In the current environmental climate, finding ethical, fairtrade brands is more important than ever – but where do you start? For Fairtrade Fortnight, we’ve put together a list of affordable, fairtrade brands you’ll love. From stylish fashion to skincare, chocolates, flowers and tea, shop on a budget and with a clear conscience at these fairtrade stores.
What is fairtrade and why is it important?
Fairtrade is all about providing good working conditions and fair pay to farmers and workers in the developing world, as well as helping boost local sustainability. This year Fairtrade Fortnight is running from the 24th February to the 8th of March. During the fortnight the Fairtrade Foundation encourages people and companies across the UK to celebrate the workers who grow our food, create our clothes and affect our lives in hundreds of small ways.
You can support these workers simply by choosing ethical, fairtrade brands. Although 35% of us would be happy to pay a little extra for eco-friendly products, shopping fairtrade doesn’t mean you have to pay a fortune. In fact, many fairtrade brands are better quality, therefore better value for money.
Our list of top brands have loads of fairtrade options to suit any budget – especially when you factor in the savings you’ll get when you use a Savoo discount code. So without further ado, let’s take a look at just a few of the fairtrade stores out there where you can shop while giving back.
Fashion and Jewellery
Aspiga
At Aspiga you’ll find stylish, ethically sourced beachwear, jewellery and accessories. Everything from sandals to bags are lovingly handmade with traditional artisan techniques by crafters in Kenya and India. They’re committed to supporting small communities, using only local, ethically sourced materials and paying their suppliers fairly.
Money-saving tip: Refer a friend and not only will they get 10% off their first order, but you’ll also get 15% off your next order as a thank you for spreading the word about Aspiga’s fairtrade, eco-friendly designs.
People Tree
People Tree is one of the leading fairtrade fashion brands around with a fantastic selection of women’s clothing, jewellery and eco-friendly gifts. Absolutely everything in store is fairtrade guaranteed, from their organic cotton leggings to gorgeous handmade jewellery.
Money-saving tip: People Tree offers a 15% student discount, so all you student eco-warriors out there can still shop fairtrade even on a tight budget.
Finisterre
Get stylish, sturdy and sustainable fashion from Finisterre. A small brand based in Cornwall, you’ll find everything from weather-proof, warm fleeces to denim jeans, wetsuits and water bottles. Not only are all their materials sustainably sourced and every design handmade, but they also offer a repair service so your item lasts longer. From farm to factory to your wardrobe, opt for long-lasting, fairtrade designs at Finisterre.
Money-saving tip: Sign up to the Finisterre newsletter and not only will you get 15% off your first order, but you’ll also be entered into a monthly draw to win a £250 gift card to spend on the eco-friendly range.
Monica Vinader
For stunning fairtrade jewellery, look no further than Monica Vinader. From gorgeous natural gemstones to ethically sourced gold and diamonds, all materials are responsibly sourced and each design is handmade by traditional, fairly paid artisans. Monica Vinader also supports social causes such as Women for Women International and fair education for boys and girls in the Jagriti School. Although some designs may seem a little pricey, they’re fantastic value for money – especially as every piece of jewellery comes with a 5-year guarantee and a lifetime repair warranty so you can treasure it forever.
Money-saving tip: Make that special piece of jewellery truly unique with the free engraving service. This complimentary service is only available on selected designs, but there’s plenty of charms, pendants, bracelets and more to choose from.
Homeware
Trouva
Championing independent boutiques and small designers, you’ll find a whole world of locally-made, eco-friendly goodies at Trouva. Search fairtrade to immediately see a wide range of fairtrade boutiques which are perfect for you. From unique, mouth-blown glassware to handmade vases, mugs, lampshades and home accessories, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Money-saving tip: Encourage your friends to support independent boutiques too and you’ll both get 10% off. Refer your friends and they’ll get 10% off their first order, and then you’ll get a 10% off discount code to use on your next order too.
Nkuku
Nkuku offers a wide range of handmade, eco-friendly homeware and unique lifestyle products. All their materials are responsibly sourced and are either natural, recycled or reclaimed, while every single design is handmade by fairtrade artisans from around the world.
Money-saving tip: Get 10% off your first order when you sign up for the free online newsletter. Stay in the know with email updates about new designs, sales and special offers.
Natural Collection
Natural Collection is a veritable treasure trove of fair trade, eco-friendly goodies. They work only with ethical and environmentally-friendly brands to make shopping fairtrade easy. As well as a fantastic range of fairtrade, artisan and handcrafted homeware, you’ll also find fairtrade fashion, beauty, cleaning products and groceries in one convenient location.
Money-saving tip: Collect reward points every time you shop at Natural Collection as a thank you for shopping green. Earn five points for every £1 spent, plus 10 points for every review you leave. Your points are worth a ½ pence each, so for every £100 you spend, you’ll earn 500 points which you can redeem as a £2.50 discount. Look out for special promotions offering double reward points.
Urbanara
For top quality bedding, rugs, towels and homeware, Urbanara has a huge, stylish collection to choose from. They use all-natural, ethically sourced, recycled and organic materials along with skilled craftsmen from around the world to create fair trade, eco-friendly designs at a fair price, so you can rest assured you’re shopping responsibly.
Money-saving tip: Sign up for the newsletter to get a £10 voucher to spend on your first order, along with all the latest news, sale notifications and information about special offers.
Food and treats
Marks and Spencer
When it comes to your weekly food shop, you can rely on Marks and Spencer to provide great quality, amazing value for money and plenty of fairtrade options. From fairtrade wines to Divine fairtrade chocolate, flowers, tea bags, bananas and much more, you can fill your shopping basket with a huge range of fairtrade goods.
Money-saving tip: Become a Sparks card holder for free and start earning rewards every time you shop. From exclusive, hand-picked offers to early access to sales, there are plenty of VIP benefits up for grabs.
Hotel Chocolat
Cocoa farming is a major issue when shopping fairtrade. Thankfully, you can still indulge in delicious chocolates from Hotel Chocolat safe in the knowledge that their chocolate is fairtrade, organic and ethically sourced. Their cocoa is from farms in Ghana, Saint Lucia, and other fairtrade farms around the world. They’ve proudly adopted a practice of ‘engaged ethics’ where they not only give fair pay back to farmers, but they also speak directly with farmers and actively engage to help local communities and empower their suppliers.
Money-saving tip: Spend £35 or more to qualify for free delivery. Tuck into your sweet treats or give a delectable gift without having to worry about shipping fees.
Bloom & Wild
If you fancy treating yourself or a loved one to a beautiful fairtrade bouquet, why not give Bloom & Wild a go? Choose stunning luxury flowers at great value for money and have them sent right to your door (or even through the letterbox!) Plus, all the flowers are sustainably sourced from farms in Europe and Kenya, creating opportunities, safe employment and fair pay for local workers.
Money-saving tip: Sign up for the newsletter to enjoy 10% off your first order. Be the first to know about special offers and save a bundle on your first beautiful bouquet.
Whittard of Chelsea
And for your daily cup of tea, head to Whittard of Chelsea. Whether you fancy some classic English Tea or something fruity and flavoured, you can really savour it knowing that it’s fair trade and sustainably sourced. Many of their suppliers are certified by UTZ, the Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade to ensure their suppliers have fair wages and benefits, secure employment and safe work environments.
Money-saving tip: Tell a fellow tea-lover about Whittard of Chelsea’s great range of tea and you’ll both get 15% off your next order. Cheers to that!
Skincare and Beauty
Green People
Dedicated to organic and natural beauty, Green People has a great range of organic beauty and skincare products. From moisturisers to shampoos and lipsticks, all of the essential beauty products on offer are made either in the UK or a family-run facility in Scandinavia. All ingredients are organic wherever possible, and all growers and producers are paid a fair wage to ensure the brand fulfils it’s clean, environmentally responsible promise.
Money-saving tip: Subscribe for the newsletter to get 10% off your first order of organic beauty must-haves, plus order over £15 worth of products to qualify for free delivery.
The Body Shop
The Body Shop has been creating fair trade, cruelty-free skincare and cosmetics since 1987. Not only are they firmly against animal testing, but they also use only raw, natural ingredients and traditional skills from around the world to support local communities and provide great value, ethically-friendly and affordable cosmetics for everyone.
Money-saving tip: Join the Love Your Body Club to earn rewards every time you shop, along with members-only offers, a free birthday gift of £5 off, early access to new collections and special invites to exclusive launch parties.
Sephora
Although not all of Sehora’s products are fairtrade, they do have a great collection of fairtrade only beauty products. Discover fairtrade brands to pick up all your everyday skincare, from Dr. Hauschka’s Hydrating Eye Cream to L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Hand Cream.
Money-saving tip: Create an account to get five awesome freebies a month. Sign in and head to the Pick & Mix section each month, then simply choose your five samples and pay nothing but delivery.
Neal’s Yard Remedies
Neal’s Yard Remedies was one of the first certified organic beauty brands in the UK. They stock 100% natural and organic skincare, cosmetics and aromatherapy products. Everything on site is ethically and sustainably sourced, and the brand works closely with their suppliers to build long-lasting, fair trade relationships which support local communities. In 2017 Neal’s Yard paid more than £30,000 in fair trade premiums to suppliers and funded projects, and they plan to increase this in the future to bring in new fair trade ingredients from Uganda.
Money-saving tip: Refer your friends and for every buddy who makes an order you’ll get £10 off your next purchase over £40, plus your mate will get £10 off their first order to welcome them to the club.
These are just a few of our favourite fairtrade brands – there are plenty more out there! Look out for the fairtrade logo on products and check out the official Fairtrade website to find more places to buy fairtrade. Don’t forget to check Savoo’s discount codes to see if we can save you a little extra on your online shopping. Plus, every time you use one of our discount codes we’ll give to a charity of your choice for free, so you’ll be giving even more back to causes you care about.
Want to find even more sustainable gifts and goodies? Take a peek at our eco-friendly gift guide for a little green shopping inspiration. From vegan Dr Martens to a Divine chocolate tasting hamper and cute tote bags, there’s plenty of environmentally-friendly brands and products out there.
