Many people seem to get intimidated or turned off by the prospect of sustainable living—and I can’t blame them. For most, the immediate convenience and affordability of using plastic products and packaging greatly outweighs the good. After all, living sustainably is not easy.
But the public’s consciousness seems to be expanding, and there is a growing community of makers, artisans, and crafters who are creating products with social and environmental responsibility in mind, making it easier for beginners to step into an eco-friendly lifestyle.
Here are some of the local eco-friendly and sustainable shops and products we’re loving. (P.S. They’re going to be at the ECOlta Fair over the weekend, so you might want to drop by. Don’t forget to bring reusable tote bags if you plan on shopping.)
Space Garden
Perhaps one of the easiest ways to ‘go green’ is to buy some greens i.e. plants. Spruce up your home—maybe even your office—with these elegant cultivations.
The Real Happy Cow
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Going vegan is much easier if you don’t have to give up cheese. Kidding aside, The Real Happy Cow makes dairy-free cheeses such as cashew parmesan, nacho cheese sauce, cashew cream cheese, and even smoked truffle cheese sauce. Uh, yum? They also have other plant-based goods like egg-free mayo and vegan honey butter sauce.
They’ll only be available at Escolta over the weekend, but you can find them at the Vegan Grocer or order online.
Indayog
Go full-on summer mode with these chic sling bags and backpacks. Support local and sustainability with these bags, skillfully crafted by women of Laguna and made with locally-sourced water hyacinth.
A Beautiful Refuge
Packaging can be particularly challenging to reduce, not because it’s difficult, but because having no tissue, plastic, or paper to hold our food or products with is just a hassle. But reusable produce bags like these offered by A Beautiful Refuge makes it so much easier.
Main images courtesy of HUB Make Lab on Instagram.
Read more:
6 houseplants to buy for a better sleep
What happens when fast fashion doesn’t sell fast enough?
How local brands help customers protect the environment