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Earth Day: The IndyBest team’s favourite eco-friendly products

<p>This year’s theme is ‘Restore Our Earth’</p> (iStock/The Independent)

This year’s theme is ‘Restore Our Earth’

(iStock/The Independent)

Earth Day – honoured annually on 22 April – aims to raise awareness of the alarming climate crisis we’re all facing. Founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970 following an oil spill in Santa Barbara, it is now recognised across the globe.

During its 51 years, there have been many successes. Notably, it paved the way for the 1992 UN Earth Summit, with the event in 2000 addressing global heating and promoting ideas of switching to renewable, clean energy sources.

Another noteworthy milestone is of course the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2016 – an international pact of 175 countries that aims to prevent global heating, keeping temperatures from rising by more than 1.5C by the end of the century.

As for this year, the theme is “Restore Our Earth”. It centres on the ways in which the world’s ecosystems can be restored through natural processes, new green technologies and innovative thinking.

Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, there has been an undeniable number of unprecedented climate catastrophes – bushfires in Brazil, the United States and Australia, the swarms of locusts ravaging crops in east Africa and the destruction of coral reefs in Australia – that prove the importance of raising awareness of the crisis.

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At IndyBest we believe that every day should be Earth Day, and we should continually be looking out for Mother Nature. As such, the team have shared their favourite eco-friendly products that help them live their best, greensest life. From a reusable exfoliating mitt to biodegradable dog poo bags, we’ve got you covered in every aspect of life.

You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Emma Henderson (Editor)

Organibox mixed fruit and veg box: £26.55, Organibox.org

Organibox
Organibox

We all know about fruit and veg delivery boxes, but this brand’s USP is in the name – it’s fully organic. But why is that important? Using fewer pesticides, no manufactured herbicides or artificial fertilisers helps protect the health of the soil. Without good soil, we’re unable to grow crops.

Inside the mixed box, you’ll get everything from avocados and sweet potatoes to cucumbers and even a fennel bulb. It will get you thinking about new recipes to make, so you’re not stuck in a rut cooking the same dishes week in, week out. Portion sizes are good, while the produce is really fresh and does not look perfect, but is perfectly good to cook with. Although the fruit and veg comes from around the world, it’s never flown, which cuts its carbon footprint. There’s no plastic in the packaging, just cardboard and paper, which can be easily recycled. And ith every box bought, 50p is donated Organibox’s charity partner, The Trussel Trust.

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Ellie Fry (Deputy editor)

Face Halo body: £12.60, Feelunique.com

Face Halo
Face Halo

I love it when one of my favourite products just so happens to be eco-friendly, and if you’re a fake tan fanatic like me, you need this in your life. This large exfoliating mitt buffs away any old tan or pesky dry patches, leaving your skin smooth and shiny without irritation. One side is made of tiny microfibres that work to slough away dead skin, while the other softer side is perfect for general cleaning.

These mitts are far more reusable than other products, including the exfoliating gloves you often only get a few uses out of. And the brand also offers an upcycling scheme – you can send your old and unwanted products to a centre in Glasgow where they are used to create clothing.

The Face Halo body arrives in recyclable plastic packaging and the brand has assured us that it is working towards removing this in order to become plastic-free.

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Suzie McCracken (Senior production journalist)

TePe good toothbrush: £2.75, Waitrose.com

TePe
TePe

I’m all for bamboo, but when an item is one that often gets wet, I get a bit grossed out by the idea of using porous wood. That’s why I’m such a big fan of these TePe good toothbrushes. First up, they’re actually pretty cute. But, most importantly, they are 96 per cent bio-based plastic – a material that Tepe makes using renewable raw materials (sugar cane and castor oil), and produces using clean energy. I love it because it acknowledges that sometimes a plastic-like material is the best one for a job, but asks how it can be produced in a more responsible way.

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Daisy Lester (Production journalist)

Veja venturi gravel natural grey women’s trainers: £130, Veja-store.com

Veja
Veja

Tread lightly on the planet in style with these Veja trainers – one of my favourite pairs. The Parisian brand is leading the way in terms of sustainable footwear and this pair boasts the label’s distinctive “V” branding and a slightly retro and timeless style.

Chunky trainers remain in vogue and these certainly suit the bill as well as feeling comfortable and supportive. Working just as well with jeans as with a flowy dress, they’ll be a wardrobe mainstay for spring and summer. The mesh is made from plastic bottles, the insole constructed from wild rubber and the lining made entirely from recycled polyester. If you’re as in love with the brand as I am, read our Veja trainer buying guide for more.

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Eva Waite-Taylor (Writer)

Loqi birds tote bag: £7.06, Amazon.co.uk

Amazon
Amazon

After attempting to go plastic-free for 2020, I realised the importance of having a bag for life always in my handbag so as to never be left short. Having spent a while trying to find the best one for me, I finally came across this Loqi number. I’m obsessed with the bird pattern and it’s big enough to hold a couple of night’s worth of shopping. Best of all, it neatly folds down to a small compact size and fits into an included zip pocket – ideal for always having on your person.

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Alex Lee (Writer)

Pela iPhone 12/iPhone 12 pro case: £32.95, Amazon.co.uk

Amazon
Amazon

Did you know that we throw away a mammoth 1.5 billion phone cases every year? Yup, it’s wild. So when I went in search of an eco-friendly phone case, I landed on some great ones from Canadian company Pela. It makes plant-based and fully compostable cases, which come in a whole range of styles, designs and colours. It’s super flexible and soft and is surprisingly durable for something that looks fairly flimsy. There are even matching case designs for your AirPods. The icing on the case is that with every item Pela sells, the company pledges to donate a percentage to ocean clean-up and preservation initiatives.

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Eleanor Magill (Freelance)

Green Earth silicone stretchable lids: £13.95, Wearthlondon.com

Wearth
Wearth

Nothing frustrates me more than when a recipe calls for half of an onion or lemon or a sprig of something or another. What are you then supposed to do with the other half? Usually, it would just languish in my fridge, forgotten. These little bits of food waste are easy to just sling in the bin, but are part of a wider problem of our flippancy towards waste in general. Food waste is actually one of the most damaging to our environment, with food disposed of in landfill releasing plumes of harmful greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere.

These silicone lids help combat waste; they will help you keep your food fresher for longer and stretch to cover plates (and those pesky half lemons), perfectly. It also helps you reduce your consumption of plastic wrap and tin foil, as you can simply wash and re-use these over and over again. If you are a queen or king of leftovers, you’ll adore them!

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Emma Rossiter (Freelance)

Adios compostable and biodegradable dog poo bags, pack of 120: £10, Petsathome.com

adios
adios

Like many other families, we took full advantage of the time spent at home in lockdown to finally get a puppy. He’s certainly kept me on my toes, and while a lot of the time it is still fun and games, when it comes to clearing up after him, I consider it no laughing matter. While most poo bags are made from plastic and break down into tiny microplastic particles that harm our environment, Adios’s bags are made from cornstarch. This makes them 100 per cent compostable and biodegradable – meaning they naturally break down in three to six months – while still being strong and durable. No ripped bags, no harmful plastics, plus, 1 per cent of their gross revenue goes towards helping charities that clean up our environment and save wildlife. Everyone’s a winner.

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Lois Borny (Freelance)

Nature’s Store hazelnut and cocoa spread, 350g: £2.25, Sainsburys.co.uk

Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s

The appeal in making vegan-friendly swaps is simple: munch your way to becoming more eco-friendly. And given that we could potentially each reduce our dietary carbon footprint by up to 73 per cent by ditching meat and dairy, it just seemed like a good way in. But making these switches was only as palatable as the vegan alternatives I could get my hands on. At first, I would go for wildly disappointing, dairy-free versions of my favourite chocolate treats – banana and dark chocolate and soya puddings – but nothing gave me the milky sweet hit I was craving. So I’m slightly obsessed with this chocolatey creation from Nature’s Store. Gluten-free and devilishly thick and creamy, it spreads over toast like a dream, though I’m partial to spooning it straight from the jar. Add fruit if you must.

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Looking for more Earth Day content? Read our guide to the sustainable brands you need to bookmark, from fashion to homeware