Switch your everyday items to these sustainable alternatives
This Earth Week, take a few minutes to consider your buying habits and how they affect our environment. This list of eco-conscious, Canadian-made products was compiled to easily fit into your everyday routine while making the world a better place.
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Photo: Goldilocks Goods
The Weather Network is committed to storytelling that moves the climate change conversation toward a new path forward. While thinking about sustainable solutions can seem like a big assignment, the reality is there are plenty of small things you can do on a daily basis that make an impact on the way you choose to live and the imprint you leave on our planet.
When considering where to shop, consumers are recognizing the benefits of buying from brands that are founded in Canada. If you’re becoming more eco-conscious, these products are all made right here in our country, which greatly reduces your carbon footprint from shipping transportation.
Featuring sustainable packaging, natural ingredients or materials, and reusable elements, this list of plastic-free products makes the switch simple.
Tru Earth Eco-strips Platinum Laundry Detergent, Fragrance-free - 32 Loads (Port Moody, B.C.)
Tru Earth, $21.95
Each Tru Earth eco-strip packs ultra-concentrated, hypoallergenic, eco-friendly cleaning power into a tiny, pre-measured strip of detergent that you toss in the wash. Product highlights include new zero-waste compostable packaging, dissolves completely in hot or cold water, works in all washing machines, and they claim to keep 700,000,000 plastic jugs out of landfills per year!
Our pick:
What it replaces:
Plastic jugs of liquid laundry detergent
What we like:
This brand’s certifications include paraben-free, phosphate-free, hypoallergenic, biodegradable, vegan with no animal-based ingredients or testing on animals
Sustainable, Canadian brand
Rated 4.9 out of 5 based on more than 17,500 customer reviews on tru.earth
READ MORE: Our recommendations for eco-conscious cleaning products
Goldilocks Beeswax Wraps, Sharks Set of 3 (Victoria, B.C.)
Goldilocks, $30
Did you know the average person uses over 2,000 square feet of plastic wrap every year? Goldilocks Beeswax Food Wraps are an all-natural, reusable, and eco-friendly alternative to using plastic wrap in your kitchen. This product keeps trash under wraps and is completely compostable once discarded.
Our pick:
What it replaces:
Single-use plastic wrap
What we like:
Each wrap lasts up to one year before needing to be composted
Sustainable, female-founded, Canadian brand
Rated 5 out of 5 based on more than 600 customer reviews on goldilocksgoods.com
READ MORE: Our recommendations for replacing single-use plastics in your kitchen
Frank And Oak, Men’s, The Slim Fit Essential T-Shirt in Bright White (Montreal, Que.)
Frank And Oak, $44.50
Frank And Oak is a certified B Corp and leader in sustainable fashion. As a maker of both men’s and women’s clothing, they design all of their apparel in Canada and manufacture select designs (like our pick!) here as well. This brand is committed to decreasing the use of virgin polyester, using 100 per cent recycled or certified cruelty-free wool, and using organic and biodegradable materials.
Our pick:
Men's, The Slim Fit Essential T-Shirt in Bright White
What it replaces:
Fast fashion made with non-renewable, non-biodegradable, or non-recyclable materials
What we like:
This t-shirt is made with organic cotton and a recycled material label
Sustainable, Canadian brand
Limited reviews available online are all positive
Like what you see? Check out our Shop the Weather articles for more must-have product recommendations.
Cheekbone Beauty, Sustain Lipstick in Aki (St. Catharines, Ont.)
Cheekbone Beauty, $32
Cheekbone Beauty’s outlook on our planet is revolutionizing the cosmetic industry. Using locally sourced ingredients where possible, their vegan beauty products also come in compostable, biodegradable, recyclable, or refillable packaging with mindful attention paid to transportation and shipping materials. Their sustainability journey embodies both the strengths of Western science and the Indigenous knowledge for the benefit of living things and our environment.
Our pick:
What it replaces:
Mass-produced cosmetics in plastic or wasteful packaging
What we like:
Partners with One Tree Planted and PACT Collective
Sustainable, female-founded, BIPOC, Canadian brand
Rated 5 out of 5 (although I wish I could give this a 10 out of 5!) based on personal use AND more than 700 customer reviews on cheekbonebeauty.com
Bee by the Sea, Eco Deodorant - Invigorate, Unisex (Orillia, Ont.)
Bee by the Sea, $15
This new product is giving the Bee by the Sea eco collection a lot of buzz. While all of their body, hair, and personal care products are produced in small batches and made with natural ingredients like sea buckthorn and honey, this special line includes plastic-free packaging. The natural deodorant is available in six different blends that pair with the eco bar collection.
Our pick:
Eco Deodorant - Invigorate, Unisex
What it replaces:
Mass-produced, chemical-based deodorants in plastic packaging
What we like:
A portion of proceeds goes directly to the University of Guelph’s Honeybee Research Centre
Sustainable, Canadian brand
New product with no online reviews available
SOAK Bath Co, Canadian Maple Soap Bar (Niverville, Man.)
SOAK Bath Co, $15.47
Lather up with this product that will make your skin and conscience feel good! SOAK Bath Co is a handmade bath and body brand that makes zero-waste soap bars with natural, vegan-friendly ingredients. Each soap bar is wrapped with a biodegradable, plantable seed paper label that will grow into wildflowers.
Our pick:
What it replaces:
Mass-produced, chemical-based soaps in plastic packaging
What we like:
Soap bar care provided online to lengthen the life of the product
Sustainable, female-founded, Canadian brand
Rated 5 out of 5 based on personal use
Seventh & Oak, 9 oz. Asana Candle (Toronto, Ont.)
Seventh & Oak, $40
Let Seventh & Oak brighten your core values. They believe that fragrance shouldn’t come at the expense of the environment or hurt animals. All of their candles are handcrafted from ethically sourced, premium all-natural materials. The brand also gives its customers an incentive to send back their empty candle jars for reuse.
Our pick:
What it replaces:
Mass-produced, chemical-based candles
What we like:
Made from a vegan coconut soy wax with an FSC Certified wood wick, phthalate, and cruelty-free plant-based oils in a reusable glass jar with plastic-free packaging
Sustainable, female-led, BIPOC, Canadian brand
Rated 5 out of 5 based on customer reviews on seventhandoak.com
READ MORE: Our recommendations for candles from Canadian brands
Like what you see? Check out our Shop the Weather articles for more must-have product recommendations.
Our trusted Product Specialists recommend high-quality items that we think will enhance your experience with Canadian weather conditions. Prices and availability of items are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
Thumbnail image courtesy Sarah Chai/Pexels
