Earth Day 2023: Sustainably focused shopping swaps, from vegan razors to recycled jewellery
These planet-friendly purchases also cover weekly groceries and cutting-edge footwear innovation
Earth Day falls on 22 April every year, and this environmental event shines a spotlight on the climate crisis. Today, there is a bigger focus on environmental issues than ever before. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report in March highlighting that global emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases continue to increase. It also established that climate change is caused by human activity, but there are changes we can make in our everyday lives that can help us lead more eco-conscious lifestyles.
For Earth Day 2023, we are being asked to “Invest In Our Planet” and key ongoing focuses include ending plastic pollution, planting trees, committing to sustainable fashion choices, and cleaning up our communities. There’s an online toolkit available for download on the Earth Day website, and you can also look out for local events.
So, what else can we do? Making sustainably focused shopping choices is one simple place to start. We’ve rounded up a few key products, from weekly groceries to jewellery and footwear purchases with an eco-friendly ethos. Keep reading for the Earth Day swaps you’ll want to shop straight away.
This guide is an advertisement feature paid for by featured brands.
Allbirds M0.0NSHOT: Allbirds.co.uk
This is an exciting Earth Day early peek at Allbirds’s brand-new M0.0NSHOT shoes, with more info set to land in June, ahead of their launch from spring next year. Billed as being the world’s first net zero carbon shoe, its carbon footprint of 0.0 kg CO2e – versus an industry average of 14 kg CO2e – was created without using any offsetting.
Key zero carbon design features include a carbon-negative regenerative merino wool upper grown in New Zealand, and a carbon-negative sugarcane-based foam midsole while most footwear foams are synthetic. Meanwhile, there are carbon-negative bioplastic eyelets using microorganisms to convert methane into a type of carbon footprint-free polymer that can be moulded like other plastics.
The M0.0NSHOT shoes will also be presented in the most carbon-efficient packaging Allbirds has ever had and be delivered using a carbon-conscious transportation plan. In short, where some parts of the shoe’s design do emit carbon, others capture it, which means the final product total is net zero.
While we eagerly anticipate further M0.0NSHOT details, you can shop Allbirds Tree Runners for men (£110, Allbirds.co.uk) and women (£110, Allbirds.co.uk), which are eco-friendly shoe classics suitable for everyday wear.
allplants plant-based ready meals: From £4.60, allplants.com
Cooking something healthy and delicious at the end of a long day of work can be a bit of a chore. Thankfully we’ve found just the answer: allplants. The plant-based ready-meal service serves up delicious, nutritionally packed food. The chef-made, frozen meals are naturally packed full of protein, vitamins and iron, and it promises that its food will give you the fuel for life.
With more than 100 plant-based dishes on the menu, and new options being regularly added, you’ll always have plenty to choose from. Better still, it’s a certified B Corp (the creme de la créme of eco-credentials) and all of its packaging is recyclable, so it’s doing its bit for the planet. Replace your supermarket-ready meals with allplants this Earth Day and beyond with allplants’ exclusive code below.
Get 30 per cent off your first order, 15 percent off second & third with code INDEPENDENT30 now*
Estrid The Starter Kit: From £7.95, Estrid.com
Switch to Estrid for a vegan-friendly shaving experience, complete with an aesthetically pleasing design. From pastel pistachio matcha to baby pink bloom and yellow lemonade shades, the fun razors come in a starter pack which includes a steel handle, holder and two blades.
You can choose to pay a one-off charge of £9.95 just for the starter kit or sign up for a subscription priced at £7.95. This comes with different time interval options, depending on how often you shave. The steel handle is built to last, while the vegan strip is soothing on the skin. Enjoy a close yet gentle shave, thanks to the five sharp blades.
It’s also worth knowing that there’s no gender-discriminatory pricing either, which can be the case with many mainstream brands. Plus, every kilo of CO2 emitted during delivery is offset, while all packaging is 100 per cent recyclable too.
Abel & Cole Medium Fruit & Veg Box, Organic: £20.95, Abelandcole.co.uk
Abel & Cole is an eco-conscious food company passionate about becoming the UK’s leading sustainable grocery store. Tuck into fresh, organic produce delivered straight to your front door with less packaging, less waste and lower food miles. This organic Fruit & Veg Box is available in small, medium, and large sizes and it can be customised with the produce you prefer and delivered weekly.
There are two fruit and seven veg portions in a medium box, and this includes seasonal picks as well as classic staples like potatoes and onions. You can swap out any fruit and veg you dislike, further minimising any waste. Abel & Cole has strong links to suppliers and has eliminated 77 per cent of plastic in its packaging. Plus, customers can send back anything that’s hard to recycle for re-use.
For each Fruit & Veg Box sold, Abel & Cole donates a portion of fruit and veg to food partners including The Felix Project, Dons Local Action Group and School Food Matters.
Get 50 per cent off your first and fourth Abel & Cole fruit and veg box delivery with code CHANGE23 now.
Amika love is the kure strength + repair set: £42, Loveamika.co.uk
Hair care is something most of us think about every day, so choosing the right products can make a real difference to your environmentally-friendly routine. Of course, while we all want to make eco-friendly choices, we also want quality products that give results, and Amika delivers bang for your buck on both counts.
Amika is pushing forwards in the eco-conscious space, recently becoming a B Corp Certified brand and certified carbon neutral. It also creates beautiful products that really work - like our fave ‘love is the kure strength + repair set’ (£42, Loveamika.co.uk).
What’s more, Amika partners with more:trees, who plant a free tree in your name on every order over £30. The best part? You can get 20% off tools from 7-10th April, and 20 per cent off when you buy any two refillables on 22nd April.
Astrid & Miyu Simple Hoops, Solid Gold: £160, Astridandmiyu.com
Invest in these timeless hoops in solid gold and enjoy staple ear adornment for years to come. Pair them with other studs, huggies and hoops for a curated look, or wear the earrings alone as a chic style statement. We’d add a chunky gold chain for extra on-trend points too. Made from recycled 14k gold, these classic hoops are handcrafted and eco-conscious.
Astrid & Miyu is forging a sustainably focused path, while being transparent that this is an evolving journey and improvements can always be made. All sterling silver and solid gold pieces are recycled, while the Astrid & Renew scheme offers a circular jewellery incentive too. Drop unwanted sterling silver and solid gold pieces off at an Astrid & Miyu store or pop them in the post, and they’ll be recycled.
In turn, you’ll earn £10 worth of credit to spend in-store or online. Plus, you can donate jewellery from other brands too. Once these materials have been recycled, profits go to London food distribution charity The Felix Project.
Wuka Period Pants: From £12, wuka.co.uk
Did you know that you can make your period more sustainable by swapping regular plastic pads and tampons with WUKA’s period products? The brand, which stands for Wake Up Kick Ass, is on a mission to make sure sustainable lifestyles are accessible to all and that periods don’t cost the earth.
Leading the way when it comes to eco-friendly options, its period pants promise to be comfortable and affordable. Better still, buy two, get a third pair for free from 21 April and should you spend more than £20, you’ll get a free pair of the brand’s basics period pants between 17 - 20 April 2023.
Wuka’s carbon-neutral, Better Cotton Initiative-certified, and vegan-friendly WUKA Basics™ Hipster (£12, wuka.co.uk) may just be the perfect and easy swap to better the planet and yourself - just in time for Earth Day.
*T&Cs apply: *This code cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount. You must opt-in to email marketing at checkout in order to receive, upon delivery of your first box, your code for the 2nd + 3rd boxes. This code must be applied in your account to get the offer on your second and third boxes in a subscription.