A cornerstone of eco-friendly living is limiting the waste which our lifestyles produce. Through different choices in the way we purchase food, the textiles we use, our clothing choices and our coffee brewing methods, our personal carbon footprints can be reduced.
With so many local businesses providing us with eco-friendly products, living abundantly and limiting waste do not have to be mutually exclusive.
THE UNWRAPPED CO.
The Unwrapped Co. is an online zero-waste store in Joburg where you can buy pantry staples and zero-waste lifestyle products, package- and GMO-free. Their products include grains and pulses, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, oils and vinegars, a ‘zero-waste starter pack,’ personal care products, storage bags and home goods.
The Unwrapped Co. aims to make zero-waste shopping more accessible to a greater number of South Africans. They recognise that each one of us is leaving a carbon footprint on our planet and that zero-waste is impossible. However, they are helping Joburgers to at least minimise the negative impact they have on the earth.
They are guided by Bea Johnson’s 5 R’s: Refuse what you do not need, Reduce what you do need, Reuse by using reusables, Recycle what you cannot refuse and Rot (compost) the rest.
The Unwrapped Co. delivery service operates throughout Joburg, with orders of over R500 being free (excluding jar deposits). All food products are dispensed in reusable glass jars or bottles. When you place your next order, they will deliver and pick up the empty jars that you may have and return the deposit.
Where: Online
Contact: marlies@theunwrappedco.co.za | 079 753 3746
Website: theunwrappedco.co.za
Facebook: theunwrappedco
Instagram: unwrapped_co
MUNGO DESIGN
Mungo Design provides world-class homeware products and asks us to question the sustainability of the textiles we use on a daily basis. They are not driven by the latest trends but instead create timeless, heirloom products that do not contribute to next year’s landfill.
Sustainability and traceability are central to Mungo’s ethos. At their mill in Plettenberg Bay, they have a no-waste policy and all of their offcuts are donated to a community project.
They only use plant-based natural yarn, which is renewable and superior to synthetic alternatives, due to its breathability, handle and quality.
In a world that has lost touch with how things are manufactured, Mungo is passionate about showcasing and valuing the manufacturing process. As a result, their mill is open to the public to view, and in turn learn about and experience, the art of weaving.
Knowing that every piece of cloth impacts our environment, let us buy local, buy less, choose well and make it last.
Mungo’s CSR programme, MOVE allows for 1% of their annual turnover to go towards projects and initiatives that seek to benefit the Plettenberg Bay area in which their mill is based.
Where: Online | 44 Stanley, Milpark, Johannesburg
Contact: joburg@mungo.co.za | 087 135 5988
Website: mungo.co.za
Facebook: mungodesign
Instagram: mungodesign
LUNAR
Lunar is a South African eco-fashion and lifestyle brand that has firmly established itself as one of South Africa’s top design labels over the past two decades. They produce understated, sophisticated styles, using the finest, most eco-friendly materials. Their collection includes day wear, evening wear and bridal gowns.
Lunar’s focus on sustainability is evident in every step of their design and manufacturing process. In light of the fast-fashion waste crisis, Lunar is guided by the question, “Can this garment be worn frequently for the next 10 years?”
When a Lunar garment is eventually discarded, its natural fibre and plant dye allows it to decompose within 2 weeks, rather than the 200 years which a polyester dress would take. Their attempt to limit waste is also evident in their minimal, recyclable, plastic-free packaging.
With limited supply in South Africa, the sourcing of locally-manufactured natural fabrics has been a challenge for Lunar. However, with unwavering ethical standards, they carefully balance the factors at play, in order to create garments in the most eco-friendly way possible.
Lunar is offering What’s on in Joburg readers a 25% discount on the first purchase from their online store. In order to benefit, use the discount code WHATSONINJOBURG at checkout.
Where: Online | 44 Stanley Ave, Milpark, Johannesburg
Contact: info@lunarlife.co.za | 011 726 5558
Website: www.lunarlife.co.za
Facebook: lunarclothing
Instagram: lunarlifestyle
MOREFLAVOUR
Like many South Africans, MoreFlavour believes that life is too short for bad coffee. But what if 2019 became the year that we included our coffee’s negative environmental impact as part of our coffee snobbery?
With good coffee being their priority, MoreFlavour is a group of coffee lovers journeying to discover and promote products and methods which get the most flavour out of your coffee.
They distribute fine coffee making devices like the Aeropress™ coffee maker, which not only shines up any roast style but also helps to reduce waste during the coffee brewing process. With products like their Able reusable stainless steel coffee filters or the Fellow Prismo, your daily Aeropress™ brew will create little to no waste.
The Aeropress™ is easy to use, easy to clean, portable and versatile. It has fast become the cult brew method of coffee lovers in South Africa and all over the world. It is sold in 75 countries and counting.
If you travel frequently and plan to take your eco-friendly coffee habits with you, MoreFlavour has got the ideal coffee companion for you. Whether it is a road trip or a business trip, your personal environmental impact no longer has to include disposable coffee cups.
To stock or purchase their products simply visit their website.
Where: Online
Contact: 021 823 7764 | sales@moreflavour.co.za
SPIRITGIRL
Behind Spiritgirl are Leigh and Rochele, two fun-loving, active South African girls. Their products are inspired by their sense of adventure, eco-friendly living and passion for design.
Whether you spend your afternoons surfing, at the beach, working out or practicing yoga, Spiritgirl creates activewear and swimwear made from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles (PET). As a result, their products reduce the need for landfill space, the demand for dyes and fixing agents and the demand on oil (every 1 ton of recycled PET yarn can save 6 tons of oil). The recycled plastic is woven with spandex to create ideal moisture-wicking, quick-drying and 4-way-stretch fabric.
The design of two of Spiritgirl’s full-length workout leggings and one of their body suit rash vests is mermaid-inspired. 10% of the proceeds of these three products go to the I Am Water Foundation.
I Am Water believes in the ethos: you protect what you love. They therefore give low-income, coastal communities a chance to see the world which exists under the waves, whilst they create awareness around the devastating impact our human activity is having on our oceans.
Contact: info@spiritgirl.co.za
Website: spiritgirl.co.za
Facebook: SpiritgirlSA
Instagram: spiritgirl_activewear
Abigail Samuelson
