Extinction Rebellion recently shut down London; Greta Thunberg convinced school children around the world to strike; and the Guardian have changed their editorial guidelines to incorporate more accurate language around the scale of the climate crisis. These are all events happening on a macro scale to combat the looming environmental crisis. They are acts that are powerful in their own right but often struggle to puncture the day to day existence of individual consumers .

This is where brands like by Humankind come in, offering tangible, easy, environmentally-friendly switches. The brand markets itself as “personal care products that are better for your body and better for our planet.” According to the brand every single day, 28,000 tonnes of single-use plastic are disposed into the ocean, a number it is intent on reducing.

By Humankind creates clean effective products that come in gender neutral, Instagram-friendly packaging. Their refill, or “kindfill” as the brand markets it, deodorants come with a lifetime guarantee. With every container purchased, the brand donates $1/78p to removing single use plastic from the ocean. Their mouthwash tablets are designed to be dissolved in water and the shampoos come in concentrated bars, both of which are vegan and cruelty free. These products are, as the website states, “a personal choice with global impact.”

Joshua Goodman, one of the Co-Founders of the brand, claims that "Anyone who subscribes to our first three products, deodorant, shampoo, and mouthwash, will eliminate 2.2 kilograms of single-use plastic waste from entering the environment, over a 12-month period."

Lucie Greene, on stage for the Future Gazers panel at Cannes Lions, spoke about by Humankind and how they were the kind of brand that is “creating new behavioural habits.” This is how the world of wellness and sustainability is changing. Greene outlined how “consumerism is bad for the environment” so “we’re going to see a backlash to on demand culture.” This means the growth of subscription models such as Be Humankind’s that allows the consumer to pick and choose when and how much they want to receive their products.

Greene also focused on another key area of innovation: logistics. Companies like by Humankind in the personal care space and Loop in the FMCG world are making it easier for consumers to change their consumption habits and to take ownership of their impact on the planet.

“What if you could save our planet from single-use plastic waste, just by getting ready in the morning?” the by Humankind Instagram account asks.  The beauty of brands such as these is that they create products that belong within an everyday consumer behaviour that already exists. It makes the shift less dramatic, the swap less of an effort for each individual. It creates a sustainable option that is both attractive and effective and it’s a move that is both what the modern consumer wants and that which will encourage widespread behavioural change.

As the environmental crisis continues to rise up the news agenda, brands which offer more sustainable solutions are poised for growth.

Visit by Humankind's website to find out more.