarins

Clarins is committed to using fewer resources, and creating less waste – whether that's through its 250 ingredients-strong herbarium, or its commitment to preserving the rich biodiversity of the Alpine region. Having performed its first carbon assessment in 2008 in France, and gradually extended the practice to all of its businesses in Asia (2012), the United States (2014) and Europe (2015), 63% of the brand's packaging materials are now recyclable.

CLOUD NINE

You've probably heard of (or indeed own a number of) CLOUD NINE's beloved styling tools, but did you know about its industry-leading recycling scheme? Armed with the knowledge that 80% of electrical waste is sent to landfill, the brand launched its Straightening Iron Recycling Scheme in 2019, and have since saved over 60,000 from going to waste. (That's the equivalent weight of three London double decker buses, FYI.) On a mission to save 1.5 million hair styling tools – no matter their condition – from ending up in landfill, CLOUD NINE allows customers to recycle their old tools for free, regardless of the brand.

Codex Beauty Labs

Whether it's the wild harvesting of organic raw materials, or green polyethylene packaging, Codex Beauty Labs are committed to integrating environmental practices and sustainability principles into their core business strategy. On track to have zero carbon footprint by 2025, the brand's products are produced according to Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) standards, and are also Leaping Bunny (i.e. cruelty free) and MyMicrobiome certified.

Comfort Zone

A B Corp since 2016, sustainable beauty brand Comfort Zone offset all emissions with the help of the EthioTrees project – an initiative compensating C02 by planting native tree and shrub species. Joining a number of other B Corporations at the UN COP25 Climate Change Conference in Madrid in December 2019, the brand has also committed to becoming “net zero emissions” by 2030. (That's a whole 20 years ahead of the Paris Agreement deadline!)

Cult Beauty

One of the most trusted beauty retailers in the biz, Cult Beauty has always insisted on transparency from the brands it carries, and was the first retailer to require a full ingredients list and independently written descriptions for each product on its site upon launching back in 2008. The retailer took things a step further last year when its partnered with blockchain transparency platform, Provenance.org, to launch Cult Conscious. Using blockchain technology to digitally verify the (routinely sweeping) claims made by beauty brands, Cult Conscious allows shoppers to do due diligence around the products in their basket, by independently verifying whether a brand's claims on sourcing, efficacy and sustainably actually stand up.

D

DabbaDrop

A takeaway business like no other, DabbaDrop is London’s first plastic and emissions-free takeaway subscription service – promising minimal food waste, reusable packaging, emissions-free delivery and some of the best vegan food we’ve ever eaten. Taking inspiration from the Indian Dabbawalla delivery system, DabbaDrop serves wholesome vegan curries in stainless-steel tiffin containers that are delivered by bicycle.

Davines

The brand behind the first completely carbon neutral shampoo, Davines provide salon quality results without harming the planet in the process. Over four years of research and 262 different formulas went into its now-iconic A Single Shampoo, the final result of which is a gentle but effective everyday formulation that's 98.2% biodegradable with 95% natural-origin ingredients. Swoon.

Dear Dahlia

Taking its moniker from the timeless beauty of the dahlia flower, Dear Dahlia is as committed to preserving the future beauty of our planet as it is, well, you. 100% vegan and cruelty-free, the brand is also on a mission to further reduce its carbon footprint; expanding its refillable and reusable product range, and working towards a 2025 goal of becoming fully sustainable.

DECIEM

Following on from the success of its impressive community fund (which has donated $120,000 across 12 causes that directly affect the neighbourhoods where the brand's stores are located), cult skincare brand DECIEM founded the Good Fund in 2020. An initiative that donates to causes supporting 'People, Earth and Animals', the brand have so far made contributions to organisations supporting the Australian bushfires, the Lebanon disaster and anti-racism.

Dermatology M

Dermatology M – a results-driven skincare brand rooted in traditional Chinese medicine – buy raw herbs directly and support businesses through every harvest. Having developed relationships at grassroots level with growers, the small brand want to ensure superior sourcing through continued herb quality and sustainable supply.

Dhow Nature Foods

Sustainability is in the DNA of Dhow Nature Foods. The East Africa-inspired health food label was founded on a love for the environment, and now gives as much back to the farming communities it works with as it does the earth from where it sources its produce. The brand’s regenerative permaculture farming practice ensures the maintenance of a natural ecosystem, which, in turn, curtails mass deforestation. Not only that, but the brand is committed to adding value to the agricultural sector in Tanzania, too – educating the next generation about the importance of organic agriculture for the wellbeing of both planet and people.

Dove

Too often, the onus falls on small beauty brands to do all the hard work. Which is why when the big beauty players commit to a more sustainable future, we sit up and take note. Though its focus has been largely on abolishing animal cruelty in the beauty industry, Dove has some exciting plans around reducing plastic waste in the offing, too. Aiming to reduce the manufacture of more than 20,500 tonnes of virgin plastic per year by 2025, among the brand's current initiatives are making the iconic Dove Beauty Bar packaging plastic-free globally, launching new 100% recycled plastic bottles, and trialling a new refillable deodorant format that radically reduces plastic use. Watch this space.

Dr. Hauschka

Located at the brand's HQ in southern Germany, the Dr. Hauschka medicinal herb garden is the source of many of its ingredients – which, with over 150 different plant species flourishing in the 2.5 hectare plot, shouldn't come as a surprise. Continuously tended to by gardeners using biodynamic methods, rainwater is saved for watering the plants, compost created in the garden improves soil structure and promotes healthy growth, and its closed loop nature means providing a better habitat for wild plants and animals.

Dressarte

Dressarte is an eco-friendly online couture service. Implementing 3D design, the service enables virtual measurements and digital consultations, to offer customers made-to-measure garments and capsule wardrobes that have been crafted from dead stock, surplus and recycled fabrics.

E

EarthKind

Founded by Trichologist and cosmetic scientist Tony Maleedy, Earthkind are an eco-conscious haircare brand that take the less is more approach to their natural shampoo and conditioning bars. While traditional liquid shampoos contain up to 95% water (not to mention the fact that they're typically packaged in single-use plastic) EarthKind's products contain no water, and are formulated with only essential, natural and biodegradable ingredients. And of course, they're all packaged in vegan and plastic-free packaging.

ECONYL 

ECONYL regenerated nylon has been providing a more responsible solution for the fashion and interior world for the past ten years. Utilised by many of the brands in our glossary, this infinitely recyclable yarn is created from nylon waste (including fishing nets, old carpets and nylon industrial waste) to create a truly circular material that boasts the same qualities as conventional nylon. Oh, and it reduces the problematic fabric's global warming impact by up to 90%.

Emma Lewisham

What would a circular beauty industry look like? The answer just might lie with luxury skincare brand Emma Lewisham. Launching its Beauty Circle Recycling Programme last year, the initiative became a first in New Zealand, accepting all facial brands' skincare products – yep, even those of rival brands – for recycling, at no cost to consumers. On a mission to become the world's first circular beauty brand by August of this year, Emma Lewisham plans to design its products to fit within a circular system, using refillable packaging only. Watch this space.

ESPA Skincare 

Luxury skincare favourite ESPA is on a journey towards sustainability on three fronts: by introducing more sustainable packaging (though they haven't achieved 100% recyclable packaging across their range just yet), by enhancing their formulations and achieving COSMOS Natural Certifications, and simplifying their product categories. Case in point: last year, the brand introduced their new Essentials range of 9 everyday products available as refillable pouches, which use up to 60% less plastic than a regular plastic bottle.

evian

evian requires no introduction, but it's worth having on your radar what this iconic brand is doing to future proof our planet. From introducing (re)new, a new in-home, 5L 'water bubble' that reduces plastic packaging by 60% (it's also surprisingly chic, FYI) to the launch of evian bottles made from 100% recycled plastic (with the goal of all plastic bottles being made from 100% recycled materials by 2025), this is one heritage brand adapting to our changing times for the better.

F

FaceGym

FaceGym takes sustainable packaging seriously – from its Supreme Restructure 'Forever Pots’, crafted out of aluminium, to its 50% post-consumer recycled plastic tubes, glass serum bottles, and 100% FSC paper cartons.

Face Halo

If you haven't already heard of Face Halo, the reusable, machine washable make-up removal pads, prepare to be changed. The perfect solution to environmentally damaging single-use wipes, Face Halo uses HaloTech fibres, which are 100 times finer than human hair, to remove even the toughest of make-up on dirt – no micellar, cleanser, or make-up remover needed. Just add water and voilà!

Fairmont

Sustainability probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when you think of a global group of luxury hotels, but Fairmont has been driving eco-innovation through its award-winning Sustainability Partnership for the past 30 years. In fact, it was the world’s first luxury hotel brand to embrace environmental stewardship. Between vowing to eliminate any remaining single-use plastics in guest rooms, meeting areas and restaurants by the end of 2022, to joining Accor in committing to the goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Fairmont is a true champion of sustainable tourism.

Faith In Nature

Sustainability isn't a new venture for Faith in Nature. Champions of the green-beauty movement, the brand has actually been using 100% recycled and recyclable bottles since 1999, and has managed to save an incredible 340 tonnes of plastic from landfill in the intervening years. It's likely that the brand will save hundreds more, too, thanks to its new refillable product stations, and work towards eliminating virgin plastic from the supply chain.

Fanfare Label

Champions of the increasingly popular upcycling movement, Fanfare Label is a circular clothing brand on a mission to change the way we buy, wear and consume clothing. Fanfare Label's collections are made ethically in London, and crafted entirely from materials that would otherwise end up in landfill.

FEKKAI

Green hair care brand FEKKAI repurposed around 7 million plastic bottles in its first year alone thanks to its 95% high-grade repurposed and recyclable plastic packaging. Sourced from nature and perfected in the lab, the brand's dreamy vegan formulations – specifically designed for glossing, repairing, strengthening and protecting the hair – are free of nasties including parabens, sulfates, silicones and phthalates, too.

Fifth Origins 

Placing equal emphasis on style, sustainability, and social impact, lifestyle brand Fifth Origins works with rural artisans to empower craft and enrich its products with '100% humanity'. The brand's Cape Infinity line of luxury capes has been designed with sustainability and multi-functionality at its core, using biodegradable and environmentally friendly wool ethically sourced from local communities in the Himalayas. Based on a zero waste concept, each cape is made using wooden handlooms, thus significantly reducing carbon footprint (no electricity here), and bringing more rural women into the work force.

Floral Street Fragrance

Responsible fragrance brand Floral Street has been applying the four Rs (rethink, reduce, repurpose and recycle) right from its beginnings in 2017. All of the the brand’s vegetable-printed packaging is recyclable, and its biodegradable wood-pulp carton is a first in the fragrance industry. Additionally, the brand’s box-production process has been independently verified to use less energy, water and raw materials than alternatives, and any waste water is cleaned and recycled. Floral Street also carbon balances via the World Land Trust, and its 2020 certificate confirms that it has balanced the equivalent of 9,362kg of carbon dioxide.

Follow Your Heart

Beginning as a soup and sandwich counter in California over 50 years ago, Follow Your Heart continues to elevate vegan cuisine. From vegan cheeses, to salad dressings, and yes, that incredible vegan mayo, Follow Your Heart has it all – including a pragmatic approach to sustainability. With much of its produce manufactured in its own solar-powered facility in California, Follow Your Heart's Earth Island is the first plant-based manufacturing facility in the US to achieve Platinum Level Zero Waste Certification by TRUE certifications. Additionally, the brand diverts over 98% of waste from landfill by recycling over 270 tons of materials, re-purposing 200 tons, and composting 100 tons. Pretty neat.

Form Nutrition 

In a wellness industry intent on looking inwards, Form goes against the status quo by striving to bring social conscience to its customers. The first and only UK B Corp-certified supplement brand, Form aims to allow people to be the best version of themselves – both through taking care of their body, and by caring for the earth. The latter is made all the more easy by Form Nutrition’s fully sustainable packaging (you won’t find an ounce of plastic here) and commitment at the UN Climate Change Conference in 2019 to accelerate the reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions to reach net zero by the year 2030 – that’s 20 years ahead of the 2050 targets set in the Paris Agreement!

Function of Beauty 

You've probably heard of influencer-favourite custom haircare brand Function of Beauty. But how do its sustainable credentials stand up? Well, each of the brand's products is individually formulated using science-backed ingredients that are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. Its range – which also span skin and body care – is free from nasties like sulfates, parabens, and phthalates, too, and the brand is committed to constant improvement in the area of sustainability and ethical business.

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Gaâla

Gaâla makes polished clothes in timeless, classic cuts from deadstock fabric (i.e. that which most large fashion brands would usually send straight to landfill). Handmade in Belarus by a small team of seamstresses, the brand's collections are made all the more stylish by the fact that those who make them are paid a fair wage.

Garnier

Sold in 64 countries, with 1.8 billion products produced each year, Garnier is one of the largest brands that Cruelty Free International has ever approved under the Leaping Bunny programme, with all Garnier products across the globe now officially cruelty free. Not content with just stopping there, though, Garnier has even bigger plans for its future. By 2025, the brand hopes to have eliminated virgin plastic, to have turned its industrial sites carbon neutral, and have made all of its plastic packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable.

Gillette Venus

Having upgraded its refillable handles so that they're all made with at least 30% recycled materials, or designed with metal for durability and control, Gillette has taken a number of impressive steps to tackle the climate crisis in recent years. The brand's refillable razors are now in fully recyclable cardboard packs (made from at least 40% recycled materials and with FSC-certified paper) and its continuing partnership with TerraCycle means all Venus razors are fully recyclable.

Giorgio Armani Beauty

Believers in responsible ingredients sourcing, Armani beauty favours working with local NGOs to source sustainable, ethical ingredients that support the communities from whence they're derived. Take, for example, the vanilla blended in the brand's MY WAY fragrance. Sourced in Madagascar through an inclusive sourcing program that champions social inclusion, the brand prioritise suppliers who provide reliable work and income for vulnerable people who would usually be excluded from the labour market.

GLOSSYBOX Skincare

PSA: Beauty subscription favourite GLOSSYBOX has a skincare range, and it's 100% vegan. (And rather brilliant, too.) Developed and produced in the UK, the affordable range uses planet-considerate ingredients like COSMOS approved naturally derived emollients in its cleansers, Inca Inchi oil that's both Fairtrade and organic, and natural Cornish Clay sourced from open-cast pits in, you guessed it, Cornwall. Added bonus: the brand retains full control over its supply chain, allowing it to place the environment at the forefront of everything from formulating to filling.

gloved

Just as hand care brand gloved, which was launched in the summer of 2020 by fine fragrance creator Tom Daxon, uses only the best ingredients in its formulas, its packaging also places an emphasis on quality; using glass bottles, aluminium caps and recycled cardboard boxes. Additionally, while the brand's bottles feature a plastic pump, its refill incentive (which grants £1 off per refill) encourages customers to buy once and keep forever.

Glow Recipe 

Taking inspiration from South Korea's buzziest new skincare trends, vegan and cruelty free brand Glow Recipe has been quietly making waves in the beauty industry since launching in 2014. Its pretty-as-a-picture packaging is recyclable through the brand's partnership with TerraCycle, and a recent partnership with non-profit Climate Neutral means the brand is on its way to becoming Climate Neutral certified by 2022.

Goldfaden MD

Developed by leading dermatologist Dr. Goldfaden, Goldfaden MD does skincare that's problem-solving but plant-based – offering physician-strength results, with a focus on pure formulations. Additionally, the brand's packaging contains over 70% recycled plastics and is 100% recyclable, while its shipping boxes are made from 100% recycled paper.

Graphenstone 

Listen up, interiors enthusiasts. A trailblazer in the paint industry, Norfolk-based Graphenstone offers the world’s most certified eco paint. How? Well, it's the only paint in the UK to contain Graphene – a non-toxic pure carbon and the strongest material known to science. Where many of the paints dominating the UK decorating market are made with polluting acrylics, plastics and oils, Graphenstone’s products are made from natural elements (and that goes for its packaging, too, which is made from 100% recycled materials).

Green Salon Collective

As its name would imply, Green Salon Collective helps make salons more sustainable by 'recycling the unrecyclable'. Launched in July 2020, the organisation focuses on finding circular solutions for salon waste – recycling, composting and recovering everything from hair, to used foils, empty colour tubes, chemicals, PPE and even salon towels.

Greensand Ridge Distillery

Greensand Ridge Distillery is the first carbon-neutral distillery in the UK – a remarkable feat, given that energy and water use are two of the hardest things for a small distillery like theirs to mitigate. By using 100% renewable power, the brand aims to be plastic-, chemical- and waste-free in all distillery operations.

Guerlain

Guerlain have been championing bee preservation for over ten years. The brand's World Bee Day initiative last year saw them hold an international fund drive to raise up to one million euros in aid of the Guerlain For Bees Conservation programme, and they continue to push their commitment to the increasingly endangered species.

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Hairstory

Known for its New Wash hair cleanser, a detergent-free, 100% biodegradable alternative to shampoo, Hairstory's products try to be as kind to the earth as they are the scalp. Having eliminated plastic bottles across its New Wash range in favour of more environmentally-friendly pouches (which use 63% less plastic) the brand is also part of One Percent for the Planet – donating one per cent of New Wash sales to water-related causes.

Handbag Clinic 

Handbag Clinic is the longest established luxury restoration and resale service in the UK, restoring around 700 bags each month and reselling around 300. Encouraging customers to prolong the lifecycle of their bags through resale and authentication, the clinic also trains future generations in specialist artisanal skills and the dwindling art of craftsmanship.

Hawaiian Tropic

With reef friendly ingredients and packaging made from 45% recycled plastic, Hawaiian Tropic's Aloha Care collection is the brand's most sustainable to date. With the knowledge that coral reefs account for less than 1% of the world's marine habitat, yet they support more than 25% of all life in the ocean, the PETA-certified brand also recently teamed up with Reef Life Foundation to help plant a Coral Reef Garden to revitalise, restore and protect at-risk coral reefs in Hawaii.

HIGHR

HIGHR is on a mission to build one of the cleanest supply chains in the biz. Not only have their plant-based lipsticks been manufactured with 100% clean solar energy, but they also offset their operational carbon with the help of certified B Corp Native Energy.

Honeywell Biscuit Co.

Novelty biscuits shaped like a full English breakfast? Personalised pencil-shaped biscuits to wish someone all the best in a new job? You name it, Honeywell makes it in biscuit form. Currently working towards B Corp certification, the brand's commitment to sustainability is far from a laughing matter, though. All of its packaging is recyclable and most of it is compostable, ingredients are sourced locally, the energy the brand uses is 100% renewable, and it offsets its carbon using Ecologi, too.

HUM Nutrition 

The first supplement company to transition its bottle packaging to 100% ocean-bound plastic, HUM Nutrition estimates that its sustainable packaging initiative will prevent the equivalent of six million water bottles from entering the ocean this year alone. Additionally, the brand hopes that by 2025 it will have prevented the equivalent of more than 50 million water bottles from entering our oceans. Impressive or what?

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IKOS Resorts

Having witnessed the widespread issue of waste management on Corfu Island, the team at IKOS Dassia devised a solution in a three-fold, zero-waste programme. By vowing to find the best solution for reducing and recycling all materials produced at the resort, to manage and biodegrade organic waste, and to train all staff to work to a zero-waste brief, IKOS Dassia is ensuring long-term luxury by preserving its stunning natural surrounds.

Illamasqua

Accredited as a 'cruelty-free brand' by PETA, Illamasqua has been staunchly anti-animal testing since its very beginnings. Being an international cosmetics brand, this does, of course, present its challenges. But Illamasqua review all global demands for the brand carefully, and its cross border e-commerce structure means orders for the likes of China (where animal testing is standard) are fulfilled outside the country's mainland, meaning it has no obligation to test on animals.

ILLARI

Working in a sustainable economic, social and environmental system that champions indigenous craftswomen from the Argentine North, ILLARI designs, develops and sells fabrics that are traceable, use natural fibres from animals raised by highland herders, and crucially, empower the artisans who make them.

Immaculate Vegan

Immaculate Vegan was one of the first large scale multi-brand retailers of 100% vegan and sustainable premium fashion. From vegan shoes, bags and accessories, to ethically-made clothing and homewares, the platform allows environmentally-conscious customers to shop some of the world's best vegan brands all in one place.

Inlight Beauty

The very first UK brand to be accredited as 100% organic by COSMOS, Inlight Beauty uses only organic, raw ingredients for its formulations which, according to the brand, have been designed to "protect people's health, the environment, and the future of our planet". Its waterless and alcohol-free formulas also mean no need for synthetic preservatives, and its recyclable packaging and use of green energy keeps its impact on our planet to a minimum.

Innersense Organic Beauty

Using the purest, organically grown ingredients that are ethically harvested and sourced from trusted suppliers, Innersense packages its luxury haircare products in recyclable plastic (most of which is PCR), and has pledged to continue to clean up more plastic than it produces through partnerships with Plastic Bank and Plastic Pollution Solutions.

Irene Forte Skincare

Irene Forte Skincare champions both ethical ingredients (sourcing from both its organic farm in Sicily and reputable farmers in Trentino) and more sustainable packaging. With boxes made from 100% recycled fibres, bottles and jars made out of recyclable glass (with 30% now made from post-industrial recycled material), and refillable options now offered on all Irene Forte 30ml and 50ml products, this is one beauty brand well on its way to achieving its eventual goal of becoming a B-Corporation.

Isle of Paradise 

Isle of Paradise’s skin-loving and streak-free tanning products are free from both animal-derived ingredients and a range of other nasties, like parabens and sulfates. As part of the brand’s promise to deliver a cleaner, greener glow for all skin types and tones, all ingredients are sourced responsibly, as well as being PETA-approved and certified organic. In fact, the brand is actually the world's first 100% vegan and cruelty-free colour correcting self-tanning brand. Now that brings new meaning to the idea of a natural tan.

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jakke.

jakke. makes sustainable outerwear that's as cruelty-free as it is chic. Encapsulating the ethos of ‘free from’, the brand doesn’t use any fur, leather, wool or silk in its pieces, instead opting for sustainable fabrics and offcuts from previous collections. Also good: the brand’s Wear & Care range includes recycled polyester fabrics that are made from a blend of 100% recycled plastic bottles, giving second life to a material that’s not biodegradable and would otherwise end up in landfill or in our oceans. Such is its commitment to sustainability that 75% of the label's AW21 collection is either made from certified recycled fibres or is biodegradable.

Jo Malone London 

Jo Malone's charity candle collection is a key part of the brand's ten-year commitment to shining a light on mental health. With 75% of the retail price of each Charity Home Candle going directly to supporting mental health projects – including creating charity gardens where people can discover the restorative effects of nature – through the initiative, the brand have to date donated over £2.5million to their partner charities. In addition, over 75% of Jo Malone London's current packaging is recyclable (though the brand is on a journey towards improving this further), with the brand estimating that 75-100% of its packaging will be recyclable, refillable, reusable, recycled or recoverable by 2025.

J'Tanicals

Have you joined the CBD skincare club yet? Thought to calm, rebalance and soothe the skin, CBD isn't just a passing beauty fad – it's here for the long haul. J'Tanicals aims to take the confusion out of CBD beauty, by offering luxury, vegan and 100% natural skincare solutions formulated with high quality CBD isolates and natural botanicals. Champions of transparent sourcing, J'Tanicals sources its CBD from high-quality hemp farms in Switzerland.

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KANKAN

KANKAN is a solution-led brand on a mission to make low-waste, refillable beauty the norm. Offering a range of natural personal care products in an aluminium can, thus eliminating plastics from our bathrooms and making refills easier than ever (hello, dream beauty travel companions), the brand also plants one tree per can sold; furthering its commitment to carbon neutrality.

Kiehl's Since 1851 

Through its Recycle & Be Rewarded scheme, Kiehl's encourages customers to bring their empties back to the brand, having so far reclaimed over 13 million empty jars and bottles globally as a result. All of the brand's boutiques now offer empties recycling in exchange for loyalty stamps – thus incentivising recycling for its customers, and helping the planet in the process.

Kimaï

High quality, low impact is the line taken by sustainable jewellery brand Kimaï – and it's clearly working, given that it's one of the fastest-growing ethical fine jewellers to enter the market in recent years. Crafting contemporary jewellery from responsibly-made lab diamonds and 100% recycled gold, Kimaï’s pieces are handmade by independent artisans in Antwerp through a made-to-order model that reduces waste. What's more, the brand can trace exactly where and when each diamond is made, and unlike mined diamonds, which change hands up to 15 times, Kimaï’s change hands just six times (and it's happy to tell you whose).

KinKind

It goes without saying that the Great British bathroom has a packaging problem. From shampoos to shower gels, shaving foams to body lotions, high water content products encased in harmful plastics abound in the average bathroom, which is where family friendly brand KinKind come in. Offering plastic free, low carbon footprint bars that will change your mind about plastic for good, KinKind's hand-made bath and shower products can be purchased as a one-off, or on a flexible subscription, so you'll never again run out of shampoo mid-lather.

KINN Living

KINN Living creates eco-friendly alternatives for everyday products. The brand's line of laundry and cleaning products are biodegradable, made using plant based ingredients, and available to buy in concentrated refills that drastically reduce packaging waste. Oh, and they smell so dreamy.

KINRADEN

Fine jewellery brand KINRADEN never involves the use of virgin metals in its pieces, instead opting for recycled gold and silver. Aiming to create a closed loop, the brand insists on using the purest possible materials so that its jewellery can be reused or reengineered, and also aims for neutral energy consumption and zero waste, including from its multi-use organic paper packaging.

Kintra Fibers 

Armed with the knowledge that the synthetic materials that enable our outdoor adventures are also the very ones that pollute the planet they help us explore, Kintra Fibers creates human-made materials that offer a more sustainable alternative to popular outdoor fabrics like nylon and PET. The brand's plan of action is threefold: to tackle fashion's dependency on fossil fuel-based materials, microfibre pollution, and textile waste. How does it do this? By creating a polymer with an intrinsically-compostable structure that can be industrially composted, depolymerized, or mechanically recycled at the end of its life-cycle.

Kitche

A free app designed to reduce household food waste, Kitche allows users to scan their grocery receipts, store their shopping in a virtual food store, and check which items they have at home without having to check the fridge. Pretty clever, right? Users can also receive reminders to use up certain foods before they go off, and can view a virtual breakdown of how much of each product they have wasted, and the associated costs of doing so.

KLORIS

Zero waste is a priority for KLORIS. Not only is all of the unique CBD brand's packaging 100% recyclable, but 95% of KLORIS's entire product and postage materials are biodegradable. (And it never wraps anything in plastic or excess packaging, either.) The brand are also committed to working with suppliers who farm responsibly using sustainable methods that don't involve environment-damaging pesticides, fertilisers or herbicides.

KVD Beauty 

Born in an iconic tattoo studio, KVD Beauty's high-performance and high-pigment makeup gives 'a f*ck about the planet'. At the forefront of the vegan and cruelty-free makeup movement, the brand is also looking at ways to make other aspects of its product offering more sustainable – from using fully recyclable packaging where possible, to offering refillable compacts where it can, too.

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La Mer

La Mer's Blue Heart initiative was founded in 2017 in culmination of the brand's 15 year history of supporting ocean conservation efforts around the world. Armed with the knowledge that 50% of the world's oxygen comes from the ocean, and that 80% of marine pollution originates inland, the luxury skincare brand has so far planted 400,000 mangroves in the Caribbean in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, contributed to various ocean conservation organisations, and vowed to ensure that over 75% of its packaging will be recycled, recyclable, reusable, refillable or recoverable by 2025.

land&water

land&water makes vegan-friendly, high quality everyday essentials that smell divine. Using only natural, botanical materials, all products are made in the British Isles, and dreamed up by ex-chefs, who the brand have sponsored through biochemistry degrees. (We knew there must be a science behind their products smelling that good.)

LARQ

LARQ’s vision is simple: to combine innovative technology with inspirational design to help people across the globe access pristine drinking water easily and sustainably. (No single-use plastic here.) The brand’s flagship product, the LARQ Bottle, purifies water on the go using chemical-free and non-toxic UV-C LED light, along with patented PureVis technology, to neutralise 99.9999 per cent of germs, protozoa, and other harmful, odour-causing bio-contaminants in just 60 seconds – hello, gym water bottle of dreams.

LastObject

LastObject is on a mission to eliminate everyday single-use beauty products – think cotton swabs, tissues and cotton pads. The brand only manufacturers products on the proviso that they have at least ten times a more sustainable impact compared to the traditional single-use products they replace, and ensures end-to-end environmental excellence across its value chain. Its reusable essentials are the first thing we pack when travelling.

Little Soap Company

Creators of the first organic English soap to hit supermarket shelves, Little Soap Company has been disrupting the soaps market for over ten years. Committed to bringing natural, vegan products to the high street at affordable prices, each one of the brand's soaps is free from detergents, SLS (AKA Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), alcohol, parabens, sorbates, silicones and synthetic preservatives. Phew.

Liz Earle 

Cruelty free from day one, Liz Earle's entire range has been certified by The Leaping Bunny Certification Programme. All factories used to make the brand's beloved skincare are audited before being used against its global ethical trading standards, and the brand is committed to sourcing responsibly, building relationships with its growers and farmers, and ensuring fair working conditions.

 L'OCCITANE en Provence

L'OCCITANE has been built around six core commitments to people and the planet: Respecting Biodiversity, Supporting Producers, Reducing Waste, Empowering Women, Caring for Sight and Celebrating Craftsmanship. Through these commitments, the brand has, to date, supported the emancipation of over 42,000 Burkinabe shea producers through the L’OCCITANE Foundation (and been recognised by the UN Development Programme for their efforts), introduced braille on all packaging where possible, and collaborated with partners including UNICEF to enable eye care for over 10 million people worldwide. By 2025, the brand estimate that all of their packaging will be 100% recyclable.

LOOKFANTASTIC

LOOKFANTASTIC is one of the beauty industry’s best-loved retailers, so when the brand launched its innovative recycle:me scheme, we sat up and took note. Aiming to tackle the industry’s plastic-waste problem, the scheme allows customers to send all plastic packaging from used beauty products – regardless of the brand – back to LOOKFANTASTIC to be recycled free of charge. The retailer then recycles the plastic into new materials, preventing frequently hard to recycle items ending up in landfill. The retailer even offset the carbon emissions that come from customers posting their pre-loved packaging back.

Lora Gene clothing

Achieving B Corp certification in 2020, Lora Gene clothing believes that creativity and craft are interdependent, producing every garment through conscious sourcing, and only collaborating with suppliers who reflect the brand’s values around sustainability. 

L'Oreal Paris

L’Oréal is a beauty behemoth, so when it commits to change, we sit up and take note. By 2025, the brand estimate that all its natural ingredients will be sustainably sourced, while 100% of its plastic packaging will be recyclable, reusable or compostable. Despite production increasing, in 2020 the company reduced the quantity of waste per finished product by 35%. What's more is that last year the brand also recovered 97% of its industrial waste by reusing or recycling it, or harnessing it to produce energy. Oh, and L’Oréal is also working on reusing industrial water at every possible opportunity, having reduced its water consumption by 44% since 2005. Watch this space.

Lumene

Nordic beauty brand Lumene have been on a mission to make skincare that not only delivers on an individual level, but takes as little as possible from the environment, too. With up to 99% of the brand's vegan ingredients derived naturally, Lumene have long been champions of utilising the side streams of the food industry's production processes. (Think skin-loving natural ingredients like birch bark and berry skins and seeds.) Now with one of Finland's leading beauty brand positions in Sustainable Brand Index, Lumene are working towards a circular economy approach to natural beauty.

Lynk & Co 

Equipped with the knowledge that the average car is only in use 4% of the time, Lynk & Co came up with a game-changing solution: to create a pioneering membership community that allows drivers to share their vehicle. How does it work? By offering members a simple, fuss-free ownership ethos that allows you to pay on a month-by-month basis, and cancel anytime. When you share the brand's 01 car, you can claim money back – so unlike conventional ownership, you won’t end up shelling out for a car that’s not in use. Pretty radical.

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Maria Nila

Developed and produced in Sweden (i.e. the home of enviable hair), vegan and cruelty-free haircare brand Maria Nila was developed out of a love for animals. (It doesn't come as a surprise, then, that the brand is certified by The Vegan Society, PETA and Leaping Bunny.) Working with Zeromission and Plan Vivo!, Maria Nila also aims to have a positive social impact, contributing to reforestation projects across the globe.

Mārīcī

While brands switching to PVC-based leather in a bid to tackle animal cruelty is ostensibly a good thing, the environmental repercussions are decidedly not. Enter House of Marici: the brand crafting chic accessories from pinãtex, a pioneering fabric made from the waste plants of existing industries. The first fully fledged plant-based luxury brand, House of Marici’s ethical impact is as important as its environmental one; with the brand knowing every single person in its supply chain, and always striving to work with small local businesses. Additionally, it is the only brand within the Selfridges’ luxury designer accessories edit to pass the retailer’s Project Earth requirements.

Mark Hill

Haircare and vegan-friendly formulations don't always go hand in hand, but Mark Hill (both the brand and the man) believes that no animal should be harmed in the creation of its products. All products in the brand's The Hair Lab range are vegan, cruelty free and packaged in 100% post consumer recycled bottles and jars. Huzzah!

MATILDE 

MATILDE is a jewellery brand with a difference. Using solely lab-grown diamonds and 100% recycled gold, the brand pushes for ethical excellence across its supply chain, and ensures both fair prices for you and me, and fair wages for its workers.

Mawena

Organic, vegan, cruelty-free and inclusive beauty brand Mawena uses natural active ingredients derived from plants and ancient traditions. What's more, the brand donate €2 of proceeds for each product sold to the co-op it has put in place in Mexico – meaning not only does this luxe brand do good for your skin, but it does good for the world around you, too.

Milk & More 

Milk & More is the country’s largest online grocery and milk doorstep delivery service. Committed to helping customers play their part in looking after the planet, the brand works with dozens of small producers for whom sustainability is central. On a mission to reduce its plastic use, 97% of Milk & More's products now come in packaging that's either reusable, recyclable or compostable; with 79% of products also sold in Zero Waste packaging – including, yes, those classic Milk & More glass milk bottles.

Milliways 

Plant-based, plastic-free and planet-friendly from product to packaging, Milliways swaps the plastic base used in conventional gum for natural chicle sap sourced from sapodilla trees. The result? A gum that's better for your teeth (it's sugar free, too), better for you and better for the planet, all while tasting phenomenal. Oh, and it's also biodegradable, meaning it won't stay stuck to the earth forever once disposed of.

Minor Figures 

Best known for its Oat Refill Stations, Minor Figures is a brand on a mission to break us up with gratuitous packaging once and for all. With 100 refill stations in stores across the nation (the first of their kind in the UK), this beloved new-gen brand invites customers to get their oat-milk fix in the most sustainable way possible: without waste and without packaging. By offering an alternative to traditional plant-based milk packaging, Minor Figures has so far helped save more than 58,480 cartons from entering the supply chain – with plenty more set to follow in the future. The carbon impact of its pioneering refill format, meanwhile, is an incredible 48.6% reduction in carbon emissions compared to your typical Tetra Pak packaging.

Modibodi

Modibodi’s leakproof underwear offers customers the opportunity to make a positive impact just by changing their undies. Having so far sold more than 3.5 million pairs, and saved billions of single-use disposable hygiene products like pads and tampons from landfill in the process, Modibodi's pants are crafted from sustainable materials like bamboo, Merino wool, organic cotton and recycled nylon – meaning not only are they exceptionally comfy, but they're planet-friendly from conception to consumer, too.

Molton Brown 

Made in England since their very beginnings in 1971, iconic beauty brand Molton Brown have long been champions of the positive luxury movement. With ambitions to become 100% vegan by 2022, the cruelty-free brand are committed to reducing single-use plastic (they've already started to make plastic bottles with 50% recycled PET, reducing their use of virgin plastic by the equivalent of around 4.8 million Molton Brown 300ml bottles per year), and have aims of making their Elsenham facility carbon neutral by the end of 2021.

Mondaine

Far from being a recent attempt to keep up with a contemporary trend, sustainability has been part of Mondaine’s corporate philosophy for almost 30 years. But the brand went a step further in 2017 when it presented what is probably the world’s most sustainable watch. The Mondaine Essence collection is made with 70% raw natural materials – from its replaceable straps, which, depending on the style, are made of either 50% wondertree oil or 100% recycled PET bottles with a natural cork lining, to its sustainable packaging, which is made from more than 96% recycled PET bottles. 

Monica Vinader 

Monica Vinader's commitment to sustainability far surpasses the industry's standard lip service. Between producing its jewellery exclusively in 100% recycled silver and gold, only working with Responsible Jewellery Council-certified suppliers, carbon offsetting its entire carbon footprint – from corporate to customer shipment – transitioning to 100% recyclable, FSC-certified packaging, and introducing a pioneering jewellery recycling scheme, this is one brand well on its way to making as much a difference to the planet as it does the women who wear it.

Monika the Label

Monika the Label supports a fair and clean fashion industry. Working solely with UK based, eco-friendly companies, MTL's ready-to-wear is cut from biodegradable silk, organic cotton and OEKTO TEX-certified Regenesis satin from recycled plastic bottles. No detail is too small to have an environmental consideration for the brand – from hand-drawn prints that are digitally printed using Azo dye-free, nontoxic inks for minimal water consumption, to buttons made from Corozo nuts from Tagua palm trees, which are only collected after falling naturally. In a further step towards circularity, the brand will this year launch its take-back scheme, encouraging consumers to return preloved MTL garments in exchange for discount on future purchases. The brand will then upcycle the returned garments and resell as an Archive Collection; with any items not resold going to Oxfam's recycling scheme.

Mooncup

Now, we can hardly move for brands offering more sustainable alternatives to single-use pads and tampons, but Mooncup was the one that launched them all. Created in Brighton in 2002, Mooncup produced the world's first silicone reusable menstrual cup, putting an end to the waste, expense and discomfort of throwaway pads and tampons. With all of its products manufactured in the UK, minimising emissions and cutting out airmiles in the manufacturing process, the brand became the first sanitary protection manufacturer in the world to be certified as an Ethical Business. Pretty impressive. Have you joined the period cup revolution yet?

Moo & Yoo

When it comes to single use plastic, haircare products are one of the beauty industry's worst offenders. Enter Moo & Yoo, a small brand on a mission to make a big difference. Only using glass bottles and jars for its products, the brand aim to use the most natural ingredients possible from renewable sources. Oh, and it plants a tree for every online order, so any carbon emissions created in the production process are offset.

More Than Swim UK

It’s no surprise that More Than Swim’s brand motto is ‘minimise your carbon footprint, maximise your sass’. An inclusive, sustainable swimwear brand produced entirely in the UK, this small company has its sights set on effecting big change. Each handmade-to-order garment is printed to size before being cut and sewn without elastic, and designs are directly transferred onto the fabric using eco-friendly inks. Determined to play an active role in restoring our planet, More Than Swim makes a donation to Ocean Generation for every site sale, while postage is offset with an additional donation to an Amazon jungle conservation charity.

Mum & You

Using mostly naturally derived, vegan and midwife-approved ingredients, Mum & You does fuss-free skincare for time strapped parents. Made responsibly in the UK, and tested not on animals, but on real life mums, the brand forgoes plastic, non-recyclable packaging, too.

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Nailberry

Have you heard of Nailberry? Founded in 2012, this eco-friendly nail polish brand places as much emphasis on caring for the future health of the planet as it does your nails. Using an exclusive patented technology to deliver breathable, oxygenated and water permeable polishes that don't compromise on vivacity or longevity, the brand's halal-friendly and cruelty free formulas take a '12-free' tack – meaning products are free from 12 nasties commonly found in nail products, including phthalates, parabens and animal derivatives.

Neal's Yard Remedies

Launched in 2011, Neal's Yard Remedies's Bee Lovely and Save the Bees' campaign has been full steam ahead ever since, and met its target of supporting 50 million bees by the end of 2020. Focusing this year on protecting biodiversity in the UK by helping to save one of Britain's rarest bumblebees, the shrill carder, 3% of the brand's Bee Lovely sales go to Bee friendly charities.

Neighbourhood Botanicals

Not content with just offsetting their emissions, formula-led beauty brand Neighbourhood Botanicals went carbon negative by offsetting more than double their emissions through the purchasing of carbon credits that benefit a hydropower project in rural China. Despite being a small company, they keep environmental considerations in mind at every stage of their production process, and believe a global change towards conscious capitalism is well overdue.

Noble Panacea

Science-driven skincare brand Noble Panacea has been meticulously designed to responsibly protect, preserve and prolong the natural beauty of both its customers and the environment, from sourcing to packaging. The brand's starch-based boxes are made of renewable materials, while the FSC paper cartons are recyclable via municipal curbside recycling. The brand also launched their first refill system in January of this year, allowing customers to reuse and refill their existing Noble Panacea octagonal boxes in a bid to extend packaging life.

Nudea

Fit-centric underwear brand Nudea operates on a 'Buy Less, Care More' ethos, designing underwear made with responsibly-sourced, post-consumer waste materials. Made in Portugal (with all 26 bra components sourced locally in Europe), the brand created the first dedicated bra care kit with more planet-friendly detergents, to help keep underwear away from landfill for longer.

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Object Beauty

Formulated with skin-loving ingredients like aloe vera, ginger and petitgrain, Object Beauty's gender neutral zero-waste shampoo, conditioner and bodycare bars are packaged in totally recyclable and biodegradable packaging, that's small enough to fit through your letterbox. But that doesn't mean that they're any less efficacious than their liquid counterparts. In fact, they lather into a lovely cleansing foam that thoroughly cleanses even the thickest of tresses.

OH MY GUM!

OH MY GUM! is worth the exclamation. Plant-based, plastic-free and biodegradable, this upmarket chewing gum provides a planet-friendly alternative to your bog-standard stuff – which, incidentally, is made with the same plastic used to make tyres and glue. Eek.

Olivia & Pearl

The jewellery industry may be flooded with brands purporting to be sustainable, but Olivia & Pearl actually puts words into action with its ethical, sustainable and recycled materials, fair wage employment for workers, and marine conservation work. Ensuring to work with pearl farms that are as committed to ethical practices as they are exceptional craftsmanship, Olivia & Pearl is well on its way to achieving its ambition of becoming a leading brand of the future.

Onesta 

Welsh slow-fashion brand Onesta might only be a year old, but it's already making quiet waves in the industry. Producing small, thoughtfully designed collections from low-impact vegan materials, the brand’s name – which comes from the Welsh word for honest – is certainly fitting, as it provides full transparency of production to customers. In the process of applying for B Corp certification, the brand has already created eight jobs in a local community that suffers from high unemployment rates, donated 20% of revenue to three charities, started the development of an innovative dye made from waste in conjunction with Aberystwyth University, and set out on its journey towards zero-waste production by converting fabric scraps into reusable make-up wipes in collaboration with Surfers against Sewage.

Optibac

Known for its friendly bacteria supplements (namely, it's extensive range of probiotics), Optibac is on a mission to make supplements more sustainable. Between moving its capsule supplements into glass jars to reduce plastic packaging by 96%, releasing a new range of vegan Kids Gummies in completely plastic-free packaging, and donating a portion of revenue from sales of its For Women supplements to international women’s rights charity Womankind Worldwide, it's no wonder that Optibac is the UK and Ireland’s most recommended brand of probiotic supplements.

Original Beans

Original Beans is a chocolate brand intent on making a difference. With the knowledge that centuries of colonial exploitation and decades of armed conflict have made Eastern Congo one of the most hostile places in the world to live as a woman, in 2016 Original Beans founded the world’s first women’s cacao cooperative, The Femmes de Virunga. Aimed at empowering women in the DRC, this project has enabled women to earn their household an income and establish their position in the sector through the sustainable cultivation of cacao.

Origins

Origins is a brand rooted in nature – so it only makes sense that it takes giving back to the planet seriously. So far, Origins have planted over 1.5million trees globally (37,000 of which are in the UK alone, thanks to its partnership with the National Trust), and it continues to support a number of important re-forestation programmes around the world, having donated $250,000 to the cause this year alone.

Otiumberg

Otiumberg proposes a new kind of jewellery brand: one that combines desirability, luxury and accessibility. Believing that affordability is key for any long-term sustainable thinking to be effective, the brand takes a circular approach to sustainability – breaking the fashion calendar to embrace a slower, non-seasonal design process using traditional techniques and responsibly sourced materials. Not only does the brand now use recycled gold and silver across 94% of the collection, its customer recycling and repairs initiatives; wear-forever designs; and focus on eliminating plastic from its supply chain and consumer packaging, cement this as a jewellery brand truly committed to long-term change.

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Pagerie

Pagerie is the first brand to offer ultra-luxury harnesses, leashes and collars for canine companions. A sort of Hermès for dogs (yep, it exists) the brand's products are custom-designed and custom-made from vegetable tanned leather (biodegradable) and stainless steel hardware (recyclable).

Pai Skincare

Every one of Pai Skincare's products is created in-house, giving the brand a total view of its supply chain, from formulation to packaging. A certified organic brand, Pai Skincare also holds COSMOS certification, meaning it's held to the most rigorous standards of ingredient-sustainability, biodegradability and organic content.

Palette by pak®

Palette by pak is the brand behind the innovative The Original High Fiver – the smart beauty tool that allows you to skip travel size products and take your normal full-size products with you compactly and securely. Taking the 'refill is the new recycle approach', the recycled plastic palette has flexible wells, which press up to help you squeeze out every last drop of your beauty favourites.

Pandora

Having last year announced that it intended to switch to 100% renewable energy in its crafting facilities, lowering carbon emissions by more than 25,000 tonnes C02e as a result, jewellery giant Pandora is well on its way to reaching its 2025 goal of carbon neutrality. But the innovation doesn't stop there. In May of this year the brand launched its Pandora Brilliance collection – a range of premium jewellery crafted from carbon neutral lab-created diamonds. Additionally, Pandora plans on making the switch to 100% recycled silver and gold across its range by 2025, becoming the first jewellery brand of its stature to do so.

Pantys 

While most menstrual underwear products are inherently more sustainable compared to single-use tampons and pads, certified B Corp Pantys goes well beyond the basics. A pioneer in carbon labelling, the brand wants you to know the footprint of each and every one of its products. (Spoiler: they're carbon neutral.) The first lingerie brand globally to transition its entire line of products to biodegradable nylon technology – meaning its underwear degrades in up to 3 years, rather than the 100 required for traditional nylon – the brand is also committed to tackling global period poverty through its partnerships with various women's organisations and NGOs. Plus, they fit like a dream.

PÄRLA

An ethical and eco-friendly alternative to toothpaste in a tube, PÄRLA’s toothpaste tabs were born of the belief that toothpaste should protect people’s smiles, without harming the environment (or those who depend on it) in the process. Zero-waste and completely free of plastic packaging, the brand’s vegan, dehydrated toothpaste tablets are made with clean ingredients; are palm oil-, SLS- and gluten-free, and come in a cute reusable glass jar. Oh, and they’re made in the UK – allowing the brand to also greatly reduce its carbon footprint.

Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty 

Paul Mitchell Clean Beauty's haircare heroes are formulated with botanical ingredients sourced from a biodynamic open lab farm in Italy. Manufactured using renewable energy sources – namely, solar and water power – the brand's bio-based packaging is 90% derived from Brazilian sugarcane and 100% recyclable.

Pellicano Hotels Group

Looking for a luxury holiday destination with a conscience? Consider Pellicano Hotels Group your first port of call. From working to reducing food waste (and donating any unused food to local food banks), to switching to 100% energy from renewable sources through the purchasing of guarantees of origin across its hotels and offices, luxury and sustainability go hand in had at this sun-drenched destination.

PĪFERI

London-based vegan shoe brand PĪFERI is committed to making more planet-friendly footwear that doesn't compromise on craft. Handmade in Parabiago, a small town outside Milan, the brand focuses on the use of bio-based materials derived from corn oil and recycled synthetics. Take, for example, its vegan suede. Made from reclaimed plastic bottles, it's actually more durable than non-vegan suede, as it's less likely to stretch or crease as easily with wear.

PI London 

Born from its founder's desire to make antique and vintage jewellery more accessible for the modern shopper, PI London offers carefully selected second-hand pieces that truly stand the test of time. Sustainability seeps into all the brand's operations – including its recycled packaging, which involves limited-edition, artist-created keepsake trinket boxes that you can use and love for as long as the jewellery they house. It's no wonder that Beyoncé and Alexa Chung are fans, then.

PLANERA

PSA: a flushable menstrual pad is here, and it's on a mission to make period products circular. PLANERA's clever pads remove carbon with a flush, using the hydraulic action of said flush to break the pad down within minutes into 3mm plant fibres. The first non-wipe product that has been certified as flushable, PLANERA is microplastics free and fully biodegradable.

Polestar 

When the planned opening of electric car brand Polestar’s Manchester retail space was put on hold due to the pandemic, the team decided to use its demonstrator cars and staff at the Space to support FareShare UK. Swapping PR gift boxes out for a completely empty – and sustainable – box outlining its #NoWasteofSpace initiative, recipients were invited to fill their boxes full of non-perishable food and other essentials, then send them back to Polestar so they could use their demonstrators and staff to deliver them to those in need.

Potion Paris

Three-year-old fragrance brand Potion Paris returns to the very foundations of perfume creation, using naturally-derived, toxin-free ingredients in its luxury fragrances. The brand's return, refill, repeat programme incentivises reuse, and offers customers two 10ml vials of their choice fragrance for every 10 empties sent back for refill. Additionally, the brand has partnered with One Tree Planted to plant one tree for every purchase of its Box or Collection sets.

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Rahua

Rahua recognise that the Amazon rainforest is one of our earth's most valuable resources – playing a critical role in the reversal of climate change. Which is why, for every bottle of Rahua sold, the brand promises to preserve one acre of the Amazon Rainforest annually. Not only that, but their symbiotic® (in this case, meaning ingredients are grown in the wild and handcrafted by Indigenous tribal communities), vegan, non-toxic products are free of parabens, silicones, sulfates and gluten, meaning they're as free from skin aggressors as they are environmental ones.

REN Clean Skincare

Sustainability is in REN Clean Skincare’s DNA. Since its founding more than 20 years ago, the brand has only used sustainably sourced, natural bio-active ingredients. But this year, the brand has gone a step further in its sustainability journey and pledged to become zero-waste. (Which, given that 60% of its products already meet this pledge, shouldn't be too much of a challenge.) REN has also signed up to a first-of-its-kind LOOP shopping platform, produced in partnership with TerraCycle and Tesco, which offers consumers premium, durable packaging that can be delivered directly, then returned and refilled.

Replay

Denim brand Replay recently partnered with ISKO to further reinforce its focus on sustainability. Introducing Hyperflex Re-Used, a line of jeans made – or rather, remade – from eco-friendly raw materials and a mix of reused or recycled materials, the jeans are crafted from waste cotton fibres lost in the ordinary spinning processes that the brand regenerates into CCS-certified cotton.

[R E S E T]

[R E S E T] is out to change fashion’s notoriously negligent attitude towards inclusivity. Helping people with disabilities to gain confidence and independence, [R E S E T] makes clothes with features, designs, prints and colours to aid those grossly underserved by the current fashion climate. Focusing on the intersection between style and accessibility, the brand wants to be a voice for the differently abled on the high street.

Rhyme & Reason

New haircare brand on the block Rhyme & Reason house their cruelty-free, vegan haircare products in 100% recycled and recyclable packaging. Oh, and their bottle shape is specifically designed to minimise plastic use and optimise transit packing efficiency.

Rhythm 108

Swiss snack brand Rhythm 108 wants to inspire big change through small treats. Back in 2017, the brand became one of the first companies to partner with suppliers on an innovative, plastic-free and 100% home-compostable packaging material made from eucalyptus and corn waste. Currently used on the brand's (to die for) Swiss Vegan Hazelnut Chocolate Praline Cookie, Rhythm 108 plans on introducing plastic-free packaging across its full range by 2022.

ROKNDOL

ROKNDOL makes dreamy silk scrunchies that don't come at a cost to the silk worms used to make them. While the fashion and beauty industry's demand for silk has led to hundreds of thousands of moths being bred in factories every year for the sole purpose of their silk (they're usually boiled alive in their cocoons), ROKNDOL extracts its silk from moths who live outside in protected areas, and are able to break free from their cocoons to live out their full life-cycle.

Rotaro 

Born out of an urgent need to re-engineer the fashion system, Rotaro is a marketplace for brands to access their circular economy customer; enabling them to extend the lifespan of their garments, mobilise their unsold stock, gain new revenue, and reach a new audience. Sustainability is at the heart of everything the platform delivers – from using a carbon-neutral delivery partner, to its zero-waste reusable garment bags and promise to plant a tree for every rental or a thicket of trees for every new brand brought onboard.

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Saalt Cup

B Corp menstrual brand Saalt Cup ensures that every material in its reusable menstrual cups is manufactured using clean and ethical standards. Not only do the brand's cups inherently prevent single-use products from going to landfill, but it has further funded the clean-up of 11,640 pounds of waste through partnerships with organisations like Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii – a grassroots non-profit largely working in local communities. Saalt also commits 2% of its revenue to donate period care products to areas in need, and to fund initiatives in menstrual health, education and sustainability.

Sana Jardin 

You may not have heard of Sana Jardin, but the young luxury fragrance brand is already having a big impact on the world beyond the beauty industry. With the UN's Sustainable Development Goals in mind, Sana Jardin has created a cooperative for low-income Moroccan women that aims to empower female flower harvesters by teaching them how to upcycle the byproduct from perfume production and convert it into their own businesses.

Sani Resort

Not only was Sani Resort Greece’s first carbon neutral resort, it was awarded World’s Leading Luxury Green Resort by the World Travel Awards in 2020. It isn’t hard to see why. Set in a breathtaking 1,000-acre ecological reserve, with 7km of Blue Flagged beaches, more than 20km of forest trails and 270 acres of wetlands, Sani Resort is a self-described “sustainable self-contained world”, powered by 100% renewable electricity.

SBTRCT

You're probably well-versed in the merits of the best shampoo bars by now, but did you know that our skincare essentials are also headed for a waste-free future? Thanks to cutting-edge brand SBTRCT, cleanser and moisturiser is getting a solid makeover in zero-waste, soap-free, cruelty-free, vegan, compostable, waterless and plastic-free bars. Solution-driven and effective, SBTRCT offers an exciting glimpse into the future of skincare.

Seed to Skin

Sourcing many of its skincare ingredients from a 300-acre organic farm in Tuscany, Seed to Skin's cruelty-free range puts sustainability at its centre. With no part of the production process outsourced, meaning the brand is fully traceable and supportive of local communities, this eco-conscious, paraben and GMO-free brand definitely lives up to its namesake.

Skin & Tonic

Beginning as a kitchen table start-up in 2015, Skin & Tonic's skincare and wellbeing products use ingredients that are grown and harvested organically. COSMOS certified, the small brand's curated skincare line was specially formulated to gently address skin concerns, while encouraging important wellbeing rituals.

smol

smol does laundry detergent, but not quite like you know it. Engineered with less chemicals, smol's concentrated capsules are packaged in 100% plastic-free, child-impeding packaging that also doubles as in-home storage. One of the few cleaning brands to have commissioned a full life-cycle analysis (conducted by independent sustainability consultancy eLoop), the brand was found to generate 13% less carbon emissions than benchmark detergents. Clean clothes, meet clean conscience.

SO JUST SHOP 

Sustainable lifestyle brand SO JUST SHOP has developed a clever supply chain tracker allowing it to track all of its products from raw materials, through to delivery. Working closely with small-scale artisan groups, SO JUST SHOP also vows to work only with larger suppliers who are developing educational programmes to extend traditionally male dominated trades – silver-smithing, for example – to women, who are largely employed in making the brand’s jewellery, accessories and homeware. 

Sop ~ Scents of place

You may not have heard of small Norfolk-based brand Sop ~ Scents of place, but we're glad you have now. Launched in lockdown, all of the brand's vegan hair and body care products are created, manufactured and distributed (in recyclable packaging, naturally) from Norwich, drastically reducing carbon footprint. But Sop aims to have a positive social impact as well as a positive environmental one: as well as supporting the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Sop regularly provides products for London's homeless via ShowerBox, too.

Spectacle Skincare

As much an innovator in packaging as it is in skin, Spectacle Skincare's much-loved Performance Crème has been packaged in materials derived from over 95% renewable resources. Eco and cosmos-certified, the tube is constructed from a spruce-wood and sugarcane compound (the processed spruce is a by-product of sawdust created by German carpenters), while the brand plants two hemp seeds each time one of the product's outer boxes is created. (That's 16 lbs of trees and 20 gallons of water conserved for every 154 boxes.)

SPINNOVA 

What if we could create a more sustainable textile industry by imitating nature? This was the question that led to SPINNOVA – a game-changing new way of making textile fibre without using harmful chemicals. Inspired by how spiders weave their webs, SPINNOVA takes cellulose – what it describes as “nature’s most brilliant building material” – and aligns it in an optimal way to make a soft textile fibre that can be as warm as wool. Boasting a minimal environmental footprint, and 99.5% less water use than cotton, this biodegradable fibre does not emit any microplastics and can be recycled repeatedly without losing its strength.

Spruce 

Dubbed the Jo Malone of cleaning products by customers (they really do smell that good), Spruce was developed with the knowledge that we’re exposed to more than 300 toxic chemicals every day, ranging from cleaning formulas to plastics in our food. While traditional cleaning products aren’t exactly renowned for their eco-credentials (harsh chemicals and single-use plastics being the main offenders) Spruce’s products are free from harmful chemicals, artificial dyes and fragrances, palm oil and petroleum. The best bit? Its pretty pastel packaging is made from recyclable aluminium that can be refilled time and time again. (The brand will even deliver refills straight through your letterbox.)

STORIES Parfums 

Fragrance brand STORIES Parfums is proof that luxury and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. Believing in keeping plastic to a minimum, the brand opt for refillable glass bottles for their fragrances, complete with an elegant label made from engineered raw paper.

Stripe & Stare

Stripe & Stare is on a mission to help you reduce your impact, just by changing your pants. The brand uses Lenzing Tencel as the core material across its range, meaning not only is its underwear softer than cotton, but it uses 95% less water, too. Its underwear is currently 95% biodegradable (with 5% elastane), and its 100% biodegradable lace knickers – a world- and brand-first – will be launching later this year. In the process of achieving B Corp status, sustainability is weaved into every level of the business, from planting a tree for every order (that’s 30,000 tress so far), to biodegradable, recycled packaging.

Sukin

Carbon neutral since 2008, Australian beauty brand Sukin uses recyclable PET plastic on most of its full-size products, and invests in a number of eco initiatives – from its Reef Aid partnership with non-profit Greening Australia, to its cruelty free and grey water safe formulations.

Superdrug 

Superdrug's Doing Good Feels Super initiative recognises how much power the retailer has as a beauty market leader, and encourages its customer base to make small changes towards a more sustainable future by offering deals and promotions on its more planet and people-friendly products.

Superdry

While bare minimum commitments to 'sustainability' abound in the fashion industry, Superdry has plans to enact real change. In fact, the brand wants to become the most sustainable listed fashion brand on the planet by 2030 (in line with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals). Having reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50%, the brand will ensure that all of its pure cotton garments are organic by 2025. Additionally, all Superdry factories have undertaken a semi announced ethical audit within the last 12 months to ensure fair working conditions for employees and suppliers.

Susanne Kaufmann

Austrian brand Susanne Kaufmann has long been a pioneer of the clean beauty movement. With the majority of the brand's products packaged in glass recyclable bottles, Susanne Kaufmann has recently introduced a pilot refill programme for 3 of its cult bestsellers: Cleansing Gel, Hand Soap and Shower Shampoo. The brand's new refill packaging (a lightweight plastic bottle developed by ALPLA) is 60% lighter, and thus significantly reduces CO2 emissions during production, transport and the post-consumer recycling process.

Sylven New York

Sylven New York does designer footwear with a difference. Offering some of the most exciting material innovations around – from its signature apple leather made from organic food waste, to soles made from tree sap – the brand avoids plastic and chemically-derived synthetic materials at all costs; believing that using nature-derived and animal-free materials is one of the most impactful things it can do to reduce its carbon emissions while not negatively contributing to global acidification, eutrophication, land-use, water-use, and depletion of biodiversity.

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Tata Harper Skincare

With 100% natural and biodegradable formulas, sustainability is an innate characteristic of beauty hall favourite Tata Harper's cult products. Take, for example, the brand's Water-Lock Moisturiser: a plumping gel-crème that's been engineered with a sustainable refill system (trust us, once you try it, you'll need it) that allows you to refill time and time again.

Tesla

Tesla is on a mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Known for making some of the best electric cars on the market, the brand has gone that step further in offering a pristine, all-vegan interior on its Model 3. Softer than leather, yet significantly more durable and stain-resistant, the brand’s custom-engineered seating material is markedly more sustainable than that of traditional vehicles – making for a thoroughly modern interior to match a thoroughly modern vehicle.

The Body Shop

Did you know that, around the world, one of The Body Shop's iconic Body Butters is sold every three seconds? Now, the cruelty-free brand have kicked their core ethics up a notch, and recreated these beauty mainstays in their most sustainable packaging yet, formulated with 95% ingredients of natural origin. Currently on a journey towards making all of their bath, body and haircare products fully recyclable by 2025, the brand are gradually working towards eliminating oil-based plastic, too.

The Estée Lauder Companies

Estée Lauder's Whitman Laboratories facility has long been an integral part of the company's commitment to a more sustainable future. Having achieved Net Zero carbon emissions in 2020, the site invests in carbon reduction solutions in a number of impactful ways – from its large-scale rooftop solar PV system, to using 100% renewable electricity in its operations.

The Ethical Butcher

The Ethical Butcher believes that the humane treatment of animals is its ethical responsibility, and so its farmers allow animals to live in as natural a way as possible: herding, grazing and pasturing as animals should do. Providing an outlet for farmers who want to produce food to their highest ethical ideals, the brand this year turned its attention to the devastating ecological effects of SOY production – creating the UK's first SOY free chicken in collaboration with Redwoods Farm.

thelittleloop

thelittleloop is the UK’s first rental marketplace for kids’ clothing, allowing parents to adopt rental as an everyday lifestyle choice, rather than just a one-off occasional experience. One of the few rental services that allows customers to specify an item’s condition, the platform keeps garments in circulation for longer (up to five times longer, according to the brand’s estimates) so they can have a greater environmental impact. Rather than wholesaling, thelittleloop partners with brands, allowing them to directly feedback with their data on clothing performance, and make recommendations on ways in which partners could improve the durability of their garments.

The Nue Co. 

Cult new supplements brand The Nue Co. offers targeted solutions to a plethora of common problems – from stress, to muscle aches, gut health, to immunity. They're not just any supplements, though. Available in the form of results-driven drops, powders and capsules, all of which promise a tangible boost to wellbeing in just 30 days, The Nue Co.'s products also boast 95% infinitely recyclable packaging, supported by an in-house circular recycling program.

The Organic Pharmacy

Opening its first store in 2002 on the King's Road, The Organic Pharmacy quickly became a one-stop destination for organic health and beauty. With each of the brand's products researched, formulated and manufactured in its London laboratory, small batch production means The Organic Pharmacy can ensure strict quality control and maximum potency. All formulas are biodegradable, and the brand's post-consumer packaging is repurposed, chipped into flakes and spun back into a renewed plastic fibre that can be made into a whole new product.

The Vintage Art Gallery 

The Vintage Art Gallery is a re-commerce business selling unique vintage paintings. Launched in lockdown, the gallery is a self-described “rescue home for art”, sourcing charming vintage paintings from auction houses, flea markets and antiques fairs, and finding them a deserving home – using recycled packaging, naturally.

ThinK Wine 

ThinK Wine produces luxury wines that respect our planet, the eco system and nature. Observing sustainable viticulture with 100% renewable energy sources, the brand is well on its way to reaching its goal of becoming a certified B Corp.

Titanic Spa

A spa that cares as much for the environment as it does the wellbeing of its guests gets a huge thumbs up in our book. Set amidst the rolling hills of the Pennines in a stunningly restored 20th-century textile mill, Titanic Spa set a new standard for eco builds following its redevelopment in 2005. From renewable energy generation through solar-roof panels that convert light directly into electricity, to a natural water source found 100m below the building, this is one spa with some serious sustainable smarts.

Together Health

Daily supplements brand Together Health is committed to responsible sourcing – from choosing where ingredients are sourced, to choosing how they're grown and harvested. Take, for example, the cruelty free and certified CarbonNeutral brand's Omega 3. Plant-based and fish-free, the supplement is sourced from sustainably grown algae to counteract the grim fact that currently, 25% of the global catch is being used to produce fish oil products.

Too Good To Go

With the knowledge that each year a staggering 10 million tonnes of food is wasted in the UK, Too Good To Go’s free-to-download app connects people with surplus food from restaurants, cafes, bakeries and grocery retailers to ensure that delicious food doesn’t go to waste. A social impact company and certified B Corporation, Too Good To Go has saved more than 75 million meals since launching in 2016. On a mission to make fighting food waste easy and accessible to everyone, picking up just one of Too Good To Go’s aptly named Magic Bags saves the same amount of CO2e produced from charging a smartphone 422 times.

Tropic

Carbon-negative, cruelty free, packaged in refillable, recyclable packaging: say hello to Tropic, the beauty brand beloved of eco-conscious women the world over. Formulated with sustainably sourced tropical ingredients, Tropic incentivise recycling by offering customers a free product for every five empties brought back. Additionally, the brand has managed to save more than 12 tonnes of waste from being generated just through its popular refillable colour palette. (Its HQ is in keeping with the brand ethos, too, having been landfill free for the past two years.)

Typology

Typology strive to be a sustainable brand for the environment, their customers and their skin. Currently working their way towards B Corp certification, the vegan skincare brand use recyclable packaging and sustainable transport at every step of the production process.

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U Beauty

Multifunctional luxury skincare brand U Beauty was established to simplify and streamline our skincare routines, without sacrificing results. Their approach to sustainability is similarly transparent, and they have Positive Luxury's 'The Butterfly Mark' certification to prove it. Some of U Beauty's impressive sustainable credentials include the fact that all their products are manufactured in a 100% CO-2 free facility powered with 100% green energy, as well as their ongoing partnership with One Tree Planted – which has so far seen the brand plant over 16,000 trees.

Umberto Giannini

Lauded British hairdresser Umberto Giannini's eponymous haircare range has been a mainstay on the beauty scene since the late eighties. It's also been vegan from the get-go – offering products that have never contained animal ingredients at a time when veganism wasn't widespread. Achieving B Corp certification this year, Umberto Giannini places caring for hair, caring for the environment and caring for society on equal footing.

Una Patches

Despite being less than a year old, Una Patches is a brand that's already making waves in the health and wellness industries. Its biodegradable, vegan and sustainably packaged patches have impressively earned the company the title of first climate-positive CBD brand, while its traceable supply chain and commitment to carbon neutrality cement this as a CBD brand with some serious sustainable smarts.

unspun

unspun heralds the next generation of denim. Using AI and 3D modelling to create custom jeans that are unique to every customer, this first-of-its-kind custom-fit denim collection is shaking up the fashion industry as we know it. As each pair of jeans is made-to-measure, cutting out excess waste, the brand is reducing the industry’s emissions by 30% (and hopes to eventually extend that by a further 20% through long-term commitment to circularity). Made from 100% organic cotton by Panther Denim, with Resortecs thread and Dorlet buttons – both of which can be easily removed for quick recycling – each pair is assembled using fair labour through Frontline Clothing. By switching from a push-to-pull model, and enabling everyone – regardless of gender or body type – to wear jeans as they like them, unspun is truly a fashion brand of the future.

Urtekram

Having grown from a small herb store in Copenhagen in 1972, to an international brand, one might assume that Urtekram put profit before planet. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Certified organic, with all product ranges free of silicones, parabens and synthetic preservatives, Urtekram's formulas are 100% biodegradable, and its plant-based packaging makes this low-key beauty brand brilliantly low impact, too.

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V by Laura Vann

V by Laura Vann makes (dreamy) demi-fine jewellery from recycled materials. Approved and passed by SMETA as fully ethically compliant, the brand's jewels have been made by the same family-owned manufacturer in Hong Kong since its launch, and regularly conducts self-audits and site visits. Believing that caring for your jewellery is the best way to ensure its longevity, V also offers a refurbishment service, to ensure your jewellery looks good as new for a long time to come.

Versed

Versed, the skincare hero brand known for its fuss-free formulas and low waste packaging, has a Climate Action Plan that's threefold: Reduce, Rebalance, Repeat. Producing its products closer to home in order to generate fewer GHG emissions from transportation, the brand sources all of its paper packaging through FSC-certified sources. Retailing at Cult Beauty in the UK, Versed is also the largest beauty brand to be Climate Neutral Certified, having offset all its emissions since launching in 2019. Pretty neat.

Vertara 

Vertara's bags are handcrafted in socially accountable facilities operated by women. Pledging 10% of annual profits to gender equality initiatives, the brand also uses recyclable and reusable packing materials in a bid to make its supply chain more sustainable.

Vita Coco

You may know them better as providers of your favourite coconut water, but Vita Coco do sustainable beauty, too. The brand's newly minted cruelty-free and vegan haircare range is packaged in 75% post-consumer waste HDPE (high density polyethylene) bottles, and have been specially formulated to treat dry and damaged hair, and itchy, flaky scalps. In tune with the brand's B Corp certification, Vita Coco also support local farming communities in increasing annual yields, operating and growing sustainably, and enhancing community facilities.

Vivobarefoot

Vivobarefoot is constantly pushing to ensure that its wide, thin and flexible footwear has a net positive impact on both the environment and the health of the wearer. So much so that this year the brand launched its Redesign Heroes initiative, detailing how it has redesigned its entire product range to meet regenerative business commitments made in collaboration with circular economy experts in 2019. Having radically reduced the materials and processes in the value chain to only those which meet their stringent requirements, no new Vivobarefoot product is allowed to enter the world unless it fulfils the brand’s natural, recycled or biosynthetic design criteria, nor will it be created without a good end-of-life solution in mind. 

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Waken

Waken take daily dental essentials, and elevate them to amazing-tasting vegan friendly formulations that don't harm the environment. The brand's mouthwashes have just received CarbonNeutral® certification, while its innovative use of sugarcane and PCR plastic in its packaging cements Waken as an impressive outlier in an industry obsessed with virgin plastic.

Watson & Wolfe

Founded by a former Aspinal of London employee, Watson & Wolfe makes handcrafted, high-quality and eco-conscious accessories. Boycotting animal-based materials (namely, leather) in favour of those that have been produced in factories with sustainability credentials using less chemicals and water, the brand is also a partner of One Tree Planted, and – you guessed it – plants a tree for every order placed.

Wear 'em Out

UK-based sustainable period brand Wear 'em Out tackles the environmental implications of single-use period products head on. (Around 200,000 tonnes of menstrual waste hits UK landfill every year, FYI.) How? Well, by making menstrual pads reusable. The brand's washable, reusable pads can we worn for many years to come, and are made between two factories here in the UK. (One of which is zero waste.) Additionally, Wear 'em Out sources all of its fabrics in the UK, and are now offering a 'take back' option whereby pads can be returned, laundered and recycled. Circular economy? Smashed it.

WE ARE PARADOXX

90% plastic-free (though its working on reducing that further), vegan brand WE ARE PARADOXX uses infinitely recyclable aluminium packaging, and is a member of 1% For The Planet, meaning it donates 1% of its annual revenue to environmental causes in order to counterbalance its impact on the environment, and contribute to the circular economy.

weDo/ Professional

Vegan, cruelty-free and 100% recyclable, weDo/ was co-developed with the scientists of the Wella Company haircare labs to champion environmental sustainability, without compromising on quality. Not only are its Marie Claire Hair Awards-winning products made from a high percentage of post-consumer recycled plastic (75% to 94%), but for every weDo product sold, 8 plastic bottles will be collected from the environment.

Weeklen 

Wekleen is a waterless and non-toxic scooter, bike and car multi-purpose cleaner that’s cruelty-free, and made entirely from sustainable materials. Boycotting the typical motors cleaning fare of unnecessary amounts of water, toxins, and single-use plastic, this clever cleaner is out to change the way you prepare for a safer post-pandemic commute.

WELEDA

WELEDA is one of just two leading beauty brands globally (and the first in Europe) to obtain the new Union for Ethical BioTrade certification for sourcing with respect. Following rigorous scrutiny regarding everything from how it sources its raw ingredients, to how it compensates workers at all levels of the production processes, WELEDA's long-running commitment to ethical beauty is one of the industry's worst-kept secrets.

Whitepod Eco-Luxury Hotel

Whitepod Eco-Luxury Hotel is living proof that premium hospitality and environmental conservation can coexist. Located in the dazzling surrounds of the Swiss Alps, nature is treated as luxury at this unique hotel, whose ecological mission is central to everything it does. From controlling energy and water use, to purchasing ingredients locally, Whitepod makes its environmental philosophy part of its distinct guest experience, and its unobtrusive eco pods are star of the show.

Whitfords

Whitfords, the 100% plastic free skincare brand, is a small revolution in the beauty industry. Take, for example, the brand's new Triple Algae Glow Restoring Oil. Packaged in the 'FibrePod', a multi-purpose box made from unprocessed plant fibres that doubles as a compostable body exfoliator or kitchen scrub (yes, really), Whitfords' commitment to finding new, innovative approaches to sustainable packaging is second to none. Oh, and it plants a tree for every product sold.

Wild Beauty by Rhug Estate 

Launched in 2020, Rhug Estate's eponymous skincare range is as eco-conscious as its farm in Denbighshire, Wales. Using the highest quality natural ingredients (many of which are sourced directly from the estate), the luxury brand has achieved the highest certification of COSMOS by Soil Association, as well as Leaping Bunny cruelty-free certification. Where the brand uses plastic (though it more frequently opts for glass) it's PCR, and its mail packaging is 100% recycled cardboard. Not only that, but the estate produces its own energy with hydro, geothermal, solar and wind turbine projects, and it's working towards identifying further ways to curb its carbon footprint and further enhance its breathtaking surroundings.

Wild Science Lab 

Wild Science Lab is a product of its owners' personal battle with pregnancy-related profound hair loss, and offers cruelty-free, botanical product solutions that are both performance-driven and as environmentally responsible as possible. All products are cruelty-free and vegan, with commercially negative ingredients like phthalates, parabens and silicones left firmly off the list.

With Love Darling

Inspired by the UN Global Goals, all of With Love Darling’s Fair Trade pieces are crafted from 100% recycled silver and gold, and are produced in third-world countries – giving the skilled (and fairly paid) artisans who make them the income to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

Wǒ

Wǒ's solution to the skincare industry's glaring packaging problem is an interesting one. In an attempt to boycott over-consumption, the new kid on the block brand opt for mono-dose packaging (i.e. blister packs and vials) to help you use just the right amount of product every time, so that not a drop gets wasted. (It's even said to make the active ingredients in the products more efficacious. Who knew?)

Wolf & Badger

Last year, online marketplace Wolf & Badger launched its Sustainability Guarantees – 15 no-nonsense qualifications to help customers better understand a label’s eco-credentials. From ‘green’ (the symbol that means a brand has a net-zero carbon footprint) to ‘happy worker’ (which means workers receive the living wage and no human trafficking is involved in production), the retailer's guarantees are just the latest step in a long-term project to demystify why shopping with independent brands is an ethical option. It's no wonder, then, that earlier this year Wolf & Badger became the first UK online marketplace to become a certified B Corporation.

WUKA

Aptly standing for Wake Up Kick Ass, WUKA is a British, female-owned period underwear brand that uses the most planet-friendly fabrics possible: namely, Tencel (derived from beach trees), organic cotton and recycled nylon. With each pair estimated to save the equivalent of 200 single-use pads from landfill, we reckon that WUKA's comfortable, stylish and leak-proof wares are well worth an investment.

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Yasmina Q

Yasmina Q is one of the first female-led, sustainability-focused womenswear brands coming out of Saudi-Arabia. Between its use of sustainably sourced and deadstock fabrics, collaborations with charity based manufacturers that support and train women, and donating a percentage of its profits to environmental organisations, this is one small brand with its sights firmly set on the bigger picture.

YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE

California-born brand YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE makes simple, effective skincare that's 100% vegan, cruelty-free and biodegradable. Opting for glass bottles and jars for its packaging to reduce plastic waste, the brand also chooses post-consumer materials where possible, and only uses recyclable FSC-certified paper for its boxes and inserts.

Y.O.U Underwear

Actively committed to reducing waste – from using single-use plastic in its packaging, to being one of the 60 brands who have taken the Circular Fashion Pledge to help combat waste in the fashion industry – Y.O.U Underwear is a pants brand that packs sustainable punch. All of the brand's underwear is Fairtrade, PETA-approved vegan and made from 100% GOTS Certified Organic Cotton, and largely produced by India's leading ethical manufacturer, which under SA8000 social standards.

YSL Beauty

YSL Beauty's Ourika Community Gardens represent the brand's commitment to a more sustainable future for the beauty industry. Beginning in 2013, YSL Beauty's long-term environmental project focuses on 3 key areas of change: biodiversity (namely, gathering over 200 species together in one place), seed to skin ingredients, and supporting women's entrepreneurship and financial independence.

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Zero-Living 

Zero-Living is an e-commerce platform supporting small, sustainable and UK based brands in a bid to change the way we currently consume. Highlighting high quality products that reduce waste, use fewer natural resources and are made to the highest ethical standards, over 85% of the brands carried by the platform are female run. As a result, Zero-Living donates a percentage of its profits to The Women's Environmental Network, collaborating on projects that connect gender, health and the environment.

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1 People

Danish fashion brand 1 People is as passionate about its social impact as it is good Nordic style. Donating 40% of all profits to its impact-driven philanthropy program, Business For Planet, the brand is fully transparent with customers regarding exactly how sustainable each product on its online store is, with each garment and accessory carrying a sustainability score.