15 Sustainable Stores For All Your Ethical Online Shopping
Ethical online shopping combines the best of both worlds—convenience and sustainability.
But why is sustainable shopping important?
There are a plethora of ethical issues with online shopping, and considering online sales have grown exponentially in recent years it’s a serious concern.
That’s why it’s more important than ever to be conscious of your couch-based consumption.
And you can, thanks to the good e-eggs out there providing sustainably sourced products that can help reduce your plastic use in an increasingly disposable world.
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Food52’s sustainable shopping specialty is food, or more specifically the tools we use to prepare it.
For the food itself, turn to Thrive Market, one of the best eco friendly online stores for healthy, organic food tailored to whatever diet you follow.
For everything else, Public Goods is one of those sustainable stores where it’s easier to list what they don’t have rather than what they do.
Whether you need general home goods, a new outfit, skin care products, or weekly groceries, these sustainable online stores have your back (and our planet’s, too).
QUICKLINKS FOR THE BEST SUSTAINABLE SHOPPING
- Food52 | Visit Store
- EarthHero | Visit Store
- Thrive Market | Visit Store
- EcoRoots | Visit Store
- etee | Visit Store
- Andrea’s Organic Market | Visit Store
- Ethical Superstore | Visit Store
- Public Goods | Visit Store
- Sun & Swell Foods | Visit Store
- Biome | Visit Store
- wearwell | Visit Store
- Grove Collaborative | Visit Store
- Urbankissed | Visit Store
- Azure Standard | Visit Store
- Made Trade | Visit Store
1. FOOD52
Food52’s Eco Friendly Stores Online
Food52 is a well-known name in the foodie world.
If you don’t know the difference between soufflé and scrambled eggs, this eco friendly online shop has something for you, too.
After all, their motto is “Eat thoughtfully, live joyfully”, and that’s something we can all get behind.
In addition to vintage kitchen products (think: eco friendly cutlery and dinnerware, food storage, and eco friendly cookware), their range also includes a curated selection of vintage homewares.
About Food52
For more than a decade, Food52 has been inspiring the world with delicious, test-kitchen approved recipes.
More recently, they started inspiring us with a range of products to help us cook and eat thoughtfully.
Their carefully curated collection includes home goods and crafts—both new and vintage. Vintage being our preference as the most sustainable choice.
2. EARTHHERO
EarthHero’s Ethical Online Store
Say goodbye to Prime; it’s EarthHero time.
EarthHero is one of the best alternatives to Amazon—AKA one of the best sustainable online stores.
They have everything, but with less Bezos billionaire disregard for their sellers and buyers. Their range of sustainable products is massive and includes (almost) everything you could need.
Bathroom and kitchen products, clothing and accessories, zero waste baby products (like organic baby skin care essentials), travel, eco friendly pet products, vegan candles, and a range of affordable organic makeup and personal care products.
About EarthHero
The Boulder, Colorado store stocks over 150 brands that were all intimately hand-picked to ensure they’re the cream of the sustainable crop.
They even have a whole page on their website dedicated to the various sustainability logos they reference (which is to say, there are a lot of them!) to make it easier than ever for folks to shop their values.
With carbon neutral shipping, you can’t go wrong with any order.
Truly committed to sustainability and giving back in a variety of ways, EarthHero is the B Corp bomb and they leave nothing to be desired when it comes to sustainable online shopping.
3. THRIVE MARKET
Thrive Market’s Ethical Online Shopping US
One of the most ethical online shops for REAL food, Thrive Market is a one-stop-shop for organic pantry staples, home goods, and clean beauty essentials.
They offer a curated selection of healthy food and products for more than 70 different diets and values!
Following a ketogenic diet?
Just click a button and allow Thrive Market to do all the ingredient reading leg work.
If you don’t have a specific diet but DO care about animal welfare, regenerative agriculture, or food access, they can help you shop to support your values, too.
The Certified B Corp has more than 6,000 wholesome products, including food, zero waste vitamins and supplements, bath & beauty products, and home goods.
About Thrive Market
Thrive Market is another excellent alternative to big online retailers that makes healthy living as easy as a few mouse buttons.
And the organically-grown cherry on top, their subscription service makes them one of the most affordable sustainable stores.
Because no middleman (i.e. giant retailer) is involved, they can offer wholesale prices and a price-match guarantee.
Doing more to provide good food to all, they also provide a free annual membership to a family in need for every one purchased.
You’ll receive your grocery order in recyclable and compostable packaging, sent using carbon-neutral shipping from a zero waste warehouse.
4. ECOROOTS
EcoRoots’ Ethical Shopping Online USA
EcoRoots is all about minimalist, plastic-free, and low-waste alternatives to everyday bath, beauty, and sustainable kitchen products.
From loofahs to sustainable candles, you can deck out your eco-home with all the essentials.
Not only are they one of the best zero waste online stores, but they also sell organic and non-toxic personal care products.
Everything is free of animal byproducts, SLS, and plastic. Most products are palm oil free, too.
Truly one of the best eco friendly online stores for all things personal care.
About EcoRoots
EcoRoots may have been founded in Aspen, Colorado but now the brand has a far-reaching impact.
They work with smaller brands that share similar values and consider the environment in everything they do—from the products they sell to how they’re packaged.
They also donate 1% of all of their profits to the Ocean Conservancy.
Also available on Amazon
5. ETEE
etee’s Ethical Online Shopping
Join the Plastic Free Club and shop with etee.
They have a select range of beauty and personal care products from soap, zero waste lip balm, and lotion to zero waste toothpaste and bamboo toothbrushes.
If you’re looking to eco-fy the rest of your life, they offer zero waste gifts, zero waste dish soap, and plastic-free food storage products.
Since etee manufactures the majority of its product range, they have unmatched oversight of their supply chain.
About etee
etee was effectively the aftermath of a collision of a kayaking trip and a plastic-choked river.
While this sustainable living stores’ first foray into plastic free products was beeswax wraps, it has come a long way since, both in terms of product selection and sustainable manufacturing (which is powered by 100% renewable energy).
There are no ifs, ands, or buts when it comes to etee and their mission. Down to the cellulose packing tape, they’re taking plastic-free to the next level.
6. ANDREA’S ORGANIC MARKET
Andrea’s Organic Market’s Ethical Online Shopping
Andrea’s Organic Market has a massive selection of zero waste skin care products, zero waste shampoo and conditioner, and everything else for the mind, body, and soul.
That includes massage oils, tinctures, teas, gift sets, and select culinary goodies.
All are made with 100% organic, non-GMO, cold-pressed ingredients and packaged in reusable glass bottles.
About Andrea’s Organic Market
Zero waste, organic, palm oil free, cruelty free, and largely fair trade?
Skincare doesn’t get much more sustainable than Andrea’s Organic Market and their small-batch products crafted in the USA.
Aside from some products that contain honey or goat’s milk, they are a vegan sustainable shop.
Plus, Etsy will offset all shipping emissions from your orders.
7. ETHICAL SUPERSTORE
Ethical Superstore’s Sustainable Online Shopping UK
Fancy a sustainable shopping superstore?
Then Ethical Superstore is your bag.
With thousands of products under categories like groceries, cleaning, fashion, home & garden, beauty, baby, and pets, there’s a little something (of a lot of somethings) for everyone.
They also carry handcrafted, unique items making them an excellent place to shop for ethical gifts for friends and family.
All items are shipped in recyclable and recyclable paper-based products, including their Geami WrapPak non-plastic bubble wrap alternative.
About Ethical Superstore
Who says online shopping that’s ethical needs to be difficult?
The selection may be vast, but Ethical Superstore makes it easy to shop by your ethics, whether they be fair trade, certified organic, vegan, cruelty free, FSC certified, recycled, and more.
As an ethical online shopping UK-based platform, they give small UK makers a platform, but also ensure fair prices for makers all around the world.
Partner brands are held to strict ethical policies, including their supplier code of conduct and modern slavery statement.
At checkout, customers have the option to add a donation. That’s in addition to the regular fundraisers and charitable initiatives Ethical Superstore organizes.
8. PUBLIC GOODS
Public Goods’ Eco Friendly Online Store UK
Public Goods aims to serve with a massive range of ethically sourced personal care, household, grocery, and pet products.
From vitamins and supplements to eco friendly sponges, you’ll find no shortage of biodegradable, bulk, or refillable solutions to common household waste sources.
Their overstock section prevents wasted products and makes for cheap ethical online shopping options.
About Public Goods
Public Goods products are non-toxic, cruelty free, and minimalist.
Every order means one tree planted and they also donate to food equality charities, like Feeding America and local food banks.
Every order doesn’t mean plastic or GHG emissions, since everything is carbon offset and packaged in tree-free recycled paper and compostable bioplastics.
9. SUN & SWELL FOODS
Sun & Swell Foods’ Eco Friendly Online Store
Sun & Swell Foods is a sustainable online store that specializes in edibles.
Stock up your zero waste kitchen pantry with a healthy selection of organic, preservative-and-sugar-free products.
They offer pre-made snacks, energy bites and raw pantry staples (think: dried fruit, nuts, grains, zero waste coffee, tea, baking ingredients, and coconut oil).
You’ll also find a smaller selection of personal care and home products.
About Sin & Swell Foods
As one of the best bulk stores online, Sun & Swell Foods uses plastic free packaging that consists of glass jars and home compostable bags.
If you haven’t jumped on the apartment composting train yet, add a Compostable Bag Return Mailer to your first order and they’ll compost them for you.
They’re one of the most ethical online shops as per their Certified B Corp and the fact that they source largely from USA farms.
Your snacking can also be guilt-free thanks to carbon offset shipping and regular donations through 1% for the Planet.
10. BIOME
Biome’s Ethical Online Shopping Australia
Creating a zero waste bathroom—or zero waste any room in the house?
Biome can help you primp, preen, clean, and cut down towards that goal.
Its many ethically sourced, low-waste products fall under an array of categories like gifts + kits, books, body + beauty, slow fashion, reuse + plastic free, food + wellness, and others.
They started by retailing other ethical brands, but have now launched their own line of eco friendly makeup, skin care, and palm oil free shampoo.
About Biome
Biome is a woman-founded Certified B Corp that also happens to be Net Zero.
Certainly one of the most sustainable stores online we’ve come across.
With a large list of banned substances and strict cruelty free sourcing policies, their mostly-organic products ensure the health and safety of both you and the natural world.
Glass jars and paper-based packaging are what you’ll often see, any plastic can be returned to the brand to be recycled through TerraCycle.
11. WEARWELL
wearwell’s Ethical Shopping Online
No matter your style (cozy to couture) or need (dressed up to dressed down), wearwell is one of the best sustainable shopping websites for women’s fashion.
Take their style quiz to discover looks curated just for you.
Otherwise, take your time to browse their impressive selection of clothing (in inclusive sizes XS-3X), jewelry, accessories, home goods, and personal care (like period panties and menstrual cups).
Each product features a brand summary and a handy list of sustainability badges they meet, such as circular, fair labor, BIPOC owned, vegan materials, and many others.
To support their anti-racist and intersectional social justice efforts, look for the Black Owned Brand tags atop the photos in each category.
About wearwell
Female-founded wearwell is “committed to making it easier for more people to live sustainably and support brands that meet the highest standards”.
Each brand they partner with goes through a rigorous vetting process that includes an initial assessment, interview, and validation through third-party certifiers.
They’re members of 1% for the Planet and provide full product circularity by reselling your unwanted wearwell goods through wearwellagain.
Buy individual items as needed or join one of their flexible membership plans that offer additional perks and savings like insider pricing, access to styling, free shipping, and gifts.
12. GROVE COLLABORATIVE
Grove Collaborative’s Affordable Ethical Online Shopping
Grove Collaborative is a veritable jungle when it comes to the best sustainable online shopping for your home.
Their specialty is eco friendly cleaning—whether it be for you or for your house—but they also carry an abundance of products for pets, babies, health + wellness, gardening, and the pantry.
They’re there for you, whether you’re looking for a non toxic fresh laundry scented candle or actually doing laundry with their eco friendly laundry detergent.
Among their list of over 150 brands, you’ll see major names in the sustainability game, like Mrs. Meyer’s, and Dr. Bronner’s.
You can either buy products individually or join their subscription service for extra affordable sustainable shopping.
About Grove Collaborative
This Certified B Corp “take[s] the guesswork out of going green” with either stringently vetted third-party products or in-house ones made to the highest sustainability standards.
That means everything is non-toxic, plant-based, cruelty free, transparent about ingredients, and sourced through ethical supply chains.
It’s all shipped courtesy of carbon neutral shipping.
While not plastic free quite yet, their partnership with rePurpose Global offsets the weight of any plastic they sell by removing the same amount from the environment.
13. URBANKISSED
Urbankissed’s Ethical Online Shop
Urbankissed is an online mecca for ethical shopping.
Think clothing, accessories, jewelry, and homewares, totaling over 10,000 products from over a hundred independent brands.
Sustainable jumpsuits or lingerie, they offer a little something of just about every garment type imaginable.
You’ll also see an equally wide variety of materials. Common ones include GOTS organic or upcycled cotton, Tencel, recycled polyester, and ethical cashmere and wool.
Many garments are OEKO-TEX or bluesign® certified.
They aim to be inclusive, with sizes between XXS and 5XL offered, depending on the brand.
About Urbankissed
In order to earn a spot on this ethical online shopping platform, sustainable clothing brands must meet a few of Urbankissed’s Slow & Ethical Index standards, which assess them on factors like ethical sourcing and production, empowering artisans, and slow fashion practices.
If you’re vegan or seek small batch or made-to-order production, rest easy knowing Urbakissed does, too.
They also plant a tree in their own Madagascar forest for every item sold and every new newsletter subscriber.
This is in addition to the charitable giving and offseting efforts offered by some brands.
14. AZURE STANDARD
Azure Standard’s Sustainable Online Store
Food is Azure Standard’s specialty.
When it comes to ethical food shopping online, they cover all bases.
From organic baby products to ethnic cuisine to chewing gum (and everything in between), Azure Standard’s food range is impressive, most of which is certified organic and minimally processed.
They work with like-minded brands, especially independent and family-owned ventures who share their values.
The best part is that you can get all your basic pantry staples in bulk (anywhere from 1- 25 pounds in compostable paper bags).
About Azure Standard
Azure Standard wants to create an “honest standard in the marketing of food” and feels “the correct way to effect a positive change is not to attack the way it is being done, but begin to do it right.”
Hear, hear!
They accomplish this by distributing healthy food and products to delivery drop locations that help them build community and reduce shipping emissions, too.
This sustainable shopping site has a long list of core values that determines its processes and addresses the ethical impacts of online shopping.
15. MADE TRADE
Made Trade’s Sustainable Shop
Who says sustainable online shopping can’t be stylish?
Of all eco friendly shopping stores online, Made Trade puts the “fun” in “functional” sustainable shopping, thanks to their curated collection of aesthetically chic and exceptionally designed goods from makers all around the world.
If it’s fair trade, heritage, vegan, sustainable, POC- or woman-owned, or made in the USA, they probably have it.
That means anything from clothing, shoes, and sustainable accessories to ethical and sustainable furniture, bedding, linen curtains, and artisan jewelry.
Anyone looking to incorporate conscious products into a beautiful life should start with Made Trade.
About Made Trade
As one of the most diverse eco friendly stores online, Made Trade is a woman-owned, family-run company that was started by a desire to find beautiful ethical and sustainable products for their own home and wardrobe.
With different products for each of their values, Made Trade “puts artistry above efficiency, fair wages above profits, sustainability above mass production, quality craftsmanship above mindless consumption, and transparency above everything.”
“Ethically elevated,” they call it.
And that’s bolstered by their donations to regenerative fiber company Fibershed, being a member of 1% for the Planet and offering 100% carbon offset shipping (including any returns).
WHY IS SUSTAINABLE SHOPPING IMPORTANT?
Last year, e-commerce generated $26.7 trillion in global sales, a number that’s predicted to continue rising at an incredible pace.
Now, over half of all people have turned to the internet for the most basic of shopping needs.
But do the environmental and ethical issues with online shopping really allow us to justify its convenience?
According to the EPA, the transportation industry accounts for 29% of US GHG emissions. Globally, shipping and returning products accounted for 37% is GHG emissions in 2020.
Transportation aside, online retail comes with even more unnecessary packaging than we’re used to, and the US alone already throws away 82.2 million tons of packaging yearly.
Accounting for all that and the human rights abuses underlying the production in developing countries, the convenience of online shopping comes at a steep price.
So what is sustainable shopping? Can it even be done in the online sphere?
Yes, but it requires consumers to demand more ethical alternatives and for there to be more sustainable stores to meet these demands.
HOW WE FOUND THE MOST ETHICAL ONLINE STORES
The best sustainable online shopping sites take into account the following criteria when choosing what products to sell and how:
Materials:
In order to be considered among eco friendly online stores, materials and ingredients are a principal consideration.
They should be sustainably sourced and farmed (from sustainable food systems), ideally natural (i.e. organic cotton, hemp fabric, natural wood, etc), or recycled.
In the case of cleaning and personal care products, we seek those with non-toxic and vegan ingredients, cruelty free testing policies, and no or sustainably sourced palm oil.
Supply chain & labor practices:
To avoid the ethical issues with online shopping, shops should either make their own products through an ethically audited and supervised supply chain, or require their partner brands to show proof of this.
Here, we look for third party certifications (like those under the fair trade banner) as well as sustainable stores that enforce a code of conduct.
Green business practices:
While carbon emissions from shipping are unavoidable, even for most sustainable stores, the ones on this list are mindful of that and offset the impact of each shipment (or all operations, period) by supporting carbon offset programs.
Community & charitable giving:
The best sustainable online stores want to make the world a better place all around, so it’s not surprising to see most ethical online shops on this list involved in charitable partnerships, whether through 1% for the Planet, local organizations, or other social justice movements.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON SUSTAINABLE ONLINE STORES
With its recent explosion, most of us have an appreciation of the ethical issues with online shopping.
From carbon emissions, to packaging waste, to overconsumption, seriously, we’ve all fallen down that “suggested for you” rabbit hole.
But, quoting one of our favorite sustainable shopping tips, shopping should be out of necessity—not want.
If you do need something new, a cardigan, beauty essentials, or homewears, go with a sustainable shop that is committed to providing the most ethical and eco friendly online shopping experience.
Buying in bulk helps, too.
If you have a friend who’s a trigger-happy online shopping addict, share this list with them so we can all support these ethical and sustainable shopping alternatives.
Eco Now in Orange County, CA has some sustainable items like you mentioned too and the cool thing is, if you’re local to the area, they do refilling of your containers with products you need while refilling their own bulk drums. If you can include them in this list, that’d be an awesome resource for people. Check them out: https://www.econowca.com/
Please send info about Gift cards for sustainable goods in Bellingham. Also list of what stores and services accept gift card
Hi KB, I’m afraid we don’t have such granular information for Bellingham. Good luck in your search!