Whether you’re a vegan or a non-vegan hoping to make more conscious product choices, this article hopes to convey the power behind our individual decisions. It also provides you with a list of our personal favourite ethical, eco-friendly, and sustainable products that we’ve tried and tested in the UK this year.
“Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is”
In today’s world, global corporations are often perceived as being more influential than states. In fact, as globalisation increases, power is frequently measured in terms of capital. Nevertheless, their power depends on money and, in our own small way, we can control how much of that they get. We have the power to choose which companies we use and, now more than ever, we are becoming more aware of what we spend our money on. For many of us, this means choosing to buy products from ethical, eco-friendly, local, and/or vegan businesses.
Conscious Consumerism
In response to the wave of media revealing the dark depths of the consumer goods and food industries, there is a rising movement of people seeking sustainable alternatives. Whether it’s the highly-polluting and unethical fashion industry or the inhumane and environmentally-damaging animal agriculture industry, we now have plenty of other options to choose from.
According to a study from the Sustainability Research Institute, one-third of UK consumers claim to be very concerned about the issues surrounding the origin of products. These concerns include matters such as human trafficking, overconsumption, environmental damage, human rights, and animal ethics and they have led to a subsequent rise in what is known as “conscious consumerism”. In other words, people are making more positive decisions when buying products.
The Rising Popularity of Vegan Products
The ever-growing consciousness includes an awareness of how people and animals have been treated throughout the supply chain, as well as what’s actually in the products. Therefore, demand for ethically-produced vegan goods is on the rise and this is evident across multiple industries, including beauty, food, and fashion.
Our Favourite UK Vegan Products in 2020
Without further ado, here are some of our favourite vegan products from sustainable UK-based brands. We hope they make it easier for people to make their own informed conscious choices!
1. Form Nutrition: Superblend Protein Powder
After months of searching for an effective, ethical, and sustainable vegan brand of protein powder, only to find that most of them still included plastic spoons in every bag, we came across Form Nutrition. Co-founded by David, Natalia, and Pete, this responsible and plant-based nutrition company is the first B Corp-certified UK protein brand, meaning that it meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance! Not only do their protein powders contain a higher protein content than the majority of other vegan brands, but they are also free from gluten, GMO, and soy so they can be enjoyed by just about anyone.
We particularly like their Superblend Protein Powder due to its inclusion of probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes, and fibre whilst excluding added sugar, artificial flavours, and thickeners. It contains 20g plant-based protein from multiple sources including spirulina. This magical plant-based ingredient contains bioavailable and easily digestible protein; all of the essential amino acids in complete balance; high levels of vitamins such as A and B12; and minerals such as iron. All the goodness in this vegan product is less than 160 calories per serving!
Not only do they avoid plastic spoons, every product purchased donates a meal to a family in need via the Form Feeding Fund at Bansang Hospital in The Gambia. We can’t get enough of this vegan nutrition brand!
2. Kinda Co.: Marmite Cheese
We don’t know about you, but we hate mass-produced vegan cheese that you can buy in the big supermarkets…melted processed “cheese” clings to the roof of our mouths like it’s begging us not to swallow this repulsive gloop! Luckily, we have plenty of fantastic plant-based artisan cheesemakers in the UK who produce the most delectable vegan cheese products, far surpassing the dairy-based brands.
Kinda Co. is one of our favourites and their limited edition Marmite cheese is quite simply amazing. Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that this cheese has a great consistency and, in our personal opinion, the best flavour. We especially love this vegan brand because it was founded by a kick-ass female entrepreneur called Ellie, who originally ran the company from her own kitchen! She now makes a variety of handmade soft and hard cheeses from a small kitchen facility in East London, which you can buy directly from her website.
Check out our article on other inspirational women who are smashing vegan and bodybuilding stereotypes
Kinda Co.’s Marmite Cheese, however, is only available to those who know where to look. Shh! Britain’s best-kept secret is available to buy from the LaFauxmagerie website.
3. The Vegan Kind: Beauty Box Subscription
In 2017, more than 6% of products launched in the UK were certified as vegan and experts think this is likely to double by 2022. When transitioning to veganism, one of the most shocking realisations is that the majority of beauty products either contain animal-derived ingredients or have been tested on animals. Seeking out suitable replacements takes a lot of time and research. Luckily, The Vegan Kind have done all the hard work for us and offer a Beauty Box subscription service for just £12.75 per box!
A fully plant-based and family-run brand that operates out of Glasgow, they make it their mission to ensure a vegan lifestyle is accessible to all. Their aim is to inspire others by showing people the amazing range of vegan products that are available on the market today. Customers of The Vegan Kind have stated that receiving their subscription Beauty Box in the post is like being sent a birthday present.
The boxes’ contents are designed to be as eco-friendly as possible and all of the items are cruelty-free and skin-friendly. Plus, they donate to Animal Free Research UK every month, which funds research into vegan (non-animal) product testing! What more could you want from a company that sells vegan beauty brands?
4. Seedball: Bee Mix
If you’ve read our article about bees and why they really are the “bee’s knees”, then you’ll know that one of the most vegan things we can do is to buy products to promote their survival. For example, we adore Seedball’s Bee Mix – a blend of bee-friendly wildflower seeds encased in clay and peat-free compost.
According to Seedball, we have lost 97% of the UK’s native wildflower habitats since World War II! These habitats were rich in biodiversity and are an important component of our native ecosystems. Many species of wildflower are now endangered and this subsequently has a knock-on effect for bees and other pollinators.
For this reason, Seedball has made it their mission to reverse the damage we have done to the environment by creating easy-to-grow seed products to save the bees and encourage the return of wildlife. Founded by two inspirational women, Emily and Ana, Seedball is a plant-based not-for-profit brand with one heck of a benevolent purpose. They also sell seeds for hedgehogs, bats, and butterflies!
5. Votch: Piñatex Watch
Another female-led brand, Votch was born out of Laura’s illness, when she also discovered the brutal reality of animal welfare. In particular, the leather industry stood out to her and, after her watch strap broke, she decided there was a niche in the market for watches with faux leather straps. Shortly after this, Votch was born! This revolutionary vegan brand continuously strives to improve its sustainability and is always researching the latest innovative fabrics.
We love their Piñatex collection, which uses straps made using fibres extracted from pineapple leaves – a by-product from pineapple harvests. In addition to replacing inhumane and environmentally-unfriendly leather, Piñatex also enables farmers to use the entirety of their crops whilst earning further income. Therefore, a Votch Piñatex watch is a vegan product that has both low environmental impact and high social responsibility!
6. Vyom London: Luxury Vegan Men’s Shoes
The Vyom London journey started back in 2016 with the vision of creating ‘the ideal shoes for the conscious leaders of today’. They are challenging the idea that luxury men’s shoes need to be made from leather.
Vyom London’s shoes are made using sustainable materials. They’ve teamed up with VEGEA to create their shoes from grapes, a by-product from Italian wineries. So, you can look super stylish at the office with the comfort of knowing that you are doing your bit for the environment!
7. The Morphbag: Luxury Vegan Leather Bags
Another vegan leather product, but for Women. These timeless vegan leather bag sets include a reversible tote, a cross-body bag and a clutch. Perfect for people who are always on the move, be it travelling abroad, or simply going between the home, office, and the bar!
Another vegan brand that is helping to challenge the leather industry. Classy, stylish and timeless pieces don’t need to be made from cruel methods.
Support the slow fashion cause and buy your own Morphbag here!
