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What are the best vitamins to take for eco-friendly shoppers?
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Many people have made their new year’s resolutions for 2022 and this includes improving their health and reducing their environmental impact. And, adding supplements to your diet can combine both of these goals. Most dietitians and nutritionists agree that while a diet high in a variety of whole foods can give you all of the nutrients that you need, supplements can be useful for filling in the gaps in your diet. And, if you’re going to add them into your wellness routine, you might wonder, what are the best vitamin brands that are both good for your health and the environment? The answer lies in natural supplement brands that also work on improving their environmental impact.
While vitamins and supplements can have a beneficial place in our diets, it pays to carefully research brands to learn about their ingredients and packaging. Currently, the supplement industry creates 1.8 billion plastic bottles of waste every single year. As conscious consumers we can help change that. While transparency is hard to find in the vitamin and supplement industry, there are many companies that are now featuring their full ingredient list, clinical trials, certifications and even sustainability reports in an effort to demonstrate their sustainable and natural claims to consumers.
So, if you’re shopping for the best vitamins to take to improve your health while simultaneously helping to save our planet, read ahead to discover seven ethical and sustainable vitamins and supplements which will bring you into the new year full of health and happiness.
Ritual
Ritual is a woman-owned and operated company that started with a simple question: what the hell is in my vitamin? This is the first traceable and transparent vitamin company that values female health and offers nuanced and tailored supplements to fulfill women’s unique nutritional requirements. Their daily vitamin supplements are vegan, gluten-free, allergy-free, non-GMO, and free of synthetic fillers.
Environmental impact: Rituals’ clear bottles are now made with 100% recycled materials. The same goes for their caps, which are made from post-industrial resin (scraps from the manufacturing process). In 2020, they recycled an amount of plastic equivalent to more than three million water bottles. Furthermore, their current mailer is made exclusively from recycled newsprint and plant fibers. In fact, according to the company’s website, their recycled mailers saved 1,973,244 lbs of carbon monoxide emissions, 2,112,160 gallons of water and the equivalent of 3,536 trees. They also became a Carbonfree® Shipping Partner with Carbonfund.org.
MindBodyGreen
Mindbodygreen is dedicated to helping people live their best life mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally and environmentally. For almost 10 years, it has been a trusted resource for those interested in learning more about the foundations of science-based holistic well-being. Over the years, the brand has grown to include functional nutrition consulting, classes (ranging from fitness to self-improvement), and, most recently, supplements, which go through 4 rounds of advanced analytical testing at state-of-the-art labs.
Environmental impact: All of their supplements (sleep support, probiotic & cellular beauty) are packaged in amber glass bottles and jars that are 100% recyclable. Their shipping boxes are made entirely of recycled paper. Every ingredient in their recipes is sourced according to stringent guidelines, and they strive to use organic ingredients whenever possible.
Rae Wellness
Rae Wellness is a health and wellness brand founded in 2019 by Angie Tebbe. Rae Wellness offers vegan capsules, powders, and liquid supplements to help with everything from stress to skin problems. The brand caters to women who are looking for all-natural supplement options to improve their overall health. According to Tebbe, happiness and wellbeing are “a series of paths you choose throughout the day”.
Environmental impact: The products are made in the USA using pure, all-natural ingredients. No harmful fillers or colorants are used to make Rae Wellness’s supplements. To add to that, Rae Wellness donates 5% of all revenue to Girls Inc, a non-profit organization inspiring girls to be strong, smart, and bold through direct service and advocacy.
Terraseed
This multivitamin featuring 9 ethically-sourced nutrients is designed to resolve gaps in your vegan diet – it contains omega-3, vitamin D3, vitamin B12, vitamin C, Iodine, Iron, Zinc, Folate and Magnesium. The supplement was created by two doctors, Dr. Jen Meyres Ph.D DNM and Dr. Andrew Freeman MD, as well as a team of scientists, so you can be assured that it is scientifically sound.
Environmental impact: Terraseed replaces animal-based ingredients for vegan options. Its Omega-3 for example comes from algae gathered without harming marine habitats, and its D3 comes from wild lichen rather than sheep’s wool. Furthermore, every single aspect of Terraseeds product, including the bottle, labels, lidding, mailers, inserts, and even their ink, has been carefully selected to ensure that it is completely plastic-free and biodegradable. In fact, their packaging was recently awarded the Best New Environmentally-Responsible Product of 2020 by the Natural Product Expo. Thus far, their community has saved more than 2,800,000 sq. feet of forest, 102,762,000 gallons of water, 868,400 lbs. of CO2 Emissions and more than 3,000 plastic pill bottles.
Vegums
This UK-based company, founded by John Rushton and Abdul Sharief and launched in 2018, is selling various plastic-free vitamins formulated by vegan pharmacists. They currently offer two vegan multivitamins (one of which is sugar-free), a fish free omega-3 and iron supplement. Furthermore, their vitamins are pleasant to take and digest since they come in gummy bear form.
Environmental impact: All of the packaging from Vegums is completely plastic free – they use compostable cellulose wrappers, recyclable metal tins, cardboard tubes, and envelopes. You can read more about each stage of their packaging on their website here. Additionally, with each very review left on TrustPilot, the brand plants one tree. So far, they’ve planted 524 trees.
Seed
Seed was brought to life in 2018 and offers a single scientifically-validated probiotic and prebiotic supplement to benefit digestive health —the DS-O1 Daily Synbiotic probiotic. Its founders, Ara Katz and Raja Dhir, were determined to create a supplement that “raised the bar on bacteria” by providing the body what it needed for all its systems to operate most effectively. You can buy these online and with a subscription ($49.99 per month).
Environmental impact: This brand has nailed the minimalistic branding and packaging design. When you first purchase this innovative product, you will receive a Welcome Kit that includes a glass jar, a glass vial, and a refill of supplements. Seed packages your kit in a box made from biodegradable algal paper. Additionally, the company packages their refills in corn foam, which is water soluble.
Daily Gem
According to GEM, “Your body naturally metabolizes and effectively absorbs nutrients from real food.” What distinguishes them from other companies is that their daily serving is more like a soft, chewy block of food than a pill or capsule, which contains vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, and more – but the nutrients come from whole food sources (GEM’s vitamin D is from mushrooms instead of the common lanolin, a substance derived from sheep’s wool). You can buy these vitamins online and with a subscription ($39 per month).
Environmental impact: Daily Gem uses non-GMO, organic, and sustainably sourced real food ingredients to promote kaleidoscopic health. GEM has an ethical supply chain and works with mostly environmentally friendly suppliers. Its packaging is also recyclable – your first order will arrive in a reusable tin wrapped in cellulose (made from wood pulp) for fast biodegradation. Every order thereafter will be packaged in compostable, zip-seal pouches that use 60% renewable plant-based resources.