6 Eco-Friendly Brands Leading The Way In 2024

The crisis of climate change continues to challenge us now more than ever. This is a problem we all must take accountability for. Although our individual actions can have a massive impact on our surrounding environment, living in a sustainable world is not achievable without the business industry, who remain a major part of the problem, becoming more responsible for their impact across the globe.

Fortunately, over the past years more businesses have become more aware of their duty to the planet and have developed more sustainable practices.

As consumers we also have an important role to play, as we must hold businesses accountable for their actions and make more conscious efforts to consume products from sustainable brands.

Here are six brands paving the way towards a world of more sustainable retail.

1. Ocean bottle

Around 12 million tonnes of plastic is discarded in our oceans each year, killing over 100,000 marine mammals and turtles. Plastic bottles are one of the biggest culprits of consumer plastic waste.

After graduating from his engineering degree, Ocean Bottle founder William Pearson got a job on a boat headed for the Maldives. Although he’d been sailing since he was a child, he was shocked by what he saw.

“I saw it everywhere. The people on the boat brought over 1000 plastic bottles just for drinking water. They were taken off to an island where they were burned – it was just smouldering in the distance,” Pearson says. On a trip to Colombia, Pearson witnessed rivers full of plastic being flushed out to sea by rain.

To help reduced plastic pollution and conserve the environment, Ocean Bottle produce reusable bottles from plastic waste. Their credentials include being a certified B Corp business meaning they meet a high standard of social and environmental performances. With each sale of an Ocean Bottle, you fund the collection of 1000 ocean-bound plastic bottles before they enter the ocean.

The bottle is made from recycled ocean plastic and includes a smart-chip that allows you to get involved in the movement, by registering your bottle to the Ocean Bottle mobile app to fund collection of plastic (for free) each time a refill is registered. Helping you make a difference every time you use your bottle.

Through creating this innovation in 2019, a staggering 12 million kgs of plastic have been prevented from entering the ocean!

Shop at Canopey for your own Ocean Bottle or reusable coffee cup.

2. Seep

We all love our homes to be clean and smell fresh, but are cleaning products actually that good for us and the environment? The answer is no. They can contain dangerous chemicals that cause damage to you and your family’s health. Whilst also emitting harmful toxins into the environment.

Ironically, the tools we use to clean our homes are dirtying the planet. From the production of these single-use plastics to them being discarded at landfills they wreak havoc on the environment.

Because of this, Seep was born! With the motto ‘cleaning up the way we clean up’, Seep aims to tackle the lack of eco cleaning tools on shop aisles, by creating sustainable everyday products.

Their range of products include sponges, scourers, cloths, brushes, washing up gloves and bin liners, so you have no excuse not to clean!

Seep create quality alternatives that are just as effective as traditional products. They are more versatile and long lasting, helping to save you more money too! Through its innovation, Seep has created zero-plastic products, meaning no polyesters, acrylics or recycled PET are used during the production process. They also design the products to reduce waste in landfills. It’s easy to see the appeal of this brand!

Check out the Seep Cleaning page on Canopey.

3. Here We Flo

More than 1.5 million period single-use products are flushed down the toilet every day, with many of them containing fossil-fuel based plastics.

More so, most of them can contain toxic industrial chemicals such as bleach and pesticides. This is not only extremely damaging to the environment but harmful to your health.

Enter Here We Flo, A woman led company empowering others through their eco-friendly period and bladder care as well as sexual wellness.
Dedicated to creating natural products that are better for you and for the environment, using organic bamboo and natural cotton. The materials are free from any dyes and chemicals keeping you and the planet healthy!

They use materials such as organic edge-grown bamboo (it does not replace food crops) and it is Oeko-Tex certified, meaning it is checked for any nasty substances. The organic cotton used by Flo also contains no toxic substances and its softness makes it perfect for period and bladder care, helping you to feel comfortable throughout the day.

A concern with using single-use period products is the amount of plastic waste they create. However, Here We Flo use compostable elements to their packaging using plant cellulose for pads, liners and tampon wrappers.

Not only are Flo having a positive impact on the environment but they have a massive impact on society. Donating over 215,000 pads to menstrual charities for people who cannot access period products and 5% of Flo’s profits go towards people and the planet!

Here We Flo create sustainable products and give you the freedom to choose what works best for you, making you feel comfortable in your own body and not making you choose a menstrual cup to help be sustainable.

Being able to freely choose shouldn’t come at the price of being eco-friendly – Here We Flo break down these barriers and allow you to feel good whilst doing good.

Check out the Here We Flo page on Canopey!

4. Rubies In The Rubble

In the UK over 9 million tonnes of food is wasted annually.

Shocked to discover how much food was being wasted, founder Jenny Costa was inspired to save the unused vegetables, and create different recipes with them.

Thus, the end product was environmentally-friendly condiments: Rubies in the Rubble use from ingredients that are rejected because they don’t look aesthetically pleasing.

Their ketchup and other relishes are made from fruit and vegetables that have come directly from farms, and their mayonnaise is made from a plant-based alternative to eggs, so it’s great for vegans!

Since the company began in 2012, over 300,000 kg of fruit and vegetables have been saved from being discarded at a landfill. Rubies in the Rubble have created a unique brand that is inspiring consumers to see food as a precious resource and helping to save the planet one vegetable at a time.

Hence, in the words of Rubies in the Rubbles do good by shopping gooder!

Visit the Rubies In The Rubble website for more information.

5. Re=comb

The fashion industry is one of the largest consumers of plastic and a major part of sustainable issues. Around 60% of clothes produced today are made from plastics such as polyester or nylon.

Motivated by the overconsumption of plastic, Re=comb was created. Founded by hair stylists Sarah Jo Palmer and Christopher Deagle, who were inspired by their experience in the fashion industry, they became passionate about creating a solution to the waste created in fashion.

The brand consists of hair tools designed to reduce plastic waste and increase sustainability, this innovation has helped to change the industry’s future. This brand has found an innovative way to upcycle plastics to create purposeful products that are in demand by not only the fashion industry but beyond that to the average consumer.

Using recycled PP (5), HDPE (2) and LDPE (4) plastics, they give a new lease of life to discarded materials. Furthermore, by using only one plastic per comb ensures they are easily recycled again, creating a sustainable cycle of plastic waste.

For more information, visit the Re=Comb website.

6. Waterhaul

Fishing gear and nets are the most common items found in the ocean. Being made of plastic ensures they will not break down resulting in marine life being killed.

Harry Dennis, founder of Waterhaul was working as a marine scientist when the realisation of the sheer amount of fishing waste washing up on the shores caused him to take action. The strength and durability of the fishing gear highly influenced his design process.

The transformative recycling solution came in the form of creating fishing gear into sunglasses. Utilising strong plastic into sustainable recycled sunglasses perfect for ocean-exposure and UV protection.
Waterhaul is an eye-catching brand that is creating waves in the industry to set new sustainable standards and drive other companies to take action and be more transparent about their production process.

Learn more at Waterhaul’s website.

The Future Of Sustainable Brands

These brands have created innovative products that are leading the way to a more sustainable industry. They have successfully integrated environmental and social issues into their practices.

More so, challenging brands to be eco-friendly can positively impact the environment and the brand as it drives them to be more innovative and creative.