To reiterate my personal standpoint on sustainability: throughout my tennis career I had a negative effect on the environment due to the extensive worldwide travel that was required. However, now I have retired, I try to do the best I can with small day-to-day decisions and make my carbon footprint as neutral as possible. 

Last month, I asked you guys for your input on some of your favourite eco-friendly companies, across a variety of industries. We got some great feedback, and I spent some time researching your opinions, which opened my eyes to some amazing business. Please see my top 8 choices below, none of which are paid partnerships:

#1 Like a Bird (Fashion Brand)

Some weeks ago, I joined a live panel with some amazing women and one of the discussion points was sustainability. The panel included, Tanja Kliewe-Meyer, who partially inspired this blog, so it only feels right to kick off with her company, Like a Bird. 

The aim of Like a Bird is to show that sustainability not only has a place in the fashion world, but that it must also be an integral part of it. They design and sell high-quality sustainable fashion in the premium segment, that is timelessly chic. Like a Bird uses innovative, recyclable and resource-saving materials that have special storytelling characteristics and define their USP. Like a Bird even partnered with Lavazza to develop an exclusive t-shirt, that was partially made from Coffee Waste Powder, how cool is that?!
The production of all their goods is exclusively within certified European companies, that have a high level of responsibility towards people and the environment. Like a Bird is making strides to make the fashion industry more socially and ecologically sustainable whilst still ensuring economic possibilities remain healthy. 

For more information or to support Like a Bird, please visit: like-a-bird.de

#2 Ecosia (Search Engine)

Ecosia is a search engine platform that can be used on your desktop or phone browser instead of the likes of, Google or Bing, that runs on 200% of renewable energy. Every search request made with Ecosia removes approximately 1kg of CO2 from the atmosphere and for approximately every 45 searches, a tree is planted somewhere in the world. Also, what is even better, is that Ecosia does not sell your personal data to advertisers, has no third-party trackers like many modern-day companies and also deletes all data within one week…You may ask: how is this financially possible? Ecosia makes revenue solely by search ads, then this income is used to plant trees. They also publish monthly financial reports and tree planting receipts, so as an Ecosia user, you have full transparency and can follow the reforestation journey. 

At the time that I am writing this, over 131 million trees have been planted around the world. I love the idea of Ecosia, because I can make a positive contribution to the environment by simple daily habits that I would do anyway. Please give it a try, it is completely free and do your little bit for the world  

For more information or to start using Ecosia, please visit: https://www.ecosia.org

#3 GOT BAG (Back Packs, Accessories & Apparel)

GOT BAG is a young, German-based company that produces back packs, made from recycled ocean plastics - the iconic GOT BAG ROLLTOP was the world’s first backpack made of ocean plastic. GOT BAG has a network of over 2,000 fishermen in Demak, Indonesia who collect up to 50 tons of ocean plastic every month purely as by-catch from fishing. 11% of this plastic is PET which can be used for the production of the backpack and the remainder of the plastic collected is used to generate energy or mechanically recycled to be turned into new products. GOT BAG is high quality whilst contributing to the circular economy and also have, resource-saving production and minimised the use of oil, water and CO2 in the transportation and production of their goods. 

The great thing for me about GOT BAG and other like-minded companies is that they are turning something bad into something good and useful. At the same time, the end product indirectly educates and creates awareness about sustainability for people purchasing the backpack’s or seeing them on the streets, and long-term this is what will make the biggest difference. 

For more information or to support Got Bag, please visit: https://got-bag.com

#4 Concrete Jungle (Jewellery)

Concrete Jungle is a small jewellery brand, that creates unique pieces out of concrete. All of Concrete Jungle’s pieces are hand made in Frankfurt, Germany from a special high-tech concrete that is incredibly strong but also very lightweight. 

Not only are the pieces of jewellery each one of a kind, they are also much more sustainable than regular conventional jewellery, as production requires less chemicals and also produces less CO2 emissions than gold, silver and other metal jewellery and also absorbs almost half of the CO2 during their lifetime. Also, the pieces are made mostly from recycled silver and refinement (e.g., recycled copper from old power cables) which is a great way to repurpose what would be waste products. The company also believes in investing in the future by planting one tree for every product sold, whilst also supporting other organisation such as saving elephants, by sponsoring an Elephant for every employee they hire...who doesn’t love elephants?!

Concrete Jungle are an amazing example of how you can buy affordable, every-day, jewellery pieces that look great, whilst taking care of the world we live in. For more information about Concrete Jungle and the work they are doing, please visit: https://concrete-jungle.com

#5 STOP THE WATER WHILE USING ME (Cosmetic)

This company is an example of “exactly what it says on the tin” ... ha-ha, it is a German natural cosmetic brand that wants to protect, save and donate water. The company’s mission is based on the principle that water is the source of all life, so we need to take good care of it, and not waste it. The ‘Stop The Water While Using Me’ products are climate neutral, biodegradable, 100% natural and handmade in Germany. All of their products are for the body and what you typically use with water or around water such as, soap, shampoo, body lotion, body oils etc. and straight away you have the reminder messaging on the bottle which is subtle but makes conscious of your actions: “Stop The Water While Using Me.” 

‘Stop The Water While Using Me’ is also heavily involved in global initiatives through their founded ‘Good Water Projects’ which is financed completely from proceeds from sales – 1% of every product purchased goes to the cause. Good Water Projects supports the UN that having access to safe and clean drinking water, and sanitation is a human right, and have already donated more than 22 litres of water through projects worldwide. For more information about ‘Stop The Water While Using Me’ please visit: https://www.stop-the-water.com

#6 Asket (Clothing)

#Asket is a clothing company that sell high-quality timeless essentials with the base logic that you buy less and keep clothing longer with “Lifecycle Responsibility” through caring, repairing and reviving. Asket provides guidelines to help its customers maximise the potential of their garments. When it is the end of the road for any of your Asket clothing pieces, you can send them back to Asket and they recycle the material and make resell, recycle or remanufacture the garment, and in return you receive revival reward worth up to 25 Euro, to put towards your next Asket purchase. At Asket every piece of clothing has a story, makes and impact and has a cost and they are completely transparent about the whole journey of the garments including every cost, every ounce of CO2 and every process incurred along the way. 

Currently, Asket only have a men’s collection, but women’s is coming soon…I can’t wait. For more information about Asket, please visit: https://www.asket.com

#7 RECUP (Sustainable Cups and Bowls)

RECUP is a reusable cups and bowls, deposit system concept that are the future of coffee-to-go and take-away food. All the cups and bowls are German-made, sustainably produced from 100% recyclable, BPA and pollutant free polypropene. With 1 RECUP you save 1000 disposable cups and remove the negative effect that disposable cups have on the environment - approximately 2.8 million cups in Germany alone every year! These 2.8 million disposable cups require 11,000 tons of CO2, 43,000 trees, 23,000 tons of crude oil, 390 million kWh of electricity, 2.8 billion litres of water and in the process generate 40,000 tons of waste…this is crazy isn’t it!? 

The RECUP concept is currently focused on restaurants, cafes and bakeries to use: they partner with RECUP, then make their customers aware of their sustainable efforts, customers order food/drink and leave a 1 EURO deposit as a rental fee, the used product is returned, the customer receives their deposit back, and the business washes the RECUP product in the dishwasher ready for the next customer. Simple right…Oh, and I forgot to mention…they also look great!! For more information and to start using RECUP, please visit: https://www.recup.de/

#8 Kimai (Jewellery)

Kimai has a company motto of “high quality, low impact” and wants to make the revolutionise the jewellery industry by bringing a new level of accountability and transparency. The pieces at Kimai are made exclusively from 18k recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds, with a traceable supply chain. Kimai makes lab-grown diamonds by using cutting-edge technology that replicates the natural mine growing process, and in the process, they avoid social and environment conflicts, such as political commodities and “blood diamonds” and also use less energy and have lower impact on the environments, than would usually be the case with diamond mining. Finally, Kimai works with trusted goldsmiths in the Antwerp area, and recycles 18K gold (yellow, white and rose), which is melted down reused, repurposed and reshaped into their designs, instead of buying new, usused mined gold. 

Kimai won’t be for everyone, because real diamonds will always hold their value and reputation in the market however, Kimai’s lab grown diamonds are an affordable way to have the diamond you want whilst being gentler on the environment, so don’t rule it out  For more information about Kimai, please visit: www.kimai.com

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Let me know If you explore any of these companies and what you think, I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts :-)