Amazon Alternatives for the ethical consumer
Check out this curated list of marketplaces to replace shopping at Amazon. Shop these alternative sites to invest in ethically run companies, support independent artisans and makers and small businesses, and commit to ethical, sustainable consumerism.
Thrive Market is an affordable organic online marketplace that for every paid membership offers a free one to low-income families. They also use ethical and sustainable sourcing, carbon neutral shipping, zero-waste warehouses, and recyclable and compostable packaging.
This company specializes in delivering quality, organic, and natural foods in bulk across the country in an effort to spread affordable organic food. Azure Standard shortens the cycle and handling of food by connecting directly with independent growers and producers.
An affordable subscription delivery box of “rescued” store-rejected produce with the mission of reducing food waste and spreading affordable produce. Each box is certified organic and non-GMO, and sourced from hand-picked farms.
Grove Collaborative is a subscription service delivering eco friendly, cruelty-free, and nontoxic home and personal care essentials. Grove carbon offsets shipmets, partners with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees across the US, and pledges to be 100% plastic-free by 2025.
Package Free curates sustainable products that replace single-use items. Their mission is to reshape the consumer product landscape and make natural and plastic-free products more accessible and affordable.
Avocado Mattress manufactures natural, non-toxic mattresses and pillows with environmentally conscious, ethical, and sustainable business practices. It’s the world’s first mattress brand to be Climate Neutral Certified and achieve net-zero carbon emissions, and in 2020 went carbon negative.
Made Trade curates and sells sustainably and ethically made homeware that must meet at least one of these criteria: fair trade, heritage, made in the USA, POC-owned, women-owned, sustainable, or vegan. The brand also donates one percent of proceeds to environmental causes and offers carbon neutral shipping.
The Little Market is a nonprofit fair trade shop selling artisanal homeware. Since 2013, Little Market has provided over 864,000 hours of dignified work for underserved communities, including survivors of sex trafficking, refugees, and people with disabilities.
Kotn sells wardrobe staples in a safe and fair production environment. They use their profits to fund social impact projects including building schools in areas without access to education and providing private subsidies and resources to farms and impoverished communities.
Able is a handbag and accessory brand that believe in ending generational poverty and creating economic opportunities for women. The products are made globally by fairly paid women who have overcome extraordinary circumstances.
This brand sells ethically crafted and sustainably designed products, all while planting 10 trees for each item purchased. They have now planted over 42 million trees around the world.
Rent the Runway is an online service that provides designer dress and accessory rentals. Fight against fashion waste and expensive price tags by renting outfits from ball gowns to everyday wear.
An activewear brand that promotes inclusivity, sustainability, and affordability. The clothes are made of recycled materials and are produced in Vietnamese factories where workers are provided with safe conditions, fair wages, and standard working conditions.
Credo beauty is the largest clean beauty retailer on the planet. Credo is dedicated to shifting the beauty industry to a more sustainable, transparent space. They’ve created a standard for clean, chemical and cruelty-free products and sustainable packaging.
Youth to the People is a vegan, cruelty-free, sustainable skincare brand created from superfoods. This brand has several initiatives to support non-profits and activists working to amplify diverse voices and increase inclusivity, build a more just world, and save the planet.
The Detox Market curates high quality, natural wellness products. The team vets products for pure ingredients, effectiveness, and cruelty-free formulas in an effort to emphasize clean, safe products.
Prose is a beauty brand focusing on creating 100% customized hair care products. They work towards becoming a carbon neutral and zero-waste company, donate to charitable causes, fight overproduction, reduce excess packaging, and ethically and cleanly source ingredients.
World of Books delivers new and used books for free, and donates books to schools and literacy programs worldwide.The company uses recyclable packaging, recycles 80 million books a year, and pledges carbon neutrality by 2022.
Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. This brand has invested in libraries, given back to literacy programs, reduced waste in landfills, and offset carbon emissions.
Better World Books allows access to gently used books at affordable prices. 75% of their profits go to stores, publications, and authors and they have so far raised almost $10 million for local bookstores.
Biblio is a non-profit that provides books to communities in need by giving local bookstores global reach. Biblio carbon offsets all shipping and operates in partnership with NativeEnergy which helps build Native American, farmer-owned, community-based renewable energy projects creating social, economic, and environmental benefits.
Best Buy is an electronics retailer with a massive inventory of products. Best Buy has collected 1.7 billion pounds of electonics and appliances for recycling since 2009, achieved 51% absolute carbon reduction, and prepares teens from underserved communities for tech-reliant jobs each year.
These three retailers offer a wide range of electronics including PCs, PC components, gaming accessories, cameras, non-Apple smartphones, and general electronics and make great alternatives to Amazon electronics.
Etsy is a worldwide platform that sells products directly from artisans and entrepreneurs. Etsy invested $5m in Offsite Ad credits to fight for public policy change to better support small businesses. It’s also the first major online marketplace to offset 100% of shipping carbon emissions.
The app Official Black Wall Street is the largest digital platform helping consumers find, review, and support black-owned businesses. The company tackles the economic inequalities in the entrepreneurial world for black-owned businesses.
BLK + GRN is an all natural marketplace for everything from baby products to pet care by all black artisans. All products are non-toxic, plant-based, and cruelty free.
Uncommon Goods is a marketplace of unique items from independent artisans. This company uses environmentally responsible packaging, encourages their makers to use recycled and sustainable materials, pays fair wages for employees, and has a give-back program that donates $1 with each consumer purchase to a partner of your choice.
Follow our latest projects:
