Post by @conscious.app

Ethical brands to buy from instead of Amazon. Here are 8 things people buy most, and where to get them. Books: Bookshop.org Bookshop.org was built to take book sales back from Amazon. It gives over 80% of its profit to independent bookstores, has paid out more than $50 million, and lets stores keep 100% on ebooks. Laundry: Molly's Suds A pediatric nurse started Molly's Suds after her daughter Molly was stillborn and she began questioning household chemicals. She still owns it, and the original powder is five ingredients, made in the USA. Phones/Laptops: Back Market Every phone Back Market sells already exists, so nothing new gets made. It approves only a third of refurbishers who apply, and fights parts pairing, the trick manufacturers use to block independent repair. Sheets and towels: Coyuchi Coyuchi has made bedding from certified organic cotton since 1991, and sends a prepaid label for worn sheets, keeping over 165,000 pounds of textiles out of landfill. Its cotton is Fair Trade certified. Bottles/containers: Klean Kanteen Klean Kanteen was bought by UK company Think Better Group in 2024, so it is no longer independent, but the practices have not changed. It still seals bottles with glass instead of lead, sells replacement parts, and funds environmental groups. Dog food: Jiminy's Anne Carlson was an executive at a major pet food company before starting Jiminy's, then led the research that got insect protein approved for dog food. It needs less land and water than meat. Hair and body: Plaine Products Plaine Products ships shampoo and body wash in aluminum bottles, pays the return postage, then cleans and refills them. The two sisters who founded it give 1% of revenue, not profit, to environmental groups. Kids' toys: PlanToys PlanToys makes wooden toys from rubber trees too old to produce latex, which are normally burned, so no tree is cut. The sawdust becomes new toys, and pay and safety are independently audited. Amazon owns so much of what you buy that leaving feels impossible. It is not. Check the Conscious Spend app to find ethical alternatives to big brands.