There’s something so exciting about shopping online. When your purchase finally arrives, it’s like a little present from you to you! But as fun as it is, there’s something terribly consumerist about it. It all seems so simple—you click a button and bam, your item arrives on your doorstep. But behind the scenes, there’s an enormous amount of resources involved to 1) create that product and 2) get it to you. And that’s not to mention all the packaging—most of which are created from unsustainable and unrecyclable materials.
Recently, I bought a bag online (which I love, don’t get me wrong) and it arrived in a box, inside another box that would literally be large enough to fit me inside it, which was wrapped in plastic packaging. It got me thinking—surely you can shop online without inheriting so much packaging material you could start your own post office. And thankfully, you can. There are a growing number of zero waste brands that allow you to shop online while minimising your carbon footprint.
From sustainable beauty products to eco-friendly bikinis, read on for 5 zero waste brands that are leaving no trace behind on the planet.
Biome
Aussie online eco-store Biome is the ultimate mecca for people who want to live a more sustainable lifestyle. They have everything from beauty, body and laundry products to water bottles to coffee cups—all packaged in recycled and biodegradable materials. They adhere to strict standards not only in terms of being zero waste, but also sustainable, toxin-free and cruelty-free.
Shop the Biome zero waste range.
Ethique Beauty
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The concept behind NZ beauty brand Ethique Beauty is genius—all of their hair, skincare and beauty products are created in the form of a solid bar and packaged in compostable materials. Not only are the products zero waste, but they actually last three to six months longer than bottled products as they’re super concentrated. They’re also ethical, vegan, cruelty-free and certified fair trade.
Shop Ethique Beauty.
Zero Waste Beauty
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You’d be hard-pressed to find a beauty brand that’s as good to your skin, the environment AND your wallet as Zero Waste Beauty. Their range of 100% natural, Australian made, vegan skincare products are packaged in glass jars with biodegradable labels you can return to the store for a discount on your next purchase. As well as face masks and body scrubs, they have zero waste deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste—so you’ll be sexy and sustainable from head to toe!
Shop Zero Waste Beauty.
One Seed
As much as we love a good perfume, they tend to be an absolute disaster for the environment—from the ingredients made to produce the fragrance itself to the packaging and plastic dispenser pumps. But thanks to Aussie perfume brand One Seed, you no longer have to choose between smelling good and doing good. They make gorgeous, unique scents and package them in recyclable and sustainable materials. They’re also certified organic, vegan and synthetic-free and donate 10% of their proceeds to charities like Collective Shout. Talk about over-achievers!
Shop One Seed.
Aurai Swim
In the last year or so, we’ve seen a growing amount of sustainable swimwear companies (woohoo!). But as great as that is, many of them still package their products in non-biodegradable products. Then, there’s New Zealand swimwear brand, Aurai. Not only are their pieces made from ECONYL, a revolutionary material made from nylon plastic scraps, old carpets and fishnets, their packaging consists only of a reusable drawstring mini bag made of 100% cotton towel fabric and a box made from 100% recycled paper.
Shop Aurai Swim.
