Planet

Many of us start the year with ambitions to do better; it's the perfect opportunity for a reset. But this year, we're moving away from resolutions to realistic, sustainable, long-term changes. 

Sustainable living starts with small, impactful changes, so who better to inspire us than our fave eco-friendly cafes leading the charge? 

Lavish bouquet-filled tablescapes fill our feeds and online orders for bouquets are booming—the internet has transformed the floristry industry, and we’re lapping it up

Keen to live life more sustainably without compromising on style and those experiences that make for a thrilling social life? Us too. 

Make conscious and considered choices when deciding what to buy and give.

Join the Urban List team as we commit to a week-long detox from single-use plastics

If we want to keep enjoying this dreamy set-up for years to come, we need to get serious about enhancing it, and the City of Gold Coast wants your help to make it happen.

“We need to dramatically pick up the pace and get global emissions plummeting this decade.”

How do the pair find time to inject subtle luxury into their jam-packed schedules as parents and sustainably conscious empire-starters?

With a variety of fabrications to choose from—from recycled plastic bottles to cactus leather—these vegan-friendly and fashion-forward finds are just as luxurious (and buttery) as their non-vegan counterparts. Scroll to shop our favourite vegan leather handbags. 

With the average Aussie generating a staggering 540 kgs of waste a year, it’s time to get savvy with sustainability around the home. Waste Sorted is fighting the battle against mindless landfill teaching West Aussies how to be a GREAT Sort and do better than the bin. 

Looking for the coolest cafes across Melbourne to fill up at? We’ve sussed the ultimate hit list for you below—happy sipping. 

Deadly tees, statement earrings and spicy pantry fillers.

Your quick guide to the very best.

As we face a future beset by environmental, economical and cultural challenges, decisions that used to be simple aren’t so simple anymore. Just grabbing a coffee in the morning has become a minefield of potential issues—are those beans ethically sourced? Is that takeaway cup compostable? Is the cafe locally-owned? Can we really afford our daily caffeine habit? 

It's all about purposeful escapes that are not only good for the soul but the region, communities and environment we’re visiting too. 

As much as we love to travel, we all need to do our bit to help reduce our footprint, be it here at home or on the beaches of Croatia. While it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of planning your next sojourn, we all need to be conscious that the jet fuel, the plethora of packaging we take with us, the disruption to nature and the over-use of energy all add up. To help you become a more sustainable traveller, here are eight environmentally-friendly travel tips you should implement on your next holiday. 

Become a citizen scientist? Tick.

There’s no better place to start educating yourself on the environmental community, sustainable businesses to know about and zero-waste habits to start practicing, then with a podcast

“We have a window of opportunity this decade to shape a better future for our Reef."

Producer Caitlin Booth takes spent a week embracing more sustainable practices, drawing inspiration from 7-Eleven’s recent sustainable glow-up.

Essential reading.

Protecting Country is protecting people.

With the weather getting warmer, we love to kick-start our day with a nourishing smoothie. But not all protein powders are created equal, which is why we’ve rounded up the very best for you to get that extra hit of goodness in your daily shake.

The stuff is best described as an eco-friendly super-soap for more reasons than one—here’s why you should be adding a little castile soap to your life.

Australia has a toxic relationship with clothing waste.

Going green doesn't mean your investments will be lean. 

It's time you watched Seaspiracy.

We’ve found a bunch of absolutely stunning companies that value both the environmental impact and human rights of sourcing the stones and materials to help get you started on your exciting journey ahead.

Strap in, it’s time to Maria Kondo your bra collateral.

The people of Zenadh Kes are on the front line of climate change with rising sea levels, increasing extreme weather events and coastal erosion affecting the 18 inhabited islands in the region, threatening many communities’ way of life and culture.  

So you want to live a greener life but don’t know where to start? Since we’re all on our phones anyways, why not add more sustainable content to your Insta feed? From drool-worthy, plant-based recipes and where to find the best keep cups to fashion and zero waste hacks, we’ve got you covered with a list of accounts that are bound to motivate and inspire you to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

 Today, we’re making a case for bamboo tumblers, the single most important detail that will really raise your vibrations and make your day that much better.

It’s shocking to discover that almost half of the waste thrown out in the typical Aussie household is organic material that could have been turned into black gold rather than being mindlessly chucked out. We here at Urban List believe that every individual has a responsibility to make small attainable changes in our everyday lives to help our beautiful mother nature prosper, and while we know it’s hard to rewrite the world’s carbon emissions, we’ve started small and created a simple beginners guide to composting to get you on your way.

Style shouldn’t cost the Earth, so now’s the time to adopt a new mantra: buy less and choose well.

Life-altering stuff.

As much as we're all conscious of living a more sustainable life, some things are, simply, hard to do greener. Unfortunately, the old bathroom cabinet is one such space, packed with bottles, tubs, single-use wrappers and more plastic than a five-year-old's toy box.

It’s pretty remarkable to think an entire movement can be born from a powerful Instagram post. But that’s exactly what happened when Sydneysider Chanel Contos created an Instagram poll in 2021 asking her followers if they or someone close to them had been sexually assaulted when they were at school. Within 24 hours, over 200 people replied ‘yes’. 

Let's talk the "P-word".

Good for your tush, good for the planet.

Natural deodorants contain safe and recognisable ingredients like coconut oil and cornstarch to neutralise that bad-smelling bacteria, whereas antiperspirants use aluminium chlorohydrate and other pore-blocking, hard-to-pronounce chemicals. FYI, if you have sensitive skin, you should look for natural deodorants that are free of fragrances and dyes to put your pits completely at ease.

Have you ever wondered how someone landed that dream job? What about the jobs you never knew existed? 

adidas is inviting runners of all levels to crush the kilometres to help end plastic waste in our oceans. 

If you, like us, dread the Sunday night pilgrimage to the supermarket to get your week’s worth of groceries then rejoice because you no longer have to leave the couch. Bulk food stores, as well as being incredibly good for the environment, are also super handy and even better, many have gone digital. Yep, that means you can shop sustainability whilst vegging out in your trackies at home. 

Held annually since 1974, the day acts as a reminder to individuals and businesses who are well on their sustainability journey or those at the very start, that we can all be making little changes in our day to day to protect the planet in a big way.

Do your part for the planet by checking out these eco-friendly beauty products, so you can look good and feel great doing it. 

You’ve got Azalea Banks’ 212 blasting through your headphones, you’ve just clocked your fastest km to date, and you’re rounding out your morning run with an epic view of the sunrise. Feels good, doesn’t it? 

Lined with the latest collections from hard-to-find labels to the bigger international houses, these are Australia’s best online fashion rental sites—so you can own-it without owning it.

If you’re keen to step up your sustainability game and keep the momentum going you've already achieved through this crisis, then look no further than this practical guide to going plastic-free. 

Ethique's new range of conscious and concentrated beauty and household cleaning bars are guaranteed to be a game-changer in the sustainable space.

Welcome to 30 Faces, a celebration of 30 individuals changing the world by 2030. A destination to unearth how they got here, what fuels their passion, and to educate and inspire your own journey towards a future made better. 

More than one billion people in 192 countries participate in Earth Day activities each  year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. 

We sat down with Western Sydney artist Bianca Beers to chat about growing up in a Paris Hilton-inspired style era (we’re talking over-glossed lips, huge hoops and quilted handbags) and how her art has led her to embrace her colourful and confident style today. 

To put it simply, the theory behind the CE is about transforming our current linear consumption model (Take-Make-Waste) into a circular one that keeps products and services in use for longer (well, forever) to reduce environmental impact and protect precious natural resources. 

We’re shining the spotlight on climate activists, First Nations rights advocates, eco innovators, sustainable fashion designers, disability rights champions, body positivity campaigners—anyone who is taking the leap to be the change they want to see. And now we want you to be part of the search to find our 30th face shaping the next decade. 

Check out our favourite sustainable bedding from Sheridan. 

Each year, countries all around the world unite together for Earth Hour, one of the largest global movements where millions of people pledge to become more earth-conscious by partaking in an electricity-free hour. On 26 March at 8:30pm AEST we’re turning off the lights, the electricity and even our phones (you can do it!) for one hour all in the name of sustainability. 

Skincare is getting a sustainable glow up. There’s new energy bubbling in 2022 with customers making conscious choices and brands who are transforming our skincare routines and beauty cabinets for the better. 

Clean Up Australia Day is Sunday 6 March and it’s more important than ever that we all get involved. Among the regular garbage we unfortunately find littering our beaches, parklands and streets, COVID-19 has resulted in a drastic increase of masks and disposable gloves clogging up our waterways and threatening marine life. 

Textile waste is a huge problem in Australia, with every Aussie contributing an average of 23 kilograms to landfill annually

Born in 2019, Australian-based sneaker brand BLAC needs to be on your radar if you’re looking to take positive, planet-saving steps when it comes to style.

Clean beauty refers to beauty brands who have dropped the harsher, harmful chemicals in their recipes and packaging in favour of cleaner, more sustainable beauty. These are the clean beauty brands you need to know right now. 

Plan for summer's swim-filled days—these are the best sustainable swimwear brands to shop now. 

If there’s one thing we love about summer, it’s the stacked social cal. And after this year, throwing on your party threads never felt so good. Whether it’s balmy beachside picnics, classy evening soirées or just a good old festive dinner—summer is where the socialising is at.   

We’ve wrapped up seven easy ways you can pay it forward to those who need it most. 

If there’s one thing we all need, no matter the time of the year, it’s a fully stocked drinks cabinet. Instead of opting for your usual booze delivery, why not do the planet (and potentially your liver) a solid and try sustainable, organic tipples instead? 

The term zero waste has been on the upward trend for a while now, but it’s one that we hope will stick around for the long haul. When you consider that one million plastic bottles are purchased around the world each minuteand that 91% of plastic is never recycled, well it’s enough to make your head hurt. Most people are aware by now of what you need to do to reduce your waste at home, and it’s not all that different when you’re travelling, but we’re going to break it down for you so there are no excuses.

There are plenty of ways to live a greener, more eco-conscious lifestyle. Ditching single-use plastic helps, as does eating less or no meat, and taking public transport over hopping in your car is, of course, an obvious one. One lesser-known method to doing our part for the planet, and one that has the potential to improve our carbon footprint by 27 times, is to join the clean money revolution.

On a journey to live a greener life? Technology is proving itself as the key to protecting Mother Earth. Innovative products are making sustainable living more viable and, ultimately, making the world a better place.

When it comes to special jewellery, the sort you want to gift on special occasions and treasure as heirlooms for years to come, Sydney-based Natalie Marie Jewellery needs to be on your wish list.

With summer now on the horizon, it’s never too early to get stocked up on your SPF and all things skincare. Today we are bringing you the feel-good news that our favourite NZ skincare brand, Emma Lewisham has officially become the world’s first beauty brand to go completely carbon-positive, and the world’s first 100% circular-designed product range. *Adds to cart*.

Say hello to Crema Joe, a family-owned business from Melbourne empowering you to consume more consciously with their awesome range of reusable coffee pods and planet-friendly products.

We tried out Lush's zero waste skincare and beauty products for a week—here's what we thought. 

Jess and Stef Dadon, founder of vegan shoe brand TWOOBS, deep dive on whether leather really is bad for the environment. 

It’s not every day two life-long mates cultivate one of the biggest game-changing brands in the country. 

When it comes to the beauty industry, sustainable and eco-conscious aren’t often the first words that come to mind, which is why we’re just a little bit obsessed with Anna Ross, the boss babe behind vegan and cruelty-free beauty brand Kester Black.

Great for your feet (you podiatrist will love you), good for the environment, and cool-enough looking that even your most fashionable-friend will be asking where you found them, these consciously produced pairs really are made for—sustainable—walking. 

The winners of The Circle Awards AUS & NZ 2021 have officially been announced, and our carts (and hearts) are full of sustainable swaps we never knew we needed.

Enter: ModnPods, the Queensland-based business that is crafting ‘gram-worthy tiny homes and setting them up across the country.

Airgarden is the game-changing vertical soilless gardening system that uses revolutionary NASA-developed technology to allow anyone to sprout five times more home-grown produce, three times faster, with 95% less water than a regular veggie patch. The kicker? It takes up just one square metre of space making it perfect for your courtyard, balcony, or even a sunny corner of your living room. 

Tune in as we sit down with climate change activist and Bank Australia customer, Emma Roberts, to chat about how her passion for the Daintree Rainforest and virtual reality installations.

We decided to take a minute with the fashion designer to find out how One Of One Archive actually started, why Johnson is so set on flying solo and how brands can really make the ethos of sustainability be the bread and butter of their business models.

Australia’s first national composting network, Compost Connect, is tackling the nation’s growing food waste crisis and aims to close the loop on product life cycles. 

Ethique have gone and launched the line of eco-friendly lip balms we’ve all been waiting for.  

Thanks to a collaboration between David Jones and TerraCycle you’ll have a place to decrease your carbon footprint and recycle all of your empty beauty bottles all in one go, with special drop boxes in David Jones stores across the country.

This week is Fashion Revolution week—the world’s largest fashion activism movement. For now and for the future, here are just a few of our favourite Australian labels leading the charge in sustainability. 

Seduction done right.

National Day of Action is Sunday 11 April and to celebrate, Conservation Volunteers Australia will be hosting nationwide #SeaToSource clean up events, as communities come together to clean up their act—and clean up Australia's beaches. #SeaToSource is a national project backed by the Australian Government that tackles ocean litter in our seas, through community action and education.

Good Empire is the app inspired by TikTok aimed to save the world.

Doing their part to make a change, Melbourne-based streetwear label HoMie and global cult brand Champion have teamed up to release a brand new capsule collection. 

No matter how or where you practice, yoga is good for the mind, body and soul, but what if we told you it could do good for the Earth too? Enter sustainable yoga mats. These Earth-friendly mats make use of the planet’s natural and eco-friendly materials and prevent more unnecessary (and nasty) plastics, glues and fibres from entering our ecosystem. 

In case you missed it, the Australian Government has just kicked off its first-ever National Plastics Plan.

If you’re haunted by memories of failed vegetable gardens, dying herbs on the kitchen counter and hours of digging, weeding and watering to no avail, don’t despair. Meet Airgarden, a Queensland-based sustainable start-up making growing your own produce at home easy, cost-effective and healthy.

If we want to keep on enjoying said backyard (we really do) we need to be more conscious about our impact on the environment and our carbon footprint. If you’re not sure where to start, you’re in luck because Niccii Kugler, founder of sustainable online marketplace Nash + Banks has shared her six super simple tips to live a greener life.

Whether you’re a long-time germophobe or you take a more, let’s say natural, approach to your house cleaning regime, it’s high time we all started thinking about investing in some more eco-friendly cleaning products.

There are some pairings that are just total matches made in heaven. The Duke of Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton, chocolate and strawberries, pineapple on pizza (don’t at us) and now there is another to add to the list—TWOOBS and Cungelella Art.

We’ve searched high and low for a greener, cleaner alternative and it turns out one of the best on the market is made right here in Australia. Say g’day to Hoap, a natural hand sanitising product, set to revolutionise hand hygiene across the globe. 

Enter swimwear guardian angels, Elise Wallbank and Julian Tali, who founded Youswim—a truly game-changing swimwear label that creates no size bikinis and one-pieces. Nope, that’s not a typo. They stock one size, in a rainbow of colours and cuts that adapts to fit a range of different shapes and sizes. Yes, they’ve basically created the swimwear version of the Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants.

2020 was, without a doubt, a turbulent year. Both bizarre and devastating, it was one of the most memorable in recent history, with every corner of culture—from music to work-life, fashion, sex, travel, and politics—getting shaken to the core. The New York Times called it “The Year of Blur”, paradoxically packed with significant events, but also a year in which time seemed strung out in the void, slowed down, and stretched out indefinitely. 

This year, make a few simple, easy-to-do swaps in your daily routine, changes that you’ll barely even notice once you make them happen, but if everyone were to do them, would make a huge difference to the world, and our future in it. 

Move over Dan Andrews, it looks like The North Face is levelling up in 2021 with a serious dose of high fashion.

What happens when you pair a Sydney dining favourite with gourmet ice cream heavyweights Connoisseur? Well, that’s when the magic happens and we have the delicious scoop on where you can sink your teeth into their new, limited-edition foodie collab. 

With the help of Belong, Australia's first-ever carbon neutral telco, we’re here to break down the ins and outs of carbon neutrality to help you get around it—to ultimately help our beloved planet.

What happens when you pair a Melbourne dining favourite with gourmet ice cream heavyweights Connoisseur? Well, that’s when the magic happens and we have the delicious scoop on where you can sink your teeth into their new, limited-edition foodie collab. 

Since your perfect summer wouldn’t be complete without the perfect ice cream to cool you down after a long day of sun-drenched adventures, the gang over at Connoisseur have blessed us with a whole new decadent range of plant based ice creams. 

It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but Christmas is also one of the most wasteful, unsustainable and polluting calendar events. From all the plastic packaging, to the carbon emitted from shipping and travelling, Christmas needs an eco overhaul. 

Summer is well and truly upon us, which means just about every second of spare time is being spent at the beach. While we’ve made a bunch of sustainable switches to our beach arsenal this year—like opting for eco-friendly swimwear brands, organic sunscreens and using reusable water bottles—there’s another product you need to get around, and it’s seriously impressive.

If this year has taught us anything, it’s that we can no longer stand back and turn a blind eye to the injustices of the world.

Pre-order now and you'll get yours before Christmas!

When it comes to sustainable fashion, we’re all about giving credit where credit is due, and Aussie sunglass brand Szade is straight up changing the game—and you need to know about it.

We've teamed up with Airgarden and Lucy Tweed, the brain behind Every Night Of The Week to bring you a ridiculously easy—but incredibly impressive—grilled prawn with salsa verde recipe.

Here’s another easy bathroom swap you can do which will keep a few more plastic bottles out of the bin every year—your face wash.

Take the environmental high ground.

Gone are the days that we would have to choose between our skin and the planet. The future is here people, and our skin is looking oh, so bright. 

Think you know enough? Think again.

Food waste is a major problem in Australia—costing the economy $20 billion a year and contributing over five percent of our greenhouse gas emissions. It’s estimated that we waste around 300 kgs per person each year—that’s about one in every five bags of groceries. Yikes. If you’re looking for alternatives to traditional composting, we’ve rounded up four ways to put your kitchen waste to good use.

We all want to do our best for the environment. But the endless amount of news and tips being thrown your way can be hard to make decisions that will actually benefit the earth.

There are so many alternatives to conventional toothbrushes, with our fave being the humble bamboo toothbrush. Antibacterial, biodegradable and recyclable, here’s why you should switch to bamboo toothbrushes ASAP.

Let’s take a moment to think about your bank account. Chances are, you haven’t given a great deal of thought about how you bank, it’s just something you’ve done for years almost without thinking. Well, what if we were to tell you that there’s an alarming chance that the bank you have chosen to be a custodian of your hard-earned cash could be fuelling the dirty fossil fuel industry? In fact, the four biggest banks in Australia are guilty of this very thing. 

Most Australians have bank accounts, and collectively, it’s safe to say it adds up to a helluva lot of money. The difficult truth, however, is that there are also a helluva lot of banks who use that cash to support fossil fuel, nuclear weapon production, live animal exports and big gambling.