We all love shopping, but what if we could shop to make a difference? And what if we told you that can do just that at The Conscious Festival? Well, you can because we assembled a party of all the best make-a-difference brands we could find into one place for your sustainable shopping pleasure – a mindful mecca if you must.
With The Conscious Festival Hong Kong less than a week away, we’re armed and loaded with so much exciting stuff to drip feed to you over the next few days and help you prepare for the event. We’re perhaps most excited to tease some of the super chic brands that you can discover and shop at the festival. From eco sponges to solid shampoo bars and preloved luxury clothing to a vibrator inspired by the golden ratio, shopping the festival has never been so chic and sustainable. Take a look at what to might go home with below…
Bamboo isn’t just for pandas
Bamboo products have become fan favorites amongst the conscious community but we especially fell in love with Bamboa’s line of affordable bedding, towels, tees, kitchenware, and accessories. The company is HK based but also ships worldwide.
Your rental couture closet
As consumers start to care more about the clothing they wear, companies like Wardrobista are popping up with a clothing rental system that allows you to snag a sultry red dress for a single event and then return (just like we did). The wardrobe sharing system aims to reduce textile waste that is a result of fast fashion. Wardrobista already has more than 30 brands online with more being added regularly.
A jar for all your needs
With bulk shopping on the rise, so are bulk jars (but think beyond the kitchen). Amongst so many more consciously cute items, Live Zero in Hong Kong have a selection of jars and is also where we picked ours up.
A new wave of sponges
If there was ever sponge that could make a difference, it would be Sqwishful. The sponges with a story are made from mindful materials that don’t contribute to plastic waste and beautifully complement a modern and mindful home.
Pimp your style
Accessorize with Protesta, who create eco-accessories and ethical jewelry made from recycled and durable material under the 4R structure. The designers also take extra care to create jewelry that is timeless in style and durable enough to last a lifetime.
Life happens, coffee helps
If you can’t live without that cup of joe in the morning and typically grab one on the go, let us introduce you to Ecoffee: the new generation of takeaway coffee cups. They look just like your typical single-use paper takeaway cup but are made from natural fibers like corn starch and resin. Their super chic design makes them highly desirable and they come in countless colors and prints. Why do they matter? Because contrary to popular belief, most paper takeaway cups are lined with plastic and can’t be recycled.
Because everyone should talk about fertility…
Team Tilia aim to empower women to care for and understand their bodies better through products inspired by the well-being of all women. Whether for fertility, pregnancy, or beyond, the company takes a holistic approach to their products. Find their bamboo fertility bottle as well as other products at the festival or just stop by to have a super insightful chat with the team.
The future of fashion? We hope so!
HULA is Hong Kong’s first luxury fashion consignment warehouse and makes preloved clothing chic again. The retail alternative shows off a more conscious side of Asia’s shopping mecca by offering luxury items aimed at reducing waste in the world of fashion and promoting a timeless style. They also donate 5% of profits to charities.
Welcome to the Fitbit fam
We are Fitbit obsessed at Green Is The New Black! Worn on your wrist, this all-day fitness companion helps you live your best life. It’s hugely popular for being a water-resistant and lightweight watch that tracks 24/7 heart rate, calorie burn, female health, 15+ exercises, goal progress, sleep and more.
Your underarm armor
All natural, all inclusive, all real: ZeroYet100 is the toxic-free answer to your underarm needs. Their products are handcrafted using natural ingredients and keep you fresh, odor-free and sweat-stain free all day.
Made with love, introducing the GITNB t-shirt
The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world and the GITNB t-shirt represents the exact opposite. Emblazoned with our super chic eye emblem, the limited edition Conscious Collected was created in partnership with GOOD KRAMA, a Cambodian clothing brand manufacturing clothes with upcycled fabrics diverted from going to landfills and empowering local women to become artisans. With every t-shirt bought, you are contributing to 31 hours of energy saved, 0,3 km of driving emissions avoidance, 1,7 days of drinking water saved and 1 t-shirt diverted from landfill. Pick yours up at The Conscious Festival.
“I love doing laundry,” said no one ever.
Ecoegg creates innovative and eco-friendly laundry and cleaning products with their hero product being the Ecoegg itself, which is a mineral-based clothes washing system that works without the use of chemicals. The small egg is a complete replacement for laundry detergent and fabric softener – just fill it up, pop it into the machine, and use it over and over again.
Take it with you
Fun fact: que Bottle originated from a passion for both music and travel. Its co-founders traveled the world from one country to the next chasing music festivals but were horrified at the plastic waste left behind after the shows. Collapsible and lightweight, this travel bottle was designed for all your wildest adventures, from music festivals to mountain climbing.
I’ll take that to go, please!
Boy, do we love Vegware! The company changed the takeaway game with their plant-based compostable packaging made from renewable, lower carbon or recycled materials. They’ve got more than 30 categories of products in their catalog which they’re always adding to. From bagasse tableware to palm leaf tableware to bin bags made from natural fibers, they’ve got all your disposable needs covered.
Good vibrations
“Inspired by the golden ratio, the Lily fits perfectly with the female form and is guaranteed to make your senses ring,” – Fleurotics. Need we say more?
BYOB (bring your own bag)
If you’re anything like us, you might have a collection of reusable bags. But there are worse things to spend your money on. Naturally, we’re huge fans of this oversized tote from Mana Slow Food that both large and durable enough for a grocery run with only one bag. You can pick one up of these babies at the festival.
Snack your heart out
There is nothing wrong with eating endless snacks all day IF you’re not using and tossing Ziplocks when you’re done chowing down. Introducing Stasher, silicone reusable snack, sandwich, and storage bags that make carrying snacks a breeze and their award-winning design make them cool. Eco-friendly, environmentally safe, and long-lasting, we’re not sure how we ever lived without these plastic alternatives.
None of your beeswax
Abeego: reusable beeswax wrap that breathes like nature’s peel and rind (that’s because it IS made from nature). Designed to replace Saran wrap and aluminum foil, Abeego uses the heat from your hand to create a seal around whatever it is you’re covering. Abeego is all natural, zero-waste, saves honey bees by saving food, and uses minimal energy to produce. But most importantly, the wraps are also suuuuper cute.
Give up the bottle
Ethique calls themselves the worlds first zero-waste full-range beauty brand and their solid shampoo bars are natural beauty bundled up in one little bar. Vegan, sustainable, plastic and palm oil free, every single bar also saves one 350ml plastic bottle and 5.1 liters of water. If you’ve been meaning to get your paws on some of these bars, find Ethique at the Conscious Festival and you might also end up with a scrub, hair mask, moisturizer, and maybe even something for your pet.
LUSH has been turning up the dial on its sustainable initiatives and we’ve fallen for their body gel which comes in a solid state. As part of their Naked collection, they’re not quite like soap since they work in the same way as their liquid counterparts and with more similar ingredients to shower goal than soap. Either way, it works.
So listen, we really want you to come and check out the Conscious Festival but if you can’t make it or stumble across this after the fact, you can still pick up a lot of these items on Now No Waste.
The Conscious Festival by Green Is The New Black takes place on Saturday 13th April & Sunday 14th April 2019 at the Kerry Hotel 38 號 Hung Luen Rd, Hung Hom Bay, Hong Kong. Find more information on talks, speakers, and the festival schedule here. Don’t forget to register for free entry to the festival here and pick up tickets for TALKS here.
All images by Nicoline Aagesen from @mycameramyrules
Models: Gloria Yu @thegloriayu, Maguelone @magcm, Paula Miquelis @paula_miquelis & Stephanie Dickson @stephanie_dickson
