6 Welsh eco companies you should know about

For Earth Month we want to shine a light on some Welsh businesses who are doing their bit for the planet. There are thousands of planet-conscious businesses in Wales but we’ve selected six of our favourite Wales-based or Welsh founded companies who are offering goods and services that benefit both the customer and the world…

Who are your favourites? Join the discussion on Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook and share your favourite #earthmonth businesses.

Used and Loved

Think of  Used and Loved as the “Amazon and Pinterest for second-hand shopping”. With the understanding that the second-hand marketplace is hard to navigate and consumers are shopping unsustainably by buying more than they need, founders Davey and Jess created a single online space for all second-hand websites. Whether customers are looking for furniture or clothing, Used and Loved will aggregate information from big-name websites such as eBay, Gumtree or Vinted and provide you with their offerings all in one place.

After having children, the couple created their entire business around the circular economy and wanted to promote the importance of a sustainable model both for the planet and, ultimately, for their children’s futures. With thousands of clothes and products going to landfill each year, Used and Loved are showing that shopping sustainably doesn’t have to be hard and you might find some hidden gems. Maybe by using Used and Loved, we can all feel a little less guilty about some of our shopping habits .

Câr-y-Môr

Câr-y-Môr is Wales’ first regenerative seaweed and shellfish farm based off the Pembrokeshire coast. The community benefit society was founded to help protect the Welsh coastal environment, supply fresh Welsh seafood and create jobs for Pembrokeshire residents while implementing a zero-input farming method. Originally created for community benefit, Câr-y-Môr now has over 200 members and recently expanded by installing a 3-hectare ocean farm where they’ve created a thriving environment for various seaweeds and ocean creatures. The organisation also delivers educational content for local schools and residents, has been featured on the BBC and has just won St David's 2023 Business Award!

Câr-y-Môr has worked with sustainable packaging company Notpla, shortened from not plastic, to help create eco-friendly packaging. With plastic pollution damaging the oceans and its inhabitants, this collaboration could help shape the future of plastic packaging by bringing awareness to alternative options while promoting the benefits of seaweed. As a community benefit society, Câr-y-Môr needs community support to help them continue building and restructuring Pembrokeshire's aquatic ecosystem.

Connect with Câr-y-Môr here >>

Gwenyn Gruffydd

Gwenyn Gruffydd is a honey company run by the Rees family, Gruffydd, Angharad, Llew and Ifan. The business was founded in 2010 by Gruffydd when he decided to follow his ambition of beekeeping after he was given a bee hive by a friend. Since then the company has grown and the family now runs over 200 beehives across South Wales. They have won various awards for their high-quality honey, including multiple stars in the Great Taste Awards in 2017-2018 and again between 2020 and 2022. All of the honey produced is of single origin, unpasteurised and not blended to create some of the highest quality honey on the market. Besides producing honey, co-founder Angharad also creates sustainable wax candles and beeswax wraps which can be purchased individually or added to their plastic-free hampers and gift sets.

If you’re an environmentalist you might like to look into their Adopt a Hive scheme, as your adoption will help expand the hives which will then increase pollination and raise awareness of the importance of bees and their work. While we don't think about bees often, the loss of these pollinators would create a domino effect where we could loose various crops, many plants could go extinct and all species would face detrimental consequences. If you’d like to take a more hands-on approach, Gruffydd sells beekeeping supplies, offers beekeeping courses and sells wildflower seeds to help create a bee-friendly garden.

The Goodwash Company

The Goodwash Company was founded in 2016 by Mandy Powell and Kelly Davies, with the aim to create a “luxury Welsh skincare brand with a humble conscience”. Goodwash creates products for both humans and animals thanks to the wonderful late fur founders Maisy and Duffle. The company lives by the “Do Good” philosophy by reinvesting its profits to create a positive social impact on its local communities. So far, they have raised over £75,000 for 40+ organisations including Prostate Cymru, Antarctic Fire Angels and the Urdd. During the pandemic, the company also supported the NHS by supplying 10,000+ wash donations.

Goodwash supports its community by sourcing locally when possible, has recently launched its refill stations to reduce packaging and ensures all online orders are dispatched using upcycled packaging. Goodwash has used products such as fire hoses, which were destined for landfill, and reinvented them to become packaging materials. As an ethical brand, all of their products are vegan and therefore cruelty-free and they have donated to various animal charities to improve animal welfare. Recently, Goodwash organised a Welsh Woof Walk around Bryn y Briallu where 100% of the profits were donated to support rescue dogs in South Wales.

Connect with The Goodwash Company here >>

Flawsome

Sustainability and environmental impact is the core foundation of why Flawsome drinks were created. Founders Karina and Maciek started their business when they learnt about the amount of food, specifically fruit and vegetables, that go into landfill every year in the UK. With statistics showing that one-third of all food produced is disposed of due to aesthetic standards, the couple knew that something needed to change. The company offsets more emissions than they generate and invest in biodiversity conservation. They’ve also donated 39,000+ bottles to charities around the world and they have a goal to donate over 1 million in the next five years.

All products are contained in either glass or cans and each drink saves an average of 3 pieces of fruit from landfill. All the fruit used is seasonal which maximises the taste and as the fruit is cold-pressed this also preserves the nutrients. Not only are their products good for the environment, but they’re also great for you as their drinks contain 100% fruit and no added sugar. With over 37 million pieces of fruit saved from landfill so far, Flawsome is working towards a better food system by reinventing how we view ‘wonky’ fruit and veg.

Riversimple

Riversimple is a hydrogen-based car company which aims to reduce carbon emissions and create a hassle-free vehicle subscription service. Originally titled OSCar Automotive, the company transitioned to become Riversimple in 2007. Founded by former motorsport engineer Hugo Spowers, Riversimple has been named by the Digital Journal as one of the top competitors in the Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle space, alongside big names such as Toyota, Honda and Audi. The cars are currently in their trial period, however, the organisation is preparing for volume production where they will offer a transparent monthly payment service where fuel and insurance will also be covered.

Founder Hugo Spowers displayed the first Riversimple model titled ‘the Morgan LIFEcar’ at the Geneva motor show in 2008 and has just released the newest model titled ‘Rasa’ in February of this year. Spowers was awarded the SIMMS medal in 2016 by the RAC Club, elected as an “Emerging Innovator member of the Circular Economy network CE100” by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and was later awarded an MBE in 2022 for his “outstanding contribution of innovation and technology”. Sign up to Riversimple’s waiting list today!

Connect with Riversimple here >>