My Favorite Online Stores: sustainable, eco-friendly, and community-driven
- Kendal Ann
- May 26, 2020
- 5 min read
In previous posts, I have written about my love for supporting small businesses and local markets. While I find this extremely important, I will be honest and admit that I do shop online - as most people do. It is convenient and increases brand accessibility. In fact, eCommerce has changed the business of retail. With a now overwhelming amount of online stores, the options are endless. Limitless options have contributed to the rise in negative impacts brands have on the environment such as increased carbon emissions from shipping, the abundance of single-use plastics in packaging, and mass production. Thankfully, there are brands that are focused on operating with business models that offset potential negative impacts on the environment and community.
I have compiled a list of my current favorite online stores that promote sustainability, offer a wide array of eco-friendly goods, and encourage shopping for the greater good of the community and world! By purchasing from these brands, you will still fulfill your online shopping needs but with a positive impact on the world. Read on to learn more about the following brands:
The Little Market
Seed and Sprout Co.
The Wholesome Store
Spend with Them
I have been following The Little Market for years. Created in 2012 after the founders visited Tanzania and Uganda, The Little Market is a non-profit, fair trade shop with a mission to promote the “economic self-sufficiency of women worldwide through dignified income opportunities”. The brand focuses on conscious consumerism - how individuals’ shopping decisions impact the environment and society in a positive way [1].
Over the years, the brand has been able to expand its product offerings and has opened up its first retail store in California. I have not been able to visit the store, but I have found that the website is very user-friendly and offers a depth of information. The website offers the unique ability to “shop by cause”, where customers are able to purchase goods that directly support a certain cause such as human trafficking, disability rights, indigenous populations, and more. Each cause is supported by personal stories of artisans around the world who partner with The Little Market to sell their handmade goods. The candle pictured on the right is available to purchase on The Little Market website and is made by Prosperity Candle, a group of women who have recently resettled in America from refugee camps.
Located in Byron Bay, Australia, Seed and Sprout Co. has a mission to reduce reliance on single-use plastics. Founder, Sophie, hopes to shape the future by providing practical products made for the everyday person and make a real difference to the environment.
The brand was created after looking for solutions to satisfy the requirements of the school in which Sophie's son attends - a school that does not allow single-use plastics or any plastics in lunches including the lunchbox itself. The company found that children were not the only ones using the lunchboxes, adults were too.
After much deserved success and growth, Seed and Sprout Co. now offers a wide range of goods including organic mesh produce, tote, and bulk food bags, a beauty care line, reusable silicone storage containers, and bamboo utensil sets to name a few.
I stumbled upon The Wholesome Store after following @elsas_wholesomelife on Instagram. Ellie Bullen, an Australian Nutritionist and Dietitian, has written two of my favorite vegan cookbooks - Elsa’s Wholesome Life and The Global Vegan. I am not vegan myself, but I have developed a more plant-based diet over the years. Her cookbooks contain by far my favorite recipes for vegan meals mainly due to the fact that most ingredients can be readily found at the grocery store and the recipes are easy and delicious. I highly recommend following her Instagram as well as purchasing her cookbooks if you are interested in going vegan or adapting to a more plant-based diet. She has also created some special e-cookbooks that are downloadable from her website.
As such a big fan of her cookbooks, it was only natural that I would love her online store. The Wholesome Store features products designed in collaboration with other brands as well as a collection of curated products. Much like Seed and Sprout Co., The Wholesome store sells reusable kitchen products - coffee mugs, bamboo cutlery sets, eco straw sets, and shopping bags. Additionally, The Wholesome Store offers a range of clothing, jewelry, and accessories.
What sets The Wholesome Store apart is its partnership with One Tree Planted. For every order placed through the website, one tree is planted by One Tree Planted. One Tree Planted is a non-profit organization that partners with reforestation projects around four regions of the world: North America, Latin American, Asia, and Africa. The Wholesome Store donates $1 from every order, which allows One Tree Planted to plant one tree.
In addition to the partnership with One Tree Planted, The Wholesome Store also ships products in compostable packaging provided by The Better Packaging Co. They also work with their third-party vendors to minimize single-use plastics and are researching more eco-friendly packaging options.
Spend With Them, or Spend with Us as it is also known, just launched in 2020. It is not one specific store; instead, it is an online marketplace. The mission of Spend With Us is to support small businesses in regional and rural Australia that have been affected by the bushfires, drought, and COVID-19. Backed by Business Australia, Spend with Us founders, Sarah Britz and Lauren Hateley, have created an online platform that is about more than just selling - it is about helping others in the community. With a very wide range of products available from all states in Australia, there is an opportunity to find unique, handmade items that may not have been previously available online.
Spend With Us was created to help others in need. The organization has created an action on its website called 'pay it forward', which allows buyers to purchase virtual gifts from small businesses that will be donated to locals in need. Virtual gifts that can be purchased include gift vouchers, overnight stays, food, and even staff wages for a day.
It is known that many are apprehensive about donating to charities because they do not believe their money is being used correctly. By purchasing a virtual gift or just shopping on the Spend With Us platform, consumers will know instantly the direct impact they are making.
A few honorable mentions:
Kindly Box - a subscription box featuring full-sized, ethically made Australian products with a focus on self-care
Accompany - fashion merchandise, home goods, and gifting that meet one of three key areas: artisanally made, fair trade compliant, or supports philanthropic or humanitarian causes
Ten Thousand Villages - with over 70 years of business, it is one of the pioneers of the fair trade movement
As this is the first time I have written a post like this, I hope you have enjoyed it! And, I hope that you may have found a new website to shop from. I have not been paid to post about any of these brands. These are all brands I follow and have purchased from.
What are you looking for when shopping online? Comment below!
Resources:
[1] Forget retail therapy - this is the age of the conscious consumer by World Economic Forum
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