The big picture.
In our last piece, The Cost of Overconsumption, we discussed the alarming rates of overconsumption and some reasons for it. We spoke about how we are throwing away functional products, beautiful clothes, and edible food just because we can.
Fortunately, mindsets are shifting. People are becoming more aware and are trying to break away from the habits which lead to overconsumption. To help, there are no buy groups and no buy challenges. In addition, there are excellent practical tips on how to successfully do a no-buy challenge that looks beyond resisting online purchases to self-growth and learning.
When we do have to buy things, what if our purchases could help reduce waste? There are numerous brands that are increasing the lifespan of our existing products by repairing, reusing, upcycling, and recycling them. These are often small companies that are working to make a difference. Innovation is hard and non-linear and is worth supporting.
12 Brands redefining the way we shop & consume.
FASHION
Shopping Assistant
Beni makes buying secondhand clothes as simple and convenient as purchasing new ones.
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It is a browser extension for Chrome and Safari and also has an iOS app.
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It helps you find resale options at the click of a button.
Best for: Finding secondhand apparel deals from 40+ resale sites.
Kid’s Clothing Rental
Rent-a-Romper is a rental clothing subscription platform for babies and toddlers, helping parents reduce the number of clothes they buy for their kids.
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It operates a clothing library and sends out capsules containing 7 or 15 items.
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Parents choose size, style, gender, and delivery preferences.
Best for: Recycling and reusing children’s clothes when they are outgrown.
Slow Fashion
Unspun builds custom jeans on-demand. .
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It’s done in a slow fashion way where workers are paid living wages.
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Uses low-impact non-toxic dyes and fabrics and implements water-reduction processes in its supply chain.
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Closed loop as one can send back a pair of jeans at the end of its life and Unspun will repurpose it.
Best for: Reducing waste by adopting slow fashion.
HOME
Reusable Storage Bags
Stasher makes reusable, non-toxic silicone storage bags as an alternative to single-use plastic bags.
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Unlike plastic, these silicone bags can be used infinitely.
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They are also suitable for freezing, boiling, microwaving, and oven use.
Best for: Plastic free small item storage instead of zipper bags.
Plastic-free Products
Etee is eliminating plastic from our household and personal care products.
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Household and personal care products contain about 90% water and the remaining 10% is cleaning concentrate.
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Etee sends just the cleaning concentrate in a wax-based pod (that is backyard compostable) so that customers can add the water.
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This reduces the cost of transporting bulky and heavy products.
Best for: Low-waste and plastic-free products, while being storage friendly at home.
Sustainable Paper Towels
Reel makes sustainable paper products that are better for the planet.
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Household paper products made from bamboo instead of wood.
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Bamboo grows faster than trees and requires less water.
Best for: Planet-friendly toilet paper and paper towels that do not contribute to deforestation.
BEAUTY
Plastic-free Beauty Products
Axiology Beauty makes plastic-free, vegan beauty products.
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It’s 3-in-1 zero waste ‘Lip-To-Lid’ crayons that can be applied to the eyelids, lips, and cheekbones.
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The products come without any cases and are wrapped in recyclable paper.
Best for: Reducing the number of products you use while being vegan, cruelty-free, and plastic-free.
Refillable Beauty Products
Izzy has a reusable and recyclable line of beauty products.
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Instead of plastic, it uses stainless steel tubes that can be cleaned and refilled over 10,000 times.
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Consumers can send back the empty tubes to Izzy. It sanitizes, cleans, and sends back the refilled tubes.
Best for: Refillable and zero-waste beauty products.
Reusable Shaving Products
Leaf Shave provides plastic-free, reusable razors as a sustainable alternative to single-use disposable razors.
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Its razors come with an all-metal reusable handle and stainless steel blades.
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Consumers can reuse the handle and recycle the blades at a local metal scrap facility or send them back to Leaf for recycling.
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Full line of shave care products including shaving soaps and oils.
Best for: Single shop for sustainable shave care products.
FOOD
Sustainable Grocery Delivery
Misfits Market reduces food waste by saving edible food that would otherwise be discarded due to its appearance.
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It works directly with farmers and food producers and buys products from them that supermarkets would reject due to their appearance.
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It then sells them directly to consumers at up to 40% less than their supermarket prices.
Best for: Buying discounted fruits and vegetables while reducing food waste.
Discounted Food Products
Flashfood saves edible but nearly expired food from being wasted by supermarkets.
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Flashfood lists this food on its app at a discount and it is kept in a designated area in the retail store.
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Customers can browse through these items on the app, make their selections, pay for the discounted food, and then pick them up directly.
Best for: Saving food waste by buying edible and discounted food.
Food Recycling
Mill’s food recycler converts kitchen leftovers such as peels, bones, and stalks to nutrient-rich grounds which can be used in gardens or farms.
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Consumers can dispose of compostable kitchen waste in Mill’s bin, which dries and converts it into nutrient-rich grounds.
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These grounds can be used in homes or community gardens or sent back to Mill, which then distributes them to small farms.
Best for: Keeping kitchen waste out of the landfill as an alternative to traditional composting.
The choices
Life-focused
If your focus is on being kind to living things and value a life-centric approach;
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Reducing meat/dairy waste is particularly impactful as it can help reduce the number of animals killed for meat that end up in landfills.
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Reusing and repurposing will reduce the burden on farmers/slaughterhouse workers/ factory workers, who often work in tough and inhumane conditions.
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Reusing and repurposing plastic will be impactful to help save marine life as plastic pollution kills about 100k marine mammals every year.
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Switching to reusable paper products reduces deforestation, protecting millions of species.
Earth-focused
If your focus is on being kind to the earth and If you value an earth-centric approach;
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Reusing and repurposing means less manufacturing and less strain on resources (eg) every cotton T-shirt you don’t buy saves 2700 liters of water
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Preventing edible food from ending up in landfills has an especially high impact by reducing methane generation.
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Prevent the wastage of resources that go into the production and transportation of food.
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Switching to alternative paper products protects forests and helps combat climate change
Holistic
If your focus is balancing being kind to life and earth and value a holistic approach;
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Reducing, reusing, and renting saves you money.
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Renting clothes allows us to have the variety we crave with less waste. Fewer clothes reduce decision fatigue and make you happier in the long term.
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You can save money by buying your groceries at a discount.
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You can make your friends and family more aware of the food waste crisis by engaging with these brands.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, you will be doing your part to shift society’s attitudes about overconsumption. Our actions influence and shape those around us, including the next generation.