Fast fashion, international shipping, plastic packaging – many of us consciously or unconsciously support these through our shopping habits every day. 

Like every year, the Black Friday deals are flooding in thick and fast. At this time of year and in the lead up to Christmas, we are often convinced by attractive marketing campaigns that we need a new smartphone, dress, or sofa. However, these slashed prices come at a cost to our planet. 

Encouraging us to buy big and fast in sales leads us to buy more than we need, with little consideration of the durability of a product. This leads to even more wastage, when we throw out our current possessions in favour of a slightly newer model, or get rid of purchases we made in a hurry a few months down the line. 

When it comes to waste, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned. This releases harmful polluting gases into the atmosphere, and drives demand for more products that are made cheaply and quickly without consideration of their environmental impact. 

In this article, we’ll be sharing five of our favourite sustainable brands to support not just on Black Friday. Rather than being lured in by tempting deals, think about shopping with an environmental conscious. This means only buying things when you need them, and purchasing from brands with transparent sustainable practice and environmental values. 

Before you shop, remember to ask yourself: 

1. Do I really need this?
2. Can I repair or reuse something I already own instead? 
3. And if you’re buying it as a gift: is this something this person is going to use and value?

Sustainabox: The sustainable gift hamper

Inspired by witnessing first hand the amount of waste packaging involved in manufacturing Christmas hampers, Sustainabox was born. 

Not only are the boxes filled with products that have a social or environmental mission, but Sustainabox plans 1 tree in the UK for every box purchased. A single broadleaf tree offsets up to 1.5 tonnes of carbon over its lifetime, which is one fifth of the average annual emissions of a UK resident. 

What can you expect inside a Sustainabox? They have teamed up with great brands such as Cooper King gin, who’s distillery is 100% powered by green energy. 

And as if that wasn’t enough, their packaging is biodegradable, compostable, and sustainably sourced. Each box contains a packet of seeds so you can repurpose your SustainaBox by filling it with soil and germinating your seeds. You can then bury the entire SustainaBox in the ground, to boost soil nutrients and help your plants to grow. This is thinking outside the box!

Chilly’s Bottles: Stay hydrated and sustainable

The reusable bottle trend is quickly growing trend amongst people of all ages. Chilly’s bottles are at the forefront of this with their eye-catching colours and clever technology that keeps water cold for 24 hours. Be gone, single use plastic bottles!

EcoLiving: Eco-friendly homeware hub

From stationary to washing up liquid to recycled greetings cards, EcoLiving specialises in products that are plastic-free and sustainably produced. As a member of the 1% For The Planet group, a portion of all profits are donated to protecting our oceans from plastic pollution. 

We include them in this list as a great source not just for gifts but everyday kitchen and bathroom essentials. Every purchase you make has an impact on the environment – think about whether this will be positive or negative.

The Recycled Glassware Company: Putting your old bottles to good use

Ever wondered where your bottles and jars go when you put them in the recycling? As The Recycled Glassware Company points out, glass is the ultimate green material as it uses less energy to produce products from recycled glass than it does from the original raw materials. 

Choose from a range of beautiful glassware, either as a gift or for yourself. Remember to recycle your glass when you throw it away.

Mindful Chef: Making a plant-based diet easy

Mindful Chef takes the popular concept of meal delivery and makes it healthy and sustainable. Their ingredients are all measured out precisely for zero-waste, and delivered in recycled denim insulation, which you can return to them for reuse. 

Eating a plant-based diet is one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint, as the meat and dairy industry is responsible for around 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Mindful Chef has a range of vegan recipes to try, making it easy for you to reduce your meat consumption. 

Mindful Chef is officially certified as a B-Corp, meaning that they are transparent about their operating practices and sustainability efforts. For every meal bought, they donate one meal to a child in poverty, through the charity One Feeds Two. 

Give the gift of carbon neutrality

What gift is plastic free, zero waste and zero emissions? Giving carbon neutrality allows you to offset the carbon footprint of your friends and family. There’s no limit on how much you can offset – the gift that just keeps on giving.

Find out more about carbon offsetting on the Treepoints website.