Do any natural slug repellent methods actually work? I’ve tried out 10 different natural methods in my garden over many years – here’s what actually worked, and what didn’t.

My partner and I have been attempting to grow our own fruit and vegetables for about 18 years now.

We’ve had lots of different setups in that time. First, we grew produce on the balcony of our rented flat. Then we bought a flat that came with quite a compact garden. Then we had a massive allotment, until we had two kids, and it got too much to handle. Now we have a tiny cottage garden.

Despite having many types of growing setups over the last 18 years, there’s been one constant. Slugs. Chomping through all of our prize vegetables that we’ve spent hours lovingly tending.

I know that slugs (and snails) do a pretty important job in nature. They munch through rotting vegetation, which helps to recycle nutrients back into the soil. However, it can be pretty annoying when, instead of feasting on a pile of rotting leaves, slugs decide to gorge on your prize vegetables or flowers that you’ve spent all season trying to grow.

Rather than turning to slug pellets, I’ve tried a whole host of natural slug repellents. This is because traditional slug pellets are harmful to wildlife, as they contain a toxic ingredient called metaldehyde. Whilst wildlife, such as birds and hedgehogs, are unlikely to eat the pellets, they can be harmed if they eat a snail or slug that has consumed the pellets.

I’ve tried all kinds of techniques – including copper barriers, eggshells, gravel, coffee grounds, beer traps, and several other commonly recommended solutions. But do any of the natural methods to deter slugs actually work? I’ve rounded up 10 different methods that we’ve tried over the years – showing you how we got on, and what actually works.

10 Natural Slug Repellent Methods We’ve Tried

After trying ten different natural slug deterrents over the years, only one made a noticeable difference in our garden. Everything else ranged from mildly ineffective to completely pointless:

Copper

Some people swear by copper piping and copper rings as a means of natural slug repellent. Apparently, copper carries a charge that interferes with the slug’s slime. When slugs and snails come in contact with the copper, it causes a small, yet harmless, electric-shock-like reaction. As it’s uncomfortable, the slugs and snails supposedly avoid copper.

But does copper work as a deterrent? Well, when we had an old gas fire removed from our first flat, a load of copper piping came out. Rather than binning it, I asked the gas engineer to keep it for me. Which they did. And I then reused the copper piping by putting it around our vegetable seedlings, much like a fortress. 

I felt smug and confident that our precious seedlings were going to make it. But what I found was the inverse.

The copper was completely ineffective in repelling slugs. Our plants got munched to high heaven. I even saw slugs and snails sitting on the copper piping, not giving two hoots that they were sitting on copper. If they could have given me the fingers, then I’m sure they would have.

Result: Slugs 1 – Wendy 0

Eggshells

Other people swear by placing smashed-up eggshells around the base of your plant. Apparently, this acts as a natural repellent as the shells are sharp and uncomfortable for the slugs to crawl over. 

I tried the eggshell method repeatedly and still, my plants got munched. I saw slugs crawling over the eggshells quite merrily.

The eggshells have to be clean and dry – so the minute the shells touch the soil, you water your plants, or it inevitably rains, then your eggs will annoyingly no longer act as a deterrent. I say compost your eggshells instead – it’s a much better use of them.

Result: Slugs 2 – Wendy 0

Gravel

As a variation on the eggshell theme, some people suggest placing gravel around your plants, as it’s too uncomfortable for slugs to crawl over. 

I say save your money. Our current yard is covered in gravel – we now grow all our produce in pots – and slugs happily crawl over the gravel to get to something tasty. We’ve even tried using sharper, finer gravel to top our pots, and the slugs couldn’t care less that it’s there.

We even get slugs moving across the gravel to get to our back door, and then squeezing under the tiniest of gaps to get into our kitchen. I swear they’ve got it in for us.

Result: Slugs 3 – Wendy 0

Coffee

Another top natural slug-repellent tip I heard of was to place coffee grounds around the base of your plant. This is because the caffeine in coffee grounds is said to be mildly toxic to slugs, and so they avoid it.

Once I saved all the coffee grounds from work (my workmates drank a lot of coffee!). I then carried them home on the bus, spread them around my plants, and still, my plants got munched.

I think the problem is that when the coffee grounds get wet, through watering or rain, the coffee grounds get washed away. This means you would need an awful lot of coffee grounds for this to even stand a tiny chance of working. Save your grounds and use them as a mulch.

Result: Slugs 4 – Wendy 0

Hay

Another method I tried was placing hay around my plants. 

I don’t even know what planet I was on to even begin to think this could work. I found using hay as a natural repellent actually made our slug problem worse. The slugs seemed to be sheltering in the hay rather than repelling them, and were also possibly laying their eggs in there.

Don’t be as foolish as me. Learn from my mistakes!

Result: Slugs 5 – Wendy 0

Growing Indoors

One year, we decided to take quite a firm stance and upped our natural slug-repellent game. We started growing our plants indoors until they got to a good size, in the hope that they would be large enough to withstand a slug attack.

Or so we thought. Less than one week in the garden, and one pea plant was completely and utterly decimated by slugs. Another squash plant was very nearly a goner. Apparently, size doesn’t always save you.

Result: Slugs 6 – Wendy 0

Manual Collection

Another summer, we decided that rather than trying to repel the slugs, we would beat them at their own game and manually collect them.

My daughter and I would go out in the evening into the yard with a bucket and do “snail patrol”. This would involve picking up any slugs and snails and then releasing the live slugs and snails in the woods across from our house.

This is because going out at night and picking off the slugs (and snails) is a good time to catch them in the act. Slugs mostly feed at night to keep their moisture levels up and avoid predators, such as birds and frogs. Just pick them off, put them in a bucket and take them fairly far from your prize vegetables. 

I have to admit, I’m a bit squeamish when it comes to handling slugs (some bad experiences involving bare feet – I’ll leave it at that!) but I persevered.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to make much difference. The vegetables we didn’t want to be munched still got munched. I think in hindsight, we weren’t taking the slugs and snails far enough away. Apparently, they should be taken at least 20 metres from your garden to prevent them from coming back.

Results: Slugs 7 – Wendy 0

Beer

One year, we gave up on natural slug repellents and turned to beer traps in desperation. Apparently, the sweet beer smell is irresistible to the slugs, and so they climb in, drink the beer and forget to climb out again. Which is a pleasant way of saying they drown.

I cut some plastic bottles in half and filled them with half beer (the cheapest, nastiest can of lager I could find in my local shop – not the good craft beer!) and half water.

I then dug them into the ground, near my prize vegetables, with a lip of about 3cm sticking out of the soil so beetles and other creatures didn’t accidentally fall in. In case any other creatures did fall in, I popped a stick in so they could climb out:

What can I say – even the nuclear option didn’t work. Can you see the plant the slugs completely destroyed right next to the beer trap (just to the right of it)?! There’s nothing more than a green stalk, where once verdant leaves were!

My conclusion was that either slugs in West Lothian are hard as nails, or beer traps don’t work. It was simply a waste of good beer. Well, actually, it wasn’t good beer. Let’s just say it was simply a waste of money and time!

Result: Slugs 8 – Wendy 0

Salt

The classic natural slug repellent is salt, but I have to say I’m reluctant to try this. The salt will probably get washed away when it rains or you water your plants. Plus it might increase the salinity of your soil, which isn’t too great for plants. 

Salt can also be caustic to other creatures that visit your garden – think the tiny paws of hedgehogs – so I’d say this method is best avoided.

Result: Slugs 9 – Wendy 0

Wildlife Ponds

Completely deflated, we decided that the last natural slug control method we tried should be as natural as it gets – encouraging toads and frogs into our garden. Frogs and toads like to feast on slugs, so we hoped that making a wildlife-friendly habitat could help.

We built a little wildlife pond in the yard of our current home. So far, we’ve never seen any frogs, but we have found a few toads over the year, which is great news. I feel it definitely helps keep the slug numbers down. It doesn’t eliminate them all, but I’ve found it does help keep them in check better than any other method we’ve tried.

Result: Slugs 9 – Wendy 1 🎉🥳🎉Woo hoo!

Why Natural Slug Repellents Often Fail

After years of experimentation, my conclusion is that most natural slug deterrents fail for one reason, and one reason only: slugs are incredibly persistent.

They’re nocturnal, they thrive in damp conditions, and they can squeeze through the smallest gaps in search of food.

Many barrier methods also break down quickly outdoors. Rain washes things away, organic materials soften, and slugs simply crawl around obstacles. Even physical barriers, such as copper or gravel, don’t act as a strong enough deterrent when there’s a juicy lettuce or young bean plant involved.

What Actually Helps Control Slugs Naturally?

I think trying to work against nature – and using any kind of slug repellent – no matter how natural, isn’t going to work. From my dismal yet tenacious attempts to usurp our garden’s slug population, I would say that, like that famous Jurassic Park quote, slugs find a way.

I really think embracing more wildlife-friendly gardening techniques is the way forward. We should welcome all creatures into our garden, with the idea being that a healthy ecosystem means that one creature won’t dominate your garden.

A wildlife pond is just one part of the puzzle. Creating bee-friendly gardens encourages other creatures that eat bees and slugs. Encouraging wild birds is also beneficial, as they also eat slugs.

Meanwhile, welcoming hedgehogs, such as cutting a small hole at the base of your fence to allow these prickly creatures to come and go, unhindered by barriers, can also really help. As can leaving slightly wilder areas of your garden, and creating shelter with logs and stones can attract natural slug predators.

And if there’s just one thing I’ve learned, it’s definitely don’t waste beer on slugs!

Our editors curate highly rated brands that are first assessed by our rigorous ratings system. Buying through our links may earn us a commission—supporting the work we do. Learn more.

Barbour is revered for its waxed cotton jackets, but the brand’s practices are “Not Good Enough”. So, what to do if you’re looking for lasting outerwear to withstand the demands of rainy weather and decades of wear? Well, there’s a host of more sustainable brands to consider—let us introduce them to you.

This article is based on the Barbour rating published in February 2025 and may not reflect claims the brand has made since then.

This fashion icon needs to step up its sustainability

Barbour has been a fixture in the English countryside ever since it was founded by John Barbour in 1894, and its signature waxed jackets have been famously worn by Queen Elizabeth II on her Scottish estate, Daniel Craig in James Bond, and Alexa Chung at Glastonbury—all helping the waterproof outerwear ascend to fashion icon status. Recently the brand has collaborated with the likes of GANNI (“It’s a Start”) and Erdem (“We Avoid”), further propelling it into the contemporary fashion realm. Barbour jackets are defined by their navy or green colour; corduroy-lined cuffs and collar; and the waxed coating that stands up to regular wear and inclement weather.

But although Barbour is known and loved for being a heritage brand, its commitment to sustainability isn’t as legendary. In fact, the brand scored “Not Good Enough” when we last rated it because, among other issues, there was no evidence it’s addressing textile waste or protecting biodiversity in its supply chain, nor reducing its water use. Importantly, our analysts couldn’t find evidence that Barbour pays a living wage to workers in its supply chain, and the same goes for any sign of it providing financial security to its suppliers—a lack of which is associated with poor working conditions and wages. Where animals are concerned, it didn’t appear that Barbour traces any animal products to the first stage of production, nor that it has clear mechanisms for implementing its animal welfare policy—that’s important because the brand uses animal-derived materials including leather, wool, and down.

Barbour does have a popular repair programme that sees thousands of jackets rewaxed every year, helping them to stay in use for longer. And while it has made some small improvements since we last rated it in 2022—like measuring some greenhouse gas emissions and committing to targets approved by the Science-Based Targets initiative—Barbour still needs to be much more transparent about its practices.

Alternatives to Barbour’s waxed jackets, sweaters, boots, and more

Barbour is best known for its weatherproof waxed cotton jackets, wellington boots, and clothes inspired by country life and traditional British wares. If you love the look but not the brand’s ethics, scroll through our selection of more sustainable brands making similar styles.

Conceptual figure summarizing study © Javier Lopatin

A mobile monitoring system was used to measure the air temperature and relative humidity of the urban forest © Qichong Zhu

Xiaoling Wang © Shanghai Portrait Studio

Our editors curate highly rated brands that are first assessed by our rigorous ratings system. Buying through our links may earn us a commission—supporting the work we do. Learn more.

The Netherlands is home to some of our favourite top-rated “Good” and “Great” brands like legendary MUD Jeans. Discover the most responsible Dutch brands in our directory.

Dutch brands doing it right

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important and more and more people are trying to reduce their impact on the planet. As a result, a growing number of responsible fashion brands are starting to emerge to both meet the demand and help change the fashion industry for the better. So if you live in the Netherlands, you might be wondering which clothing brands are doing it right. First, here’s what you need to know about what makes a brand more ethical and sustainable in the first place.

What makes a better brand?

Simply put, a responsible brand makes sure it positively impacts on people, the planet, and animals.

It ensures its workers are treated fairly across the supply chain. This includes policies and practices on child labour, forced labour, worker safety, the right to join a union, and payment of a living wage.

A better brand also cares about its use of resources and energy, reducing its carbon emissions, impact on our waterways, as well as using and disposing of chemicals safely.

Finally, it uses no or very few animal products, like wool, leather, fur, angora, down feather, shearling, karakul, and exotic animal skin and hair. Ideally, the brand is 100% vegan.

Now that you know what makes a responsible brand, you might decide to shop from companies located in your country or region. Whether it is to support your community at home or reduce your carbon footprint when shopping online, shopping locally can have positive benefits.

So if you live in the Netherlands or want to support Dutch fashion labels, you might wonder which clothing brands are doing better. We know how you feel, which is why we compiled this list of “Good” or “Great” rated fashion brands either based or produced in the Netherlands.

Curious about brands in other regions? Check out our editors’ favourite brands from:

• the USA (including California, LA, and New York)
• Canada
• Europe, Germany (including Berlin), Belgium, Spain and Portugal, Italy (including Milan), France (and Paris), Sweden and Denmark, and Switzerland
• the UK (and London specifically)
• Australia and New Zealand
• India
• Japan

Our favourite more ethical and sustainable clothing brands from the Netherlands

Looking for the best shampoo bars in the UK? I’ve tried dozens, and these are the ones in 2026 that actually deliver on shine, softness, and everyday manageability, without harming the planet.

If you’re looking to cut your use of plastic in the bathroom, switching to a solid shampoo bar could be a good option.

I’ve been using these plastic-free bars for years, and find them a fuss-free solution to clean hair. Simply rub the bar between your hands and then work the lather through your hair, before rinsing as normal. Bingo – clean hair without any waste whatsoever.

And with claims that some shampoo bars can replace anything from 2 to 4 bottles of shampoo, there are big plastic savings to be made.

However, not every shampoo bar is equal. Some come with a dreaded shampoo bar transition phase. As such, it can be frustrating and costly to buy bar after bar, to try to find one that works for you.

To help you out, here are my tried-and-tested favourites chosen from over 8 years of experimentation:

My 5 Best Plastic-Free Shampoo Bars

I’ve tried so many different shampoo bars over the years (SO MANY!) in my search to find the best one. In that time, I’ve really been able to hone down on what I do and don’t like from my shampoo.

For reference, my hair is straight, fine, and can be a bit oily. I don’t colour my hair, but I am going a little bit grey. I’ve found my grey hairs can be a bit delicate and prone to breakage, so I need something gentle. I also wash my hair every other day.

For me, a good shampoo bar has to lather nicely; rinse out easily with no waxy residue; have no transition phase (I’ve used natural shampoos for eons, and what even is my hair transitioning from?!); smell nice; and leave my hair looking and feeling healthy.

Here’s what works for me, and fulfils all of these criteria:

Lush

Lush is probably the brand I go to most often to buy shampoo bars. With over 12 different bars, Lush has something for every haircare need.

Whether you want to boost shine, hydrate your hair, suffer with tangles or dandruff, or something else, Lush is probably on it. Be prepared to spend around £10. I find a bar lasts around 2 months or so.

My personal favourite is Honey I Washed My Hair – I’ve bought it again and again. It meets all of my criteria. It smells amazing, lathers up beautifully, leaves my hair feeling soft and healthy, without any residue, and doesn’t come with any weird transition phase. The only thing to note is that it contains honey, so it isn’t vegan-friendly.

I’m also a fan of the lemon-scented Montalbano bar. It’s vegan-friendly and particularly great for greasy hair, but it can be a bit drying. This means I’m using it less now my hair is going grey.

The other thing I don’t like is that it has a bit of dried lemon stuck to it, for some unknown reason. Towards the end of the bar I often get bits of lemon stuck in my hair. I think that would be a nightmare if you have curly hair!

---

Faith In Nature

Faith In Nature (£6.99 at Ethical Superstore) is another favourite of mine for solid shampoo bars. It’s a good affordable option, that comes in a plastic-free cardboard box.

The bar produces a nice, thick lather quickly and easily and cleans without weighing my hair down. My preferred option is the lavender and geranium one – it’s not overpowering. Unlike my favourite Lush bar, it’s also vegan-friendly, which I appreciate.

It’s free of things like SLS and parabens, and lasts me for around 2 months or so.

---

Green People

Green People is another brand I have used and like. It’s not my very favourite, but only because it’s £17 a bar, and that’s a bit out of my budget for shampoo.

If that fits within your budget, then I recommend giving it a go. Green People’s bars create a good lather (with maybe a little bit more effort needed), and clean really well. They’re also organic, vegan, free of any undesirable ingredients, and available in eucalyptus and mint or unscented options.

The eucalyptus one is best for sensitive scalps, with the unscented one is great for anyone that can’t tolerate fragrance.

---

Davines

I wanted to treat myself one day, so I bought the Davines Volu shampoo bar. It’s £18.50 a bar at Cult Beauty (ouch!), but you can get 15% with the code CBAFF15, helping to ease that sticker stock. And I hate to say, but it is worth the price.

Davines is a luxury hair care brand, and this one really does feel like a luxury hair care product. It smells so good, lathers up quickly and easily and makes my hair feel amazing. I read one review that said, “This is the bar that finally convinced me a solid shampoo could work like a high-end liquid”, and I couldn’t agree more.

---

KinKind

Finally, KinKind is my top choice for shampoo bars for grey hair. It’s Nourish Me! bar (£15.90) is formulated for normal, dry and grey hair. After lots of recommendations from readers, I figured I would give it a go to see if it could help with my grey hairs.

I liked it. It foams up easily, makes a rich lather, and leaves your hair feeling clean. It also has coconut oil and argan oil in it to give your hair a moisture boost. My hair isn’t fully grey, so it was just a bit too moisturising for my fine and oily hair, but I think if you are fully grey, this will give you wonderful results. I’m bookmarking this one for when I’m a bit more grey!

More Top Tips

Do also check out my guide on how to store shampoo bars to help make them last as long as possible, so that you get your money’s worth out of your bar!

Sustainably protect your skin with this handy guide to eco-friendly sunscreen, all available in the UK.

Sunscreen is a daily essential that’s easy to overlook . Yet the products we put on our skin can have a surprising impact on the environment – from the ingredients they contain to the packaging they come in.

I’m always on the lookout for beauty products that work well, are affordable, and are produced with the environment in mind – from sustainable soap to zero-waste makeup. Sunscreen should be no different.

Over the past few years, demand for sustainable sunscreens in the UK has grown rapidly. At the same time, questions have been raised about certain chemicals used in conventional sunscreens. Fortunately, there are now quite a few options that protect both your skin and the planet.

The Environmentally-Friendly Sunscreens Available In The UK

Here are some of my favourite eco-friendly sunscreens, all offering broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection and suitable for family use. I’ve included key info on packaging, reef safety, and suitability so you can choose the best option for you.

Green People SPF 30 Sunscreen

Green People (from around £33.50 for 200 ml) offers a range of organic and eco-friendly sunscreens for adults and kids, which I really rate. These include mineral zinc oxide options, and non-mineral options that have non-nano and non-toxic UV filters. They’re also free from oxybenzone or octinoxate (more on that later), and are reef safe.

Made with natural and certified organic ingredients, these offer SPF 30 protection from UVA and UVB rays. They’re all vegan-friendly and cruelty-free. And they are also free from parabens, alcohol, Lanolin, phthalates, artificial perfumes, petrochemicals, and colourants.

Get 20% off your first order when you sign up for the Green People newsletter.

---

Sol De Ibiza SPF 30 Sunscreen

If plastic-free packaging is high on your priority list, then Sol De Ibiza (£22.99 for 100 g at Ethical Superstore) is worth considering.

This SPF 30 mineral sunscreen is made using non-nano zinc oxide and organic ingredients. The formulation is fragrance-free, cruelty-free, and suitable for the whole family. It’s also water-resistant and reef-friendly.

The sunscreen comes in aluminium tins or cardboard push-up tubes. Personally, I found the tube version difficult to apply as the texture is quite hard and waxy. I found it tricky to get on my skin, unless it was a really warm day. I think the tin is better, just store it somewhere warm as that makes is easier to apply.

---

Badger SPF 30 Sunscreen

Badger Sunscreen (around £22 for 87 ml at Holland & Barrett) is another good eco-friendly sunscreen option. It provides SPF 30 broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB) protection using mineral zinc oxide.

The reef-safe formula contains 87% certified organic ingredients and is free from synthetic chemical filters. It’s also hypoallergenic, making it good for sensitive skin and the whole family, even little ones.

Badger products are cruelty-free, although watch out as many options are not vegan, as they contain beeswax.

---

UpCircle SPF 25 Sunscreen

UpCircle’s mineral sunscreen (£19.99 for 60 ml) provides dermatologically approved broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection using non-nano zinc oxide.

Alongside sun protection, the sunscreen contains raspberry seed oil, leftover from the juicing industry. Rich in antioxidant vitamins A and E, it helps defend the skin from free radical damage.

I really like this one. Despite being a mineral sunscreen, it’s easy to apply, and the lightweight formula absorbs easily, leaving a natural finish without a white cast. Because of the size of the jar, I think it’s better suited for your face rather than your body.

UpCircle is all about sustainability. As such, its sunscreen is vegan, cruelty-free, and packaged in a recyclable glass jar with an aluminium lid, making it plastic-free.

---

Suntribe SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen

Suntribe (around £20 for 100 ml at Big Green Smile) provides broad-spectrum protection using non-nano zinc oxide, providing a natural mineral barrier against both UVA and UVB rays.

It also has a light tint designed to blend more easily with your natural skin tone. This can help minimise the white cast often associated with mineral sunscreens.

Free from perfumes, preservatives, and synthetic chemicals, this hypoallergenic sunscreen is suitable for normal, sensitive, and dry skin, and can be used on both the face and body. It’s also water-resistant and reef-safe.

Certified COSMOS Organic by the Soil Association, the sunscreen comes in a tube made from renewable sugar cane.

Something to note is that the cream was reformulated in April 2023, as prior to that, it was a bit lumpy and hard to apply. These issues have thankfully been addressed by Suntribe, so don’t be put off by previous bad reviews dated before then!

Handy Product Comparison Table

Want a handy at-a-glance table showing you the difference between all the sunscreen products listed? I’ve put this comparison table together for you:

BrandSPFUV ProtectionKey IngredientsPackagingVegan Reef SafePrice (UK)

Green People	30	Broad-spectrum UVA + UVB	Mineral zinc oxide or non-mineral non-nano UV filters	Plastic tube	Yes	Yes	Around £33.50 (200 ml)
Sol de Ibiza	30	Broad-spectrum UVA + UVB	Mineral zinc oxide	Aluminium tin or cardboard push-up tube	Yes	Yes	£22.99 (100 g)
Badger	30	Broad-spectrum UVA + UVB	Mineral zinc oxide	Plastic tube	No	Yes	Around £22 (87 ml)
UpCircle	25	Broad-spectrum UVA + UVB	Mineral zinc oxide	Glass jar with aluminium lid	Yes	Yes	£19.99 (60ml)
Suntribe	30	Broad-spectrum UVA + UVB	Mineral zinc oxide	Plastic tube	Yes	Yes	Around £20 (100 ml)

What Makes a Sunscreen Eco-Friendly?

The phrase “eco-friendly sunscreen” isn’t regulated, and confusingly can mean different things to different people. A product labelled as sustainable might focus on safer ingredients, environmentally responsible packaging, or both.

Many sustainable sunscreens rely on mineral UV filters, most commonly zinc oxide. These are physical blockers that sit on the skin and reflect UV rays rather than absorbing them. They can sometimes leave a white cast, but offer protection without chemical filters.

Some brands, like Green People, also offer non-mineral, non-nano sunscreens. These are chemical-based formulations that use synthetic UV filters rather than physical blockers like zinc oxide. This means you are less likely to get that white cast associated with mineral sunscreens. Lightly tinted formulas (like the Suntribe option) can help with this.

“Non-nano” means the particles are large enough that they don’t penetrate the skin or enter the bloodstream, potentially making them safer for both your body and the environment while still providing broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection.

Packaging is another important factor. Some brands now use aluminium tins, glass jars, or cardboard push-up tubes instead of plastic bottles.

You may also see terms like reef-safe or reef-friendly. These usually indicate the product does not contain ingredients such as oxybenzone or octinoxate, which have been linked to coral reef damage in some studies.

How to Choose the Right SPF and Broad-Spectrum Protection

Even within the sustainable beauty market, not all sunscreens are created equal.

One of the most important things to check is whether the sunscreen provides broad-spectrum protection. This means it provides protection from both UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays are responsible for sunburn, while UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and contribute to ageing and long-term skin damage.

Picking the right Sun Protection Factor (SPF) can be confusing. Research shows that anything above SPF 50 doesn’t provide significant additional protection. This also fools you into thinking you can reapply less frequently, which isn’t the case.

Anything above 30 is generally good. And regardless of SPF level, sunscreen should still be reapplied every two hours, and after swimming or heavy sweating.

What If You Can’t Afford To Swap To Sustainable Sunscreen?

Most of these options are more expensive than the sunscreens you will find in your local supermarket or chemist. If you don’t have the budget to switch, then keep buying the brand you can afford.

Sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer. So it’s vitally important that you keep using sunscreen that’s within your budget, as well as seeking shade and covering up in the sun. There are heaps of other eco-friendly actions you can take to live a greener life, so don’t feel guilty if this particularly swap isn’t an option open to you.

Your Recommendations

Have you found any eco-friendly sunscreen brands you love? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

I’m especially interested in discovering plastic-free sunscreen options, as these are still surprisingly difficult to find in 2026.

And once you’ve sorted your sun protection, you might also enjoy my handy guide to ethical swimwear for more sustainable days by the sea.

Think camping is already green? Think again. From synthetic tents to single-use everything, most of us are doing more damage than we realise. Here’s how to kit out with eco-friendly camping gear alongside tips to minimise your impact.

Whether you are planning on a camping trip close to home or you are planning on a rail trip around Europe with a tent and sleeping bag in tow, camping is a great way to get closer to nature.

Camping often has a smaller footprint than many other types of trips. But the recent rise in camping has also brought some environmental challenges, from litter to pressure on natural spaces.

With that in mind, it’s worth thinking about how we camp as well as where we camp. Choosing longer-lasting gear and adopting a few low-impact habits can help keep the places we love to visit just as beautiful for the next trip. Here are all my top tips:

Guide To Sustainable Camping Gear

The most sustainable camping gear is always the stuff you already own or can borrow from a friend, or can buy secondhand. Ask your friends if you can borrow their gear, and if not, try Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, or eBay. You might come across some real bargains.

If you can’t find what you want secondhand, then here are some suggestions for sustainable camping gear that you may want to invest in. I’ll try not to make it too in-tents…! :)

The Most Sustainable Tents

No camping trip is complete without a tent, as each trip starts and ends with a good-quality tent that can protect you from the elements. That’s why finding the right tent is a must before you head off on any adventure, be it wild camping, glamping, or a campsite holiday.

If you can’t borrow a tent or find one secondhand, then here are the most sustainable tent options for your next camping trip:

Rent A Tent

Many companies allow you to hire one of their tents. Simply tell them when you are going camping, and how long your trip will be, and they will send out a tent directly to your door. They will even arrange the collection of the tent for when you get home. Other companies may allow you to pick up and drop off their tent.

Tent hire organisations to try include:

• Camping Gear Hire
• Contented Camping
• Outdoor Hire

Refurbished Tents

If you’d rather buy your own tent, then try Camping Recycled. This is an initiative set up by Vango to sell tents, caravans and vehicle awnings that function as intended but can’t be sold through their retail partners. These include samples, demo kits, and refurbished products. 

This helps divert stock from landfills and has the added bonus of being a bit kinder on your pocket, too. Your consumer rights aren’t affected – unless otherwise stated, Vango accepts returns within 30 days of delivery. All products also come with a 1-year warranty as standard.

Tents Made From Recycled Materials

Another option is to buy a tent made from recycled materials.

OLPRO (no, not Alpro, the vegan milk brand!) makes all of its tents from recycled polyester. It also offers a lifetime warranty on canvas tents and awnings, and offers spare parts and repair kits to make sure your tent goes the distance. Because of all this, OLPRO is the first B Corp-certified camping brand – an independent accreditation that shows its commitment to balancing people, planet, and profit.

Plastic-Free Tents

The investment eco option is a canvas bell tent. Plastic-free, 100% cotton canvas bell tents have better breathability than conventional tents, and, being stronger, have a longer lifespan. However, you have to be very careful with canvas bell tents. You should never put the tent away damp as mould and mildew can take hold and damage and rot the tent.

The Best Eco-Friendly Sleeping Bags

If you’re looking to make your camping kit a little greener, there are now several eco-friendly sleeping bags designed with sustainability in mind. I’ve focused on options made from recycled materials that are also PFC-free.

PFCs (per- and polyfluorinated chemicals) are commonly used to make outdoor gear water- and weather-resistant. The problem is that these chemicals don’t easily break down. They accumulate in the environment, and some have been linked to hormonal and reproductive problems in both humans and wildlife, as well as certain cancers.

Sea To Summit

This Sea To Summit Hamelin Sleeping Bag (£188.95 at Alpinetrek), pictured above, is perfect for camping trips from early spring to late autumn, with its -3°C comfort rating. This one is a good, sustainable choice for any camper. Here’s why:

• It’s made using 100% recycled materials.
• It does not contain any down, making it vegan-friendly and cruelty-free.
• The fabric is certified as bluesign approved. This is an independent verification that certifies that in each step in the textile supply chain, only approved chemicals, processes, materials, and products are used. This means these products are safe for the environment, workers and customers.
• It’s PFC/PFAS-free.

Nemo Tempo 35 Sleeping Bag

The Nemo Tempo 35 three-season sleeping bag (£132.95 at Alpintrek) is another good option. It has a comfort rating of 0°C, and it has lots of sustainable features:

• It’s made from 100% recycled polyester.
• It does not contain any down, making it vegan-friendly and cruelty-free.
• It’s PFC/PFAS-free.

The Ethical Rucksacks

In terms of ethical rucksacks, I really rate Passenger rucksacks. The 26L Boondooker backpack (£69.95), for example, is produced from 100% recycled polyester yarn made from post-consumer waste, on both the outer and lining fabric. This makes it a great sustainable choice when upgrading your camping gear.

If you are looking for something smaller to take on hiking trips or other everyday adventures, check out my post on ethical backpacks for more ideas.

Environmentally Friendly Camping Stoves & Cooking

A sustainable alternative to a gas-powered fossil-fuel camping stove is a wood-fired camping stove. I came across Biolite’s Camping Stove, which is powered by wood. What’s more, the heat generated by the stove also charges up your mobile phone. SO handy!

Alternatively, if you want a decidedly more budget-friendly wood-burning camping stove for your sustainable camping gear kit bag, then try this Stabilotherm wood-burning camping stove (£33.11 at Alpinetrek). It simply cooks your food without fossil fuels, which is all you could possibly need from a camping stove.

To light your stove, say goodbye to plastic fossil fuel-powered lighters or soggy matches with a fire striker, such as this one from Tiso (£14.99). This is a fool-proof and fun way of lighting a stove. Simply strike the striker off the flint for sparks to light your stove with. I bought my partner one a few years ago, and he loves it.

Sustainable Camping Tips

Even if your camping gear isn’t sustainable, it’s arguably more important that you act like a sustainable camper. Having an understanding of the Countryside Code is key. However, here are a few more environmentally friendly camping tips to consider.

Consider Where You Camp

Official campgrounds are ideal, offering toilets, cooking, washing, and waste facilities. Wild camping is often allowed, but irresponsible use has given it a bad reputation. Many remote areas lack the infrastructure for extra waste, so check whether the location can support camping before rocking up with your tent.

Food

For short trips, bring pre-prepared meals that reheat easily on a camping stove, like soup or pasta, or transfer shop-bought food into reusable containers.

Plan for disposal: if there’s no composting or recycling at your site – or no bins at all – pack all food waste and packaging home with you to avoid leaving any rubbish behind.

Cooking

Be mindful of where you cook while wild camping. Disposable barbeques can pose a real fire risk, so it’s important to take care.

A camping stove is the safest and most responsible option. If you do light a fire, keep it small, supervised, and fully under control. Avoid fires during dry periods or in sensitive places such as forests, farmland, peaty ground, or near buildings and heritage sites. Always follow local guidance and remove all traces before you leave.

If barbeques are allowed, use designated areas and keep water nearby in case you need to extinguish the fire quickly.

How To Do The Toilet Outdoors Responsibly

When wild camping, it pays to be a considerate toilet goer. The most sustainable option is to plan ahead by noting the location of public toilets or places that may allow you to use their facilities.

Even with good planning, nature sometimes calls at inconvenient moments. If you need to urinate outdoors, move at least 30 metres away from open water such as rivers, streams, or lakes. Any toilet roll should always be bagged and taken away with you, as it takes longer to break down than many people realise.

If you need to poo, the best approach is to bag it and carry it with you until you can dispose of it in a bin, much like dog waste. Keeping a few dog poo bags in your kit can make this much easier.

If bags aren’t available, follow the guidance in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code: go as far away as possible from buildings, water sources, and grazing animals. Afterwards, dig a shallow hole, bury the waste, and replace the turf. Carrying a small trowel for this purpose is a sensible addition to any wild camping kit.

Toilet paper, wet wipes, and period products should never be buried. These should always be put in a bag and disposed of properly once you reach suitable facilities.

Leave No Trace

Finally, when it’s time to come home, then bring home everything at the end of your trip. Even if your tent breaks, there are no bins, or the bins are overflowing, it’s no excuse to dump rubbish. Take it all home and dispose of it in your own bin.

More Sustainable Outdoor Gear Resources

Any more sustainable camping gear recommendations or tips for being a responsible camper? Do share! You can also check out my posts on the best ethical outdoor gear and ethical coats and jackets in case of rain!

Many fashion brands claim making clothes from recycled plastic is a greener option, but is it actually eco-friendly? I reveal all.

Clothes made from recycled plastic are often marketed as a great solution to the global plastic waste problem. Instead of sending bottles to landfill, the plastic is melted down and spun into polyester fibres that can be used in jackets, sportswear, and even everyday clothing.

It certainly sounds like the perfect solution to our plastics problem, but the reality is much more complicated.

While recycled polyester can reduce demand for new fossil fuels, it also raises new environmental questions.

Synthetic fabrics release microplastic fibres when washed, and these tiny plastic particles can end up in rivers, oceans, and even the food chain. Scientists estimate that washing synthetic textiles may account for 16 to 35% of microplastics entering the ocean globally.

At the same time, turning plastic bottles into clothing often creates a recycling dead end. Bottles can usually be recycled repeatedly, but polyester clothing rarely is.

That raises a bigger question.

Are clothes made from recycled plastic actually eco-friendly, or are they another form of greenwashing? Here’s what you need to know:

What Does “Recycled Plastic Clothing” Actually Mean?

Most clothing marketed as recycled plastic is made from recycled polyester.

Polyester itself is a plastic polymer created from petroleum. Recycled polyester uses existing plastic rather than newly extracted fossil fuels. In most cases, the source material is PET plastic bottles, the same type used for water and soft drinks.

The bottles start their journey by being broken down into small plastic flakes. Next, these flakes undergo a melting process, turning them into tiny pellets of plastic. These pellets are then heated up and spun into threads, ready to weave their way into various types of clothing in place of virgin polyester.

These threads aren’t your typical stiff plastic strands. Before being transformed into fabric, the threads go through a crimping machine, which creates a soft, woolly texture. So instead of feeling like you’re wearing hard plastic, your recycled polyester clothes have that cosy, fluffy feel.

The idea behind this process is simple: reuse existing plastic instead of creating more. However, what happens after the fabric is made is where things start to become more complex.

The Problem With Recycled Polyester Fabrics

Virgin polyester is a synthetic fabric made from fossil fuels like crude oil and natural gas. So, swapping out virgin plastics for recycled ones seems like an obvious win. Unfortunately, it’s more complicated than that.

The process of turning plastic bottles and other plastic waste into clothing is commonly known as downcycling.

Once a bottle gets transformed into a polyester top or leggings, it can’t re-enter the bottle recycling stream. Plastic bottles can be recycled multiple times and reincarnated into new bottles. Once recycled into clothing, however, that option is effectively closed off.

Diverting plastic bottles away from the recycling loop that keeps them circling back as more bottles, means that the fashion industry inadvertently puts pressure on the plastic bottle industry. With fashion brands drawing on that supply of plastic for their unrecyclable clothing, the bottle industry finds itself turning to virgin plastic to fill the gap.

Isn’t There More Than Enough Plastic To Go Around?

It’s easy to assume that turning plastic bottles into clothing must be a good thing. After all, there is no shortage of plastic waste. In actuality, it’s more nuanced than that.

Most drinks bottles are made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), a strong, lightweight plastic that can be recycled several times. Because of this, PET has become the world’s most widely recycled plastic and is commonly turned back into new bottles.

When those bottles are transformed into polyester clothing, the recycling loop generally ends. Garments are typically made from blended fibres, dyes, and finishes that make them difficult to recycle again.

Using recycled polyester instead of virgin polyester can still reduce the need for new plastic. The issue arises when we consider scale. Fast fashion brands produce enormous volumes of clothing every year. H&M, for example, boasts that 99% of its recycled polyester comes from plastic bottles. Yet H&M alone produces 3 million items of clothing a year.

When large quantities of PET bottles are diverted from bottle-to-bottle recycling into clothing production, a material that could have remained in a circular system instead becomes part of a largely linear one.

The Microplastic Problem

One of the other main problems with synthetic clothing, whether made from virgin or recycled plastic, is something that happens in your own home every time you put a load of laundry on. It sheds microplastics.

Microplastics are fragments of plastic less than 5 mm in length. They’re often too small to see, but they end up in our oceans, waterways and soils – and scientists estimate that washing synthetic textiles may account for 16 to 35% of the microplastics entering the ocean globally.

Scientists have also uncovered that microplastics make their way into our food chain, ending up on our plates and in our bodies. Scientists are still working out the full picture, but plastic particles in human tissue is something researchers take seriously.

How Recycled Polyester Compares To Other Fabrics

Different fabrics have very different environmental impacts. Looking at them side by side makes the trade-offs clearer:

Fabric	Raw Material	Microplastic Pollution	Biodegradable	Recycling Potential
Recycled polyester	Plastic bottles	Yes	No	Limited to none
Virgin polyester	Fossil fuels	Yes	No	Limited to none
Organic cotton	Cotton plants	No	Yes	Good
Lyocell (Tencel)	Wood pulp	No	Mostly	Limited
Hemp	Hemp plant	No	Yes	Good

Recycled polyester generally has a lower carbon footprint than virgin polyester because it avoids extracting new fossil fuels. However, both materials behave similarly once they are turned into clothing. They shed plastic fibres and are difficult to recycle at the end of their life.

Natural fibres such as cotton, hemp, or lyocell avoid the microplastic issue, and can generally be recycled. However, these come with their own environmental considerations, such as land use or water consumption.

No fabric is entirely impact-free, but understanding the differences can help you make more informed choices.

Why Fashion Brands Promote Recycled Plastic

Recycled plastic fabrics have become a powerful marketing tool for the fashion industry.

Using recycled materials allows brands to tell a positive environmental story. Turning bottles into clothing is easy to visualise and easy to communicate on product labels. Many garments even state how many plastic bottles were used in their production.

However, this framing keeps the focus on what the fabric is made from, sidestepping the bigger questions. These being how much clothing is being produced, and where does it end up?

A brand can source recycled polyester and still churn out billions of items a year. The recycled label doesn’t cancel out the microplastics, the waste, or the sheer volume.

When Recycled Plastic Clothing Can Make Sense

Recycled plastic fabrics may be the most practical option for certain types of clothing, particularly where durability, elasticity, or water resistance is required, and natural fibre alternatives are limited. For example:

• swimwear
• waterproof jackets
• certain types of activewear
• technical sportswear
• hiking gear

In these cases, choosing recycled polyester rather than virgin polyester can meaningfully reduce the demand for newly produced plastic.

In the case of swimwear, look for options made from ECONYL®, for example. This is an innovative fabric that directly tackles plastic pollution in the ocean by taking nylon waste from carpet offcuts and discarded fishing nets, rather than plastic bottles. I have a full guide to ethical swimwear, packed with the brands making swimwear from recycled plastic, to help you out.

Gym wear is another area where it is often tricky to find performance clothing made from natural fibres. In this case, the use of recycled plastics in these types of clothing is a better choice than using virgin plastic. Try my big guide to sustainable gymwear for the brands doing better.

How To Reduce Microplastic Pollution From Clothing

Even if synthetic fabrics are already part of your wardrobe, there are steps that you can take to reduce the amount of microplastics released during washing. Try my post on how to reduce microplastics when doing laundry for lots of top tips.

What Should I Buy Instead?

If you are wondering what to buy instead of fast fashion clothing made from recycled plastic bottles, then there are lots of other sustainable choices you can make.

Reducing overall clothing consumption has the most direct impact, since the production of any fabric carries environmental costs. The most sustainable item of clothing is the one you already own — re-worn, looked after, and repaired when needed.

• The first is not buying anything you don’t need. The most sustainable items of clothing are the ones you already own. Re-wearing your clothes again and again, looking after them, and fixing them if they rip is always the most sustainable solution.
• If you need new clothes, try swapping with your friends or taking part in an organised clothes swap.
• Shopping secondhand is also a great sustainable option, which is low-impact.
• If you do need to buy clothing made from recycled polyester, then opt for a style that you will wear again and again, so that it doesn’t end up in landfill after only a few wears.
• Finally, buying clothes made from natural fibres from sustainable clothing brands, where possible, is another environmentally friendly way of upgrading your wardrobe.

The Bottom Line

Recycled plastic clothing isn’t always the straightforward environmental win it is often marketed as. Its impact depends heavily on the type of garment, the scale of production, and what alternatives are available. The most important thing is knowing enough to see past the marketing and making choices that actually line up with your values.

Collective bargaining is important for workers’ safety and wellbeing, particularly in the garment supply chain. But what does it mean? And how does it work? Here’s an overview of the most important aspects in five quick questions. 

1. What does collective bargaining mean?

Collective bargaining is the negotiation between workers and their employer for agreements around working rights, including conditions, safety, pay, overtime, and benefits. Being able to negotiate for these rights is fundamental to an equitable working relationship between a worker and their employer.

Negotiation on the worker’s behalf is usually done by a labour union or trade union, which is an organisation of workers that often has a nominated or elected representative.

Without this ability to negotiate, employees can end up trapped in poverty and dire working conditions. “In Bangladesh the garment industry has never allowed workers to raise their voices, the political focus has always been on the growth of the industry and keeping the international corporations happy,” explains Kalpona Akter, labour activist and founder of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity, in an interview with the UN Women. “It is this kind of power over workers’ rights that created the environment in which [the Rana Plaza] disaster was allowed to happen.”

2. What’s freedom of association—and how does that play into collective bargaining?

Freedom of association is the right to voluntarily form, join, and leave a group dedicated to advocating for or defending certain interests or rights. This allows employees, such as garment workers in the fashion supply chain, to unite and engage in collective bargaining to negotiate things like better working conditions or pay.

3. Why is collective bargaining so important in fashion?

When garment workers are banned from speaking up or defending their rights, factory employers can get away with offering them remittances well below the living wage, forcing them to work in unsafe conditions, and refusing to pay them for overtime. These poor practices are all to keep costs down for clients (which are often fast fashion brands), and make as much profit as possible.

Some of the world’s biggest garment-producing countries have become so thanks to their limitations on freedom of association and collective bargaining, allowing those in power positions to exploit workers. In many places, such as Bangladesh, regulations prohibit workers from unionising—notably in areas where there are lots of garment factories, and in others, people face intimidation, sacking, or worse if they associate with a union. This is called union-busting.

Notably, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Turkey—three important garment-producing countries—all ranked in the top 10 worst countries for working people in the 2025 Global Rights Index (GRI). However, this statistic doesn’t mean they should be avoided. In fact, that could make matters worse—given the scale of the garment industry in these countries (the GRI reported that Bangladesh is responsible for 8% of the global garment market), the loss of thousands of jobs as a result of boycotting could plunge workers even further into poverty. Additionally, there are companies doing better by workers in these countries that are worth supporting (look for “Good” and “Great” brands in our directory).

With labour rights abuses rife throughout garment supply chains (particularly in fast fashion ones), workers must have the opportunity to voice their concerns and demand better from their employers.

4. How many garment workers are unionised?

Facts on how many garment workers are unionised are few and far between, but back in 2016, Human Rights Watch reported that just 10% of Bangladesh’s 4,500 garment factories had registered unions.

It’s important to note that simply having a registered union isn’t a guarantee that a factory allows its workers to engage in collective bargaining or have true freedom of association. Some factories have created so-called company unions—also dubbed yellow unions—which are influenced or controlled by the employer, rather than its employees. Their purpose is often to please a client or comply with their code of conduct. As recently as December 2023, workers were reported to have faced threats and abuse after withdrawing from a company union at one of Levi’s suppliers.

Unionisation, collective bargaining, and freedom of association remain vital to labour justice, and their significance in the garment industry shouldn’t be underestimated.

Nazma Akter, trade unionist and founder of the Awaj Foundation, told Forbes: “We have succeeded in setting up unions in some of the factories [in Bangladesh], and things are better there… For example, we have sexual harassment committees with representation by women workers. These new kinds of unions are run by the women and are not involved in politics like in the old days.”

Akter’s Awaj Foundation has also facilitated collective bargaining agreements between factories and women-led unions, one of which led to improved rights for pregnant workers and better maternity leave—another important factor in an industry where women workers occupy the majority of low-level roles but very few leadership positions.

5. How can we help garment workers gain more collective bargaining power?

Consumers, industry organisations, and unions alike must collectively call on brands to take responsibility for workers’ rights and wellbeing throughout their entire supply chains. We know that one of the biggest drivers of exploitation in the garment industry is the pressure brands put on their suppliers to lower costs and increase output, and the more we can publicly push these brands to behave better, the more likely they are to take notice.

The Clean Clothes Campaign reported that several brands refused to address issues of union busting at their suppliers in Sri Lanka until they were threatened with a public campaign revealing their inaction, which is just one of many examples of how publicising brands’ lack of transparency and action can force them to change.

With that then, here are some actions you can take: first and foremost, use your voice and purchasing power. For example, contact your favourite brands and ask them to sign the legally binding International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, which was set up in the wake of the Rana Plaza disaster, and enforces a complaints mechanism for workers. The Good On You app has a feature that helps you contact brands easily and directly to give them feedback. And you can also boycott brands that are known to be associated with questionable suppliers, or that have poor people ratings in our directory.

It’s also important to stay educated on what’s happening—that way, you can inform friends and family, too. Check in on the news, and reference credible sources such as Human Rights Watch, Labour Behind the Label, Clean Clothes Campaign, and the Global Rights Index. Keep an eye out for our monthly news roundup, too, which brings you key stories from across the industry.

As consumers, it’s easy to feel helpless when these urgent issues are buried within supply chains controlled by big companies that bank on shoppers feeling too powerless to call for change. But there is action we can take, and even the smallest push can contribute something to the wider cause of garment workers’ rights.