6 Small Brands Inspired by Sustainability

Sustainability is becoming an integral part of businesses inside and out. Whether we’re talking about small, medium or large brands, more and more are taking responsibility and doing their share of sustainable action.

One way that companies are making a change is through their choice of packaging.

Packaging and single-use plastics amount for over 50% of plastic packaging waste, with around 25 tons of plastic ending up in oceans every year.

By re-evaluating your brand’s packaging options and opting for more eco-friendly materials, like recycled cardboard, you’ll be making your business and the planet a huge favour.

It’s also More and more common to see up and coming brands and how they are incorporating sustainability into their core values, shaping everything from their brand strategy to their supply chain and of course, packaging.

In this article, you’ll learn about 6 small brands that have taken sustainability into everything they do from the very beginning. Oh, and take some notes! You might get some inspiration on how your brand can become more sustainable.

Home Gardening from Ortusia

The founders of this small brand from France, Michel and Guillaume, were inspired by one of the few things that all of us have in common; food.

Michel and Guillaume wanted to teach people about where food comes from.

“Care for the environment has been at the heart of each action we take and is the most important value of our company.”

This is how Ortusia was born. With lots of research, they created their first Ortukit, a complete home gardening kit so you can learn about how food grows and then, of course, enjoy your homegrown veggies.

In addition to this, they were smart enough to know this wasn’t enough. Guillaume and Michel created an accompanying app, where you can get all of the tips you need for your home garden and easily track the progress of your produce.

Another fun detail about this brand is their packaging. Ortusia uses Eco Mailer Boxes and Cardboard Envelopes made from 90% recycled materials and water-based ink. The boxes can also be used as gardening crates, giving them a secondary use so they don’t become waste.

Explore the details of Ortusia here.

Sustainable Changes with Koti

This brand was created by 3 friends from the United Kingdom with the aim of helping people become more sustainable.

They understood that making the shift towards a sustainable lifestyle is not easy to do all of a sudden. So with their brand, Koti, they created kits that include sustainable household items. Little by little, people can go making a smooth transition into a sustainable lifestyle.

With Koti’s kits, people can replace plastic items that are commonly found around the house, for sustainable alternatives. This way, without much effort, you can lead a more sustainable lifestyle and reduce your consumption of plastic right from home.

Koti’s packaging is also an interesting detail. They also use Eco Mailer Boxes made from 90% recycled materials. And their design does not stay behind.

The founders opted for a minimalist design with an incredible message behind it. A simple sun radiating light from the corner of the box onto a small plant with the brand logo, showcasing their love for the environment. Proof of short, sweet, and powerful branding.

You can read more about Koti here.

Origin X Performance Activewear

This next brand from the UK has a heart that beats for the environment. The founder, Samuel Allsop, is an avid supporter of sustainable causes and wanted his sportswear brand to be a reflection of it.

Origin X Performance is a one-of-a-kind sportswear brand, creating activewear clothing made from organic cotton and recycled polyester. By opting for such raw materials in his supply chain, they are able to save other resources, like water, from toxic chemicals and unnecessary waste, as well as preserve soil plantations.

You can listen to a complete interview with Samuel here.

When it comes to packaging, Origin X Performance uses Bio Poly Mailers from Packhelp. These mailer bags are from a compostable starch-based resin and are a perfect choice for companies that want to ditch plastic.

Clean Cosmetics from Beloved Shop

Beloved Shop is a brand from the Czech Republic offering sustainable alternatives to cosmetics.

With the rising trend in “clean beauty” and 48% of Gen Z consumers switching to brands that offer sustainable and ethical products, Beloved Shop took the opportunity head-on.

Not only do they offer organic beauty products, but they also created curated beauty boxes for women and children.

This brand put in effort into knowing the different needs of their audience and offer an all in one beauty solution in a box.

Their packaging, made from 90% recycled kraft also have interesting design story. They created 2 separate packaging designs, each tailored to their designated users.

You can learn more about Beloved Shop here.

Buva Boutique for Babies

Liliana Dima is a finance guru, turned mom, turned entrepreneur with an incredible story to tell. Originally, Liliana began her small business as a young mother. But as her interest in children’s products grew, she found that the best she could offer her own baby was organic and chemical-free products.

This how Buva Boutique was born.

Liliana found her niche and began designing prints for cloth nappies. Made from organic cotton, accompanied by an official OEKO TEX certificate, these diapers are gentle for baby bottoms as well as the planet.

The beauty of organic cotton is that it requires less water usage during production and it is free from toxic chemicals that end up in the soil as well as on the products that we consume.

You can see for yourself how this looks by living the unboxing experience here.

Polu Eco Products and the War on Plastic

Did you know that the world uses 500 billion plastic cups every year?

It is because of statistics like these that friends Travis and Carl started their own entrepreneurial journey and declared their war on plastic.

They created an alternative to single-use plastic cups with Polu Eco Products. This brand offers stylish reusable cups made from bamboo fibres.

Their cups are ethically sourced and free from chemical toxic to humans. Their sturdy, durable, and come in a variety of different designs to choose from.

Travis and Carl say materials were extremely important for them, and in terms of packaging it was they had the same expectations. They opted for custom White ok Kraft Boxes from Packhelp, with a size tailored to fit their eco-friendly cups.

Check out their complete story here.

There you have it! Sustainability and business can definitely go hand in hand. With passion and eco-friendly values, good things can happen, and packaging can be a way to start. Make your own transition and start creating your own sustainable packaging project today.