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Looking for the best eco-friendly alternatives to amazon for books, electronics, fashion, beauty, and everything in between? Below are our favorite eco-friendly online stores for ethical and sustainable shopping.
p.s. you may also love our massive round up of the top 50+ Zero Waste Online Shops!
This post is about the best eco-friendly alternatives to Amazon
Alexa-assisted shopping, a ridiculously large selection of products, and let’s not forget the oh-so-coveted free, same-day shipping for the “Primers”.
These are only a few of the benefits that Amazon so graciously offers. In fact, each month more than 197 million people around the world browse, chick, and purchase from the leading marketplace. Still, thousands of people are actively looking for ethical alternatives to amazon despite its numerous perks. But what drove eco-conscious shoppers towards an ever-ending quest to find alternatives to amazon prime?
Everything comes down to the company’s environmental issues which include the estimated 599 million pounds of plastic packaging waste Amazon created last year.
How is Amazon not environmentally friendly?
For a long time, Amazon would not release its carbon footprint data. But once they did, the reason behind the veil, of eco-secrecy became pretty obvious. amazon generated 71.54 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020 alone. This equals to the pollution that 180 gas-fired power plants pump out annually.
Now if we compare it to 2019’s report, we’ll quickly realize that the marketplace’s climate pollution has grown by double digits. However, instead of taking measures to reduce their environmental footprint, dear old Jeff chose the greenwashing way by putting out a “Climate Pledge” to reduce CO2 and “neutralize” leftover emissions with “credible” offsets.
Luckily the best eco-friendly alternatives to amazon are here to save the day — literally and figuratively.
What is the best alternative to Amazon?
From ethical alternatives to Amazon fashion to holiday-ready alternatives to amazon gift cards, there are so many great options to consider. Grove Collaborative, Public Goods, and the Package-Free Shop are ready to shop everything from sustainable Home and cleaning products to beauty and skincare right to your doorstep. Thrive Market is ideal for organic foods; Urbankissed is also one of the best eco-friendly alternatives to amazon for clothes!
Is there an eco friendly Amazon?
Recently, Amazon launched Amazon Aware — the new eco-conscious brand that features certified carbon neutral products which adhere to their Climate Pledge Friendly program. Still, it’s best to look for alternatives to amazon prime such as Earth Hero, Ten Thousand Villages, Credo, etc in order to support small businesses, marginalized communities, women-owned businesses, Black owned businesses, and more. Curious on how supporting small can really help change the world? Check out this round-up of 46 reasons to shop small.
Is it more eco friendly to shop online?
While there is such a thing as a digital eco-footprint, yes it’s more eco-friendly to shop online than IRL. Many studies have suggested that e-commerce shopping has about 30% lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions compared to traditional retail shopping. Physical stores require a lot of energy and upkeep. Also, it’s proven that when a car makes a round-trip of more than 6.7km/4.1mi to go to a local shop, it produced more carbon emissions than a home delivery van that traveled up to 360km/223.7mi.
Bonus for shopping online in a super eco-friendly way? By shopping from this epic list of sustainable marketplaces!
This post is about ethical alternatives to Amazon.
The best eco friendly alternatives to Amazon for ethical shopping
From unique, handmade gifts like fair trade jewelry and baskets to handmade serveware, patio accessories, stationary, and fashion, Ten Thousand Villages is definitely one of the best eco-friendly alternatives to Amazon for artisan-crafted products.
Aside from sourcing their collection from international artisans, the company is also a pioneer of fair trade. So rest assured that every order directly impacts the life and community of its maker in a developing country. In fact, the brand has spent $99M in international artisan investments over the last 16 years — how amazing is that?
Best For: Handmade Jewlery And Home Decor
Ethics: Fair Trade, Women Empowerment, Donations,
Location/Shipping: Pennsylvania, USA / Ships to USA
Shop Ten Thousand Villages Here
While we are absolutely obsessed with their Eco Friendly Laundry Detergents, Grove Collaborative offers much more than cleaning products. Hailed as one of the best ethical alternatives to Amazon, the company is ready to ship cooking must-haves, beauty, and haircare, health and wellness products as well as non-toxic pet items (treats, toys, etc.).
On top of that, every Grove order is 100% plastic and carbon neutral and you can schedule Monthly Shipments to Never run out of the essentials ever again!
Best For: Cleaning & Beauty Products
Ethics: Cruelty-Free Ingredients, Recyclable Box, Ethically Made In China, Certified B Corporation, Carbon-Neutral Shipment
Location/Shipping: USA
Shop Grove Collaborative Here
Credo believes that “the future of beauty is sustainable” and sadly, the industry has a not-so-secret packaging problem. That’s why they’ve created a catalog of 130+ brands with 2,000+ best-in-clean products available. Their collection of clean skincare and beauty is cruelty-free and all ingredients are responsibly sourced. The same applies to their bath and body lines which include natural deodorants and perfumes, sustainable haircare, and cult-favorite, safe fragrances.
Best For: Beauty, Skincare & Fragrances
Ethics: Ethically-Sourced Ingredients, Cruelty-Free, Workshops For Bipoc Entrepreneurs
Location/Shipping: USA
Shop Credo Here
Interested in buying healthy food from top-selling, organic brands? Thrive Market makes the entire process a breeze which makes them one of your favorite eco-friendly online stores.
You can shop for organic pantry staples, sustainable meat and seafood, and supplements. However, they also offer some amazing eco-friendly cleaning products as well as clean beauty finds! And if you want to customize your groceries delivery schedule, you can customize your box and seat the date with ease.
Best For: Organic Food
Ethics: Sustainably Sourced Ingredients, Organic, B-Certified Corporation,
Location/Shipping: USA
Shop Thrive Market Here
For alternatives to Amazon for books, look no further than Bookshop. This relatively new digital book-buying marketplace which began in the US and launched in the UK in 2020 is chock full of finds from independent bookshops.
In fact, it has been awarded Certified B Corporation status after only 18 months. The ethical book buying site currently has over 500 small and family-owned bookshops that have earned over £2m through Bookshop.org.This means that thousands of amazing new titles are available at your disposal including fiction, romance, horror, literature, and kids books just to name a few categories.
Best For: Books
Ethics: B-Certified Corporation, Small Business Empowerment
Location/Shipping: USA, UK, Spain
Shop Bookshop Here
Are you on a quest to find the perfect gift for pretty much everyone in your life? Uncommon Goods has a growing collection of 310 Unique sustainable gifts for every taste. Think skillfully-crafted, handmade Mosaic Glasses, journals, Recycled Wine Bottle Cufflinks, organic kids clothing, jewelry, garden decor, and so many more options.
You browse by the recipient, occasion, or price, which makes the entire gift-shopping process a breeze. And if you are looking for alternatives to Amazon gift cards, the brand offers your loved ones the fun of choosing their own present with certificates (amounts from $5 to $1000).
Best For: Christmas, Birthday, Graduation & All-Occasions Gifts
Ethics: B-Corporation, Collections By Independent Designers, Donations
Location/Shipping: USA
Shop Uncommon Goods Here
A few favorites from Uncommon Goods:
Ethical fashion, natural beauty products, eco-friendly active, swimwear, jewelry, and lingerie — Urbankissed is the e-home of 100+ sustainable brands. Touted as a fantastic ethical alternative to Amazon, the marketplace currently has 10k products that you can shop directly from the source at no additional cost.
You can upgrade your capsule wardrobe, find some amazing gifts for her or even refresh your homeware ahead of the new season. Also, Urbankissed is part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and actively tries to help build a circular economy.
Best For: Fashion & Beauty
Ethics: Sustainable Materials, Carbon Neutral Shipping, Ethical Sourcing, Fair Wages, Donations, Members Of The Ellen Macarthur Foundation
Location/Shipping: Switzerland, Worldwide Shipping Available
Shop Urbankissed Here
BLK + GRN is not simply one of the best ethical alternatives to amazon, but also an all-natural marketplace by all Black artisans who create natural toxic-free products — including haircare, skincare, menstrual care and bodycare.
After experiencing firsthand the damaging effects harmful ingredients and practices have had on the community, the owners set their minds to creating a place dedicated to Black people with natural lifestyles. Are you looking for all-natural formulas to help you battle dark spots, signs of aging, eczema, or dry skin? There is a product just for you!
Discount Code: Use code SKL10 for 10% off
Best For: Skincare
Ethics: Black-Owned Business, Non-Toxic Natural Products, Empowerment
Location/Shipping: Maryland, United States.
Shop BLK + GRN Here
Public Goods offers super affordable healthy and sustainable essentials for you and even your furry friends. They source biodegradable alternatives to single-use plastic made from sugarcane and all paper products are actually tree-free.
We absolutely love their refillable body washes, but you can also opt for healthy treats, mealtime essentials, and bath care for your pets as well as organic, healthy, delicious groceries!
Best For: Personal Care Products & Household Items
Ethics: Zero-Waste Products, Organic Ingredients/Materials, Sustainable Packaging, Donations
Location/Shipping: USA
Shop Public Goods Here
Do you frequent Amazon’s clothing section? Staiy is one of the best eco-friendly alternatives to Amazon for sustainable fashion. Aside from curating the finest selection of European brands, Staiy also makes sure that every company adheres to their sustainability pillars: water consumption, air purity, materials innovations, working conditions, and supply chain.
Yes, you can get your hands on made-to-order styles at various price points knowing that every piece is created ethically and packaged in eco-conscious mailers.
Best For: Fashion
Ethics: Sustainable Materials, Non-Toxic, Plastic-Free Packaging, Fair Labor, Donations
Location/Shipping: Germany, Worldwide Shipping Available
Shop Stay Here
The B-certified corporation Earth Hero is one of the best ethical alternatives to Amazon “ for everyone who loves the planet!” They thrive on making sustainable shopping easy and accessible by curating the perfect collection of tech, beauty, clothing, home decor, and many more products from eco-friendly brands.
You can shop by values — including women-owned brands, made in the USA, safe & fair labor— or browse their entire line. Either way, the company measures, reduces and offsets their carbon footprint by purchasing carbon credits through Climate Neutral.
Best For: Beauty, Baby&Kids, Clothing, Tech, Home&Kitchen, Pets, Travel
Ethics: B-Certified Corporation, Sustainability & Ethical Labor, Donations, Carbon Offsetting
Location/Shipping: USA, Ships To Canada
Shop Earth Hero Here
Made Trade is one of the best eco-friendly alternatives to Amazon for ethical and sustainable goods. From handcrafted, and GOTS certified organic cotton sheets, sustainable plus-size bathing suits from some of the world’s most popular brands, eco-friendly furniture, and even women’s fashion, they have all our needs covered.
Every small batch product is verified and vetted to ensure that it’s ethically made vegan and sustainable materials, by women in the USA. Last but not least, the BIPOC-Owned company makes sure that every order is 100% carbon neutral and also has a stellar “Our Satisfaction Guarantee” policy.
Best For: Clothing, Furniture, Home Decor
Ethics: Transparency, Fair Labor, BIPOC-Owned Company, Fair Trade, Sustainable Sourcing
Location/Shipping: USA
Shop Made Trade Here
Etsy needs no introductions! Known as one of the most raved-about ethical alternatives to amazon for all things artsy, the marketplace is the e-home of thousands of products made by small businesses.
We’ve spotted handmade long linen dresses, utterly giftable wooden baby gyms, affordable organic skincare, stationary, jewelry, home decor, and even secondhand wedding dresses. No matter your preferences, currently there are 5.30 million Etsy shops ready to ship their utterly unique and lovingly-made goodies straight to your doorstep — so why give money to a big, unethical corporation?
Best For: Jewelry, Stationary, Home Decor
Ethics: Small Independent Artists, Many Eco Friendly & Sustainable Options
Location/Shipping: USA, Worldwide Shipping Available
Shop Etsy Here
Don’t let the name fool you; The Little Market’s shelves are packed with artisan-made and handcrafted gifts including home decor, dinnerware, children’s toys, and a slew of spa accessories. Their artists are based in El Salvador and thrive on using traditional foot looms and traditional shuttle looms to create their one-of-a-kind items ethically. So with every purchase, you actively support the local community. Aside from their gorgeous home decor, the company is known as one of the best eco-friendly alternatives to Amazon due to their wide range of in-drawer organization essentials, glassware, bakeware, jewelry, handbags, and more!
Best For: Home Decor
Ethics: Sustainable Materials, Natural Dyes, Artisan-Made Products, Fair Wages, Community Empowerment
Location/Shipping:USA, Worldwide Shipping Available
Shop The Little Market Here
Package Free Shop is one of the most noteworthy ethical alternatives to Amazon offering eco-friendly versions of the products you use daily. Their virtual shelves are chock full of clean beauty and skincare, non-toxic cleaning products, household must-haves, and pet supplies but you can also opt for sustainable fashion and accessories.
Plus, all of their items can either be reused, refilled, composted, or recycled and their packaging is 100% recyclable and 100% compostable as well. This means that the brand has successfully managed to divert millions of plastic waste from landfills — which is pretty damn amazing.
Best For: Home & Cleaning Products, Beauty And Skincare
Ethics: Plastic Free Products, Recyclable Packaging, Donations
Location/Shipping: New York, USA
Shop Package Free Shop Here
This post was all about the best eco friendly alternatives to Amazon
No matter if you are looking for books, sustainable fashion, non-toxic beauty, or home decor, the best eco-friendly alternatives to Amazon are here to cater to your every demand. Don’t forget that the ethical alternatives to amazon also have gift cards available to help you treat your friends and family to something they’ll truly love this holiday season.
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