To mark World Environment Day, we’re celebrating zero waste brands that are making a positive difference to the planet’s environmental crisis.
What does zero waste mean?
Zero waste is the philosophy that encourages the elimination of the use of landfills and pollution of our oceans and atmosphere. The aim is to completely redefine the current system of resource usage and move towards a circular economy that mimics what happens in nature: everything is reused or composted, and nothing goes to waste. All materials are essentially resources for other purposes.
Zero Waste: The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.
– Zero Waste International Alliance
PHA client Ethique is the world’s first zero waste, full-range beauty brand, selling eco-friendly products for your hair, body and face. Set up in 2012 by biologist Brianne West in New Zealand, the brand has since taken on international markets, picking up multiple awards in the process, and launched in the UK in April. To date Ethique has stopped over 3.3 million plastic bottles from being manufactured and disposed of into landfills and is on a mission to get that number up to 10 million by 2020.
In a nutshell:
- Plastic-free
- Vegan
- Cruelty-free
- Biodegradable
- Fair-trade
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx_DCPIghWn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Angus Grahame, founder of refill company Splosh, saw serious problems in the way most big soap companies sell laundry, personal care, and cleaning products in single-use plastic bottles, and wanted to find a way to make refilling easier than recycling. Splosh sells refillable bottles with a lifetime guarantee (they will replace broken ones for free). What’s more, used refill pouches can be returned to the manufacturer which they reprocess into other materials, resulting in a total of 97.5% less plastic waste.
In a nutshell:
- Cruelty-free
- One bottle for life
- Non-toxic ingredients
- Vegan
- Green Apple Award Winner
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Zero waste drinking: Klean Kanteen
Set up in California in 2004, family-owned company Klean Kanteen introduced the first stainless steel, BPA-free, reusable water bottle. Fifteen years on, it has grown into a global business and now sells an impressive range of bottles, cups, straws and food canisters. But Klean Kanteen does much more than just sell products; as a 1% For The Planet member, it has contributed more than £1.2 million directly to environmental organisations dedicated to preserving and restoring wild places. It also supports both local and international communities to raise awareness about sustainability and inspire change.
In a nutshell:
- Plastic-free
- Certified B Corporation
- Durable, high quality stainless steel
- Specially formulated for human and environmental health
- Chip-resistant
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByGCI0UDwL9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Sick of using plastic cutlery every time you buy lunch or go to a food market? Enter Bambaw, a zero-waste company headquartered in Brussels and set up in 2016 by Augustin and Maxine de Hemptinne, who are on a mission to reduce the waste generated on earth by providing affordable, quality, zero-waste products. Bambaw’s bamboo cutlery set is the sustainable, plastic-free solution to single-use cutlery when eating away from home, or for parties. The company also sells bamboo cotton buds, razors, toothbrushes, straws and more.
In a nutshell:
- Plastic-free
- Organically sourced bamboo
- Pesticide and fertiliser-free
- Naturally anti-bacterial
- Ethical workers’ rights
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxusUi0H2vb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Based in South London, Hetu is zero-waste grocery shop stocking products in bulk, from pasta and cooking oil to cleaning products and shampoo bars. Customers bring in their own containers and bags, weigh them in-store and stock up on products they need, in the amounts they choose. Pricing is then determined by weight. Stores like Hetu are popping up everywhere and are doing an amazing job in making it as practical as possible to avoid single use packaging and reduce wastage. Even their food dispensers are environmentally friendly – they are made sustainably in Germany and are plastic-free.
In a nutshell:
- Plastic-free
- Cruelty-free
- Palm oil free
- Single-use free
- Plant-based, unprocessed foods
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsYgkc2l5KC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
If you’d like to talk to us about launching a new sustainable product into the market or want to grow your online and offline presence in the media, get in touch with our award-winning team today.
