If you like shopping from the comfort of your own home, but at the same time feel guilty that your phone or smart watch is not showing the number of steps you have set as a goal to make every day, buying from eco-friendly online stores might ease your conscience. This way, although perhaps not doing much for yourself in terms of fitness, you will be doing a lot for the environment. The reason to opt for more environmentally conscious stores lies in the fact that online shopping has seen a massive growth, especially over the past few years. This means more trees have been cut down to produce shipping cartons and more plastic has been produced for products’ packaging. This adds vastly to CO2 emission which pollutes ecosystems, as well as to the problem of waste accumulation in landfills. Another major source of pollution is shipping- the transport of goods around the world largely contributes to the CO2 emission and other greenhouse gases. Our mission is to preserve our planet for future generations by tackling mindless consumption and promoting ecologically sustainable living, and we are big supporters of likeminded companies. In hopes of inspiring you to try them out and join the good fight, we have created a list of some of the best eco-friendly online stores. agood company Yes, we have put ourselves on the list. The reason is simple- we know first-hand about the quality and design principles of our products, and how much we strive to be as responsible and sustainable as humanly possible. We refuse to only think about profit, and we don’t take shortcuts even if that comes at a cost. Our shipping is always 100% climate-compensated, and we develop our own packaging which does not contain BPA- plastic or other cheap, harmful materials. We only partner with suppliers we share the same values with, we can trust and inspire to constantly make improvements towards more effective environmental sustainability. We carefully choose what we put in our products as well. We opt for sustainably sourced materials which have the least environmental impact, regardless of the cost, and we never use harmful chemicals in our production process. When you buy our products, part of the profit goes to donations we make to different initiatives around the world which make sure they go to the ones who most need them. So, what products do we sell? Everything from no-plastic, plant-based mobile cases, eco-friendly personal care products, stone paper notebooks, recycled steel water bottles, to circular fashion line, e.g. T-shirts made from organic and recycled cotton and socks made from 76% bamboo, which you can send back to us when you no longer want to wear them. We will then recycle them and make a new product, giving you a discount on your next purchase for joining our agood loop system. On our website, you can find a more detailed description of each product, containing the materials used, the production process it goes through and what is done to make it as sustainable as possible. Earth Hero Earth Hero offers a wide range of sustainable products, from clothing and accessories, outdoor gear, zero waste baby products, beauty and care products, to audio and tech. They use organically grown materials, such as renewable fibers or plant-based ingredients, upcycled and repurposed materials, without adding artificial dyes and fragrances into their products. Even if some items contain synthetics, they must be made from at least 70% recycled materials. They work with brands whose values align with their own and sell products which are sourced, produced and shipped in ecologically responsible way. The company offsets their carbon footprint, and they use readily biodegradable and compostable materials for their packaging. It is also a member of the global movement 1% for the Planet which means they donate 1% of their annual sales to various initiatives and organizations that give back to the planet. Ethical Superstore This is another ethical online store with a vast selection of products across different categories from groceries, beauty and personal care products, pet food and accessories, clothing, cleaning products, to bedding sets and garden accessories. They make sure that each of their products holds at least one of the following credentials: Eco Friendly, Organic, Locally Produced, Health&Wellness, Fair Trade, Charity. You can find anything from organic cotton clothing items, plant based washing up liquid, bamboo bedding sets to recycled plastic toys. They promote fair trade by guaranteeing suppliers in developing countries a better deal, which helps alleviate poverty. Also, by supporting local brands, they reduce the environmental footprint of shipping. Ethical Superstore organizes charitable initiatives and fundraisers on a regular basis, and there is also an option for customers to make a donation at checkout. Ecoroots If you are looking for everyday beauty, personal care or kitchen products, you might want to check Ecoroots. There are 50 low-waste products to choose from, including naturally scented organic body soap, all-natural skincare kit, zero-waste deodorant which comes in a recyclable cardboard tube, reusable coffee filters, or zero waste cleaning kit. Their beauty and skincare products are vegan and cruelty-free. They use natural, organic ingredients and they are free of paraben and other harmful chemicals. They strive to be low-waste and their packaging and shipping are completely plastic-free. Their products come in 100% recyclable, compostable or upcyclable packages. This company also donates a percentage of their profits to organizations that give back to the planet, such as Ocean Conservancy. Urbankissed Urbankissed collaborates with over a hundred independent brands and offers more than 10,000 products on their website. They mainly focus on clothing, accessories and home products, such as upcycled jumpsuits, eco-friendly shoes, bags made of sustainable materials or natural beauty products. Before earning a spot on their platform, brands need to meet at least several sustainable criteria in their Slow and Ethical Index, such as ethically sourced, recycled materials, plastic free, zero waste, sustainable materials etc. They also promote slow fashion, which is an approach to manufacturing clothes that aims to respect people, animals and the environment. They enable shopping goods directly from brands, which minimizes the CO2 emission produced by shipping. The company also offsets their carbon footprint by planting a tree in their own Madagascar forest for every single delivery. Eartheasy If you are more of an outdoorsy person, or have your own yard and garden, you should definitely check out Eartheasy. They offer products under various categories, such as yard&garden, off-grid&outdoors, green home and lifestyle. It is a family business with first-hand experience in sustainable living. Their goal is to inspire and inform people about the importance of protecting the environment, and their pages contain a lot of information about organic gardening, natural pest control, home composting and energy-efficiency. Home composting systems, non-toxic pest control, raised garden beds and camping gear, are just some of the products they sell. The company offsets their greenhouse gas emission and they reuse their product and shipping packaging when possible. They plant a tree for every order placed on their website and they are partnered with EPA Water Sense which promotes water efficiency and conservation. Thrive Market Thrive Market is an online, $5/month membership-based market which offers a wide range of organic, non-GMO and sustainable groceries. Since there is no middleman, you can shop at wholesale prices which makes it one of the most affordable ethical stores. They partner with over 500 carefully vetted brands which are committed to ethical and sustainable sourcing and using high-quality organic and sustainable products. If you are following a certain diet, whether it’s dairy-free, gluten-free or keto, there are more than 90 diet and lifestyles filters on their website to make your purchase fast and easy. The company uses recyclable or compostable packaging, their products are sent from zero-waste warehouses and their shipping is carbon-neutral. When you subscribe to their site, their one-for-one membership matching program gives free membership to a low-income family, veteran or others in need. Grove Collaborative This company sells natural household and personal care beauty products. They manufacture some of their products themselves, but they also partner with other brands. Everything they sell needs to meet their sustainability standards, such as cruelty-free, ingredient transparency and 100% plastic neutral. They specialize in eco-friendly cleaning essentials, but they also offer bedsheets, pet accessories, food storage containers and other products. They prioritize non-toxic, plant-based formulas, natural, essential oil fragrances and ethically sourced ingredients and products. At the moment the company is plastic-neutral, which means that for any plastic they sell, they collect and remove the same amount of plastic from the environment. Their plan is to completely remove plastic from their products and to become 100% plastic-free by 2025. Conclusion Whether you are just too lazy, too busy, ill or disabled, there is no doubt that online shopping is a great thing. We just need to become more mindful of where the products we add to our virtual shopping carts come from, what ingredients they contain, how they are sourced and how they affect our environment. So, why not make the best of both worlds- convenience and sustainability by joining the good fight and choosing to buy from eco-friendly online stores?