According to non-profit organisation, Amazon Conservation, more than half of the Amazon could be gone by 2030. Seeing as that’s just 8 years away, we need to act fast to fight against deforestation in Brazil and the neighbouring regions of Columbia and Peru.
Luckily, several companies have been taking the matter into their own hands by addressing deforestation’s direct impact on local ecosystems and creating initiatives for rainforest relief. Here are eight lifestyle brands to support in order to help save the rainforest:
Costa Brazil
Costa Brazil is a sustainable beauty line founded by Francisco Costa, the former womenswear creative director of Calvin Klein. Francisco returned to his homeland of Brazil in 2016 to explore the natural wonders of the Amazon rainforest, including the indigenous communities that thrive in the woods. His personal encounters with the native people, including the Yawanawa tribe in Acre, inspired him to create a holistic brand that addresses conservation.
Costa Brazil is a committed partner to Conservation International, working closely with the organisation to follow best production practices while offering empowering alternative opportunities to river-side agricultural communities.
Shop on livecostabrazil.com
Rahua
Rahua is a plant-based hair care and beauty brand founded by Fabian Lliguin, a renowned hairstylist in New York City. Through his experiences in the Amazon rainforest as an environmentalist, he learned about the potency of rahua oil. Fascinated by the native ingredient, he works alongside the indigenous communities to honour the source in the same complex, ritualistic and wholesome fashion.
Today, more than 500 families from the Quechua-Shuar, Achuar and neighbouring tribes work with the brand to cultivate the rainforest grown ingredients celebrated in their range.
Shop on rahua.com
Olumes
Olumes is a clean beauty brand that harnesses an ancient Bornean beauty secret to achieve luminous skin using kalalit extract derived from sappanwood native to Southeast Asia. Understanding the detrimental consequences caused by deforestation, especially of trees that are prematurely removed, the brand created an initiative to provide a portion of each sale to be donated to conservation funds in Asia, focusing on the safeguard of the rainforest.
Shop on olumes.com
Ethique
A New-Zealand based plastic-free beauty brand that advocates for the elimination of single-use plastics, Ethique sells a wide range of cleansing shampoo bars and lip balms to multipurpose bath products. Rainforest Trust and Project Blue are among the 270 organisations it continuously supports addressing environmental protection on different scales, committing to donate 2% of sales as a permanent strategy.
Shop on ethique.com
Tentree
Tentree is an apparel brand for women, men and kids using sustainable materials under ethical manufacturing. The company pledges to plant 10 trees per item purchased and has proudly planted over 67 million trees since its conception. Emphasising transparency, its blog section makes a detailed account of the plant sites and planters it is engaged with, from projects in Indonesia, Peru, Madagascar and Senegal.
Shop on tentree.com
Rainforest Trust
A US-based environmental non-profit focused on purchasing and protecting rainforest reserves to strategically save endangered wildlife, Rainforest Trust operates with a unique model where 100% of donations are allocated to conservation action through covering operation expenses through the generosity of donors. It recently launched a line of apparel merchandise with illustrations of highly threatened animals to bring the message to more people.
Shop on bonfire.com
See also: 10 Most Endangered Species in the World
Solios
Solios is a solar-powered watch brand that promotes slow fashion by designing with sustainable touchpoints at every stage of production, from its use of certified recycled stainless steel and silicone-based vegan leather to adopting recyclable packaging. In collaboration with The Rainforest Trust, Solios has created a limited edition watch with vegan leather and mesh strap options where 10% of revenue will be donated, resulting in approximately 10 acres of rainforest restores per watch sold.
Shop on solioswatches.com
Walk London
A family-led business with over five decades of experience within footwear, Walk London creates high-quality boots and dress shoes. Besides working closely with manufacturers to gain visibility on the leathers sourced, the brand is taking their social responsibility further by launching its own sustainable initiative. Its partnership with climate action platform, One Tribe Global, allows them to donate a portion per online sale to fund rainforest conservation that protects an area that holds 25 trees.
Shop on walklondonshoes.com
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See also: Shop Local: 8 Homegrown Clean Beauty Brands in Hong Kong
