Top Brands for buying organic & eco-friendly products!

Hi Everyone, 

I wanted to wait out a bit for this post because when I turned vegan there was strict lock down in the country. We couldn't possibly step-out of the house so going out shopping especially for diverse products or at select brand stores could have been difficult, if not impossible.

                                                  Photo by Pharma Hemp Complex on Unsplash

Recently a lot of questions have been arising on the whole idea of fast fashion along with cosmetic products which contain sulphates or plastic components which are turning out to be very harmful for the environment. When Hassan Minaj's episode on fast fashion came out a couple of months back - a lot of people were shook, and had no idea on how their shopping habits maybe harming the nature indirectly. The cost of wearing the latest trending clothes can be very high.

The first question that must be arising in all of your minds is - 

What is fast fashion ?

Fast fashion is termed so because it is replicated at a really fast speed and has a short turn around time. So, when famous designers come up with new designs and trends , they are replicated by companies and sold at very cheap and affordable rates. Since, they are so trendy and low-cost the demand for this tends to be very high. Thereby , putting a lot of pressure on the resources of the planet.

A lot of companies began to realize the importance of sustainability over time, especially with government taking stringent actions against use of plastic and waste disposal methods. Most of these companies are still in their nascent stage , some of them you may have already heard of but did not know that they were organic and eco-friendly.

Additionally a lot of cosmetic products that we use contain small beads which are called micro-plastics. 

 So, here is the list of some of my favorites. Also, note that this is completely based on my personal experience - it is not a paid promotion.

1. CALL IT SPRING by ALDO - 

"Call it Spring"is owned by Aldo which is a Canadian company. It is already very established and known for selling shoes and bags for both men and women. However , Call It Spring is slightly lesser heard of , it does have stores in most metropolitan cities. What makes them special is that they are completely vegan . They have leather sandals, bags and accessories which are actually completely vegan - no animals harmed at all. during this process. They are also the "First fashion footwear and accessories company in the world to be certified climate neutral". 

It doesn't just stop at the making the goods eco-friendly. They go a step further by reducing their environmental footprint of packaging without compromising on product integrity or functionality. The bags are designed to reduce over-packaging , which is something very common these days and I witness it a lot. 

2. BARE NECESSITIES (India)-

Bare necessities is a very recent brand that has been growing really well recently. They provide cosmetic products in recyclable materials and are completely eco-friendly. The soaps they sell do not contain any synthetic products, and are wrapped in recycled paper. They mostly serve their customers online and they have ensured that the entire process from manufacturing to packaging and delivery is completely recyclable and sustainable in the long-run. 

"We seek to create environmental and social impact by offering zero waste solutions to empower local communities and to change the mindset on sustainability in India and beyond. " - Bare necessities 

This is what they swear by. They also sell lip balms, shampoos, bamboo toothbrushes , detergents which are 100% safe for the environment. They claim to have had an impact of 172 tons of waste which they have been able to divert through their initiative. The products are naturally scented and not harsh on the skin. So, do give it a shot. I was introduced to it by my friend - who gifted it to me on my birthday recently and I would recommend it to everyone. 

This is a link to their website : - https://barenecessities.in/

3. H&M CONSCIOUS - 

H&M has become a little infamous lately because it is a fast fashion brand and it utilizes a lot of water and other resources, uses synthetic materials like rayon and polyester which are not bio-degradable for a lot of its apparel. However, keeping this in mind they have created a new segment of fashion called H&M Conscious. The products which are sustainable have a green handtag on them. A green handtag signifies that the product is atleast 50% made from a sustainable material - recycled polyester or organic cotton. 

Along with this, when you shop in-store then you can get a 10% discount if you give them a handbag full of old clothes/bedsheets that you may not want to use anymore. This is a part of their initiative of recycling. 

In-store it is quite difficult to look specifically for consicous products. However, if you are shopping online then you can always use a filter for this segment. Also, I have been noticing the products of H&M delivered online come in cardboard or paper packaging. This will have a lower footprint than other brands which deliver things in plastic wrapping.

4. BOHECO LIFE (India)- 

I came across this website by total fluke and the products were just incredible! Boheco sells products mostly made of Hemp - Hemp is a form of cannabis but instead of being a drug it has variety of uses which are very beneficial to humans, and have only recently been discovered. I had ordered a Hemp scarf from here and the quality was totally worth the price!

Hemp can be used as a fabrics for clothes, mats, cushion covers . It can also be used in theraputic oils. What's the best part - It is preservative free, completely vegan and made in India. BOHECO has all these products, they also have hemp seed oil, hemp powder which is good for nutrition.

You can have a look at the website here - https://bohecolife.com/

For apparel and home decor check here - https://www.blabel.in/

 

Don't forget to check out these wonderful brands and give your reviews in the comments section below. If you know more eco-friendly brands or products, do share it as well.