I founded Opus Mind with one simple mission: to empower consumers with sustainable options that ensure the health of our beautiful planet. – Kathleen Kuo
Opus Mind delivers a classic sustainable backpack to last a lifetime. Classy beautiful leather that will be a part of our family for life. It is sleek, intrinsically handcrafted and simply put: a classic. When speaking to Kathleen Kuo I was so impressed in her attention to detail, every aspect of the way she is running this brand has been thought out.
Kathleen used to work at Chanel in her previous life and was so distraught as to how much was actually wasted in production. This inspired her down the path of sustainability. Opus Mind’s bags are handmade in Italy, and the leather used to make them is actually the scraps from a factory that makes gloves. How cool is this?
Recycled from scraps to make these exquisite pieces. I have to say I am already looking forward to owning the Saddle Crossbody when I am back in the city.
I truly cannot emphasise enough the quality of these bags. The detail in the craftsmanship is superb. These bags are functional and match any occasion. A day out in the city or a day at the beach, this bag looks good wherever you take it. The thought that the scraps that are used to make this bag would have ended up in landfills polluting our planet, instead you get to treasure it and pass it down to your kids, just like your grandfathers old classic briefcase!
Mine still looks brand new and I look forward to seeing how it ages. Send us pictures with you and your ¨Opus Mind¨ we would love to share them.
Eco Couple uses affiliate links. We promote products we have tried ourselves and truly believe in. If you make a purchase using a link we may receive a commission. Such revenue helps keep this website running.Allows us to keep the content free for readers.This motivates us to stay on our mission of inspiring conscious consumerism.
Make up is really one of the products we should be paying a good amount of our attention too. For way too long we have been covering our skin, eyes and lips with toxic products to make us look better. Never really stopping to think about what our make up is made of. It is not always easy to find good brands with beautiful pigmentation, that actually work and makes you look good but is also be good for your skin and are made with no artificial ingredients, vegan and as clean as can be. As we age it is ever more so important that we keep our skin hydrated and nourished. These are a few brands that do these things as well as really help you make more responsible, sustainable choices for our make up brands. Please see this post for more Beauty Products.
We created a brand that solidifies our commitment to make beauty more unifying while maintaining the cleanest and greenest standards
I truly love the colours and quality of the Dome products. From brushes to blushes this brand carries it all and not only that they offer an amazing recycling program. So when you have used up your product you can mail back your container for recycling and a credit to wards your next purchase. It sure does sound appealing because I would like to try and never have to throw plastic away uselessly again if possible. This brand is a step toward a better future and we at eco couple fully support their mission.
Gabriel products offer consumers earth conscious and ethical options to their beauty needs.
Another great brand that also offers two other eco-friendly brands on their platform. This is eco-friendy, cruelty free beautiful make up. I love the pressed powder make up as well as the eyebrow pencil. They have absolutely everything for a clean sleek look. They are committed to sustainable natural beauty and earth-conscious practices that keep our ocean blue, our planet green, and our animals safe. I can honestly say that you can feel good about purchasing any of the brands listed and also fall in love with the quality of the products. They also reward recycling your used items, for every 5 you send back to them they send you a lipstick to show their gratitude. What’s not to love?
I personally have been using Josie Maran for over a decade, and her products have just gotten better with time. My absolute must haves is her Argan Oil and I have carried a all purpose Argan color stick in my bag for as long as I can remember. Wether you need to plump up your cheeks or give your lips a little bit of colour. This has been my go to from the day they first launched it. I love how creamy it is and it feels nourishing on my skin. It is an absolute no brainer and I highly recommend you give it a try.
I have tried the highlighter, the blush stick and the bare lip balm and I have to say I really like these products. I also really love the packaging and attention to detail that goes into the sustainability aspect of this product. I really love it when a brand goes the extra mile to create something that is as low waste as possible all the while also giving back by planting trees and supporting the ocean project.
You can also purchase River Organics at Earth Hero in the beauty section and use code: Ecocouple for 10% off
If powdered make up is your style this is the right place for you. What is great here is they have a really awesome sample kit that you can purchase so you know exactly what shade is right for your skin. Once you have found the right shade for you, you can always replace your make up with refillable compacts. They have a beautiful selection of cream blush and gorgeous eye shadows. Another awesome brand we should be supporting!
So just to remind you that you do not have to compromise on quality for your most beautiful looks!! You can also give back to the planet and support amazing causes next time you shop for make up. Making more sustainable choices, creating less waste and protecting our animal kingdom – really its pretty easy to do wha is right for your skin and our planet. I would love to hear from you and learn about new products. So please feel free to share your experiences.
I really think that as lovers of all things water, be it surfing, paddling, kayaking or windsurfing. In part it is our duty to raise awareness about the plastic pollution in the ocean. The time has come when it is finally much easier to do this. I would much rather invest in a surf leash that is made from recycled plastics than contribute to more waste. Wouldn’t you? Wave Tribe makes such a leash and we are lucky enough to test it in the waters and are already so impressed! Another amazing plus is Wave Tribe gives you a one year guarantee on the leash. I don’t know any leash brand that does that.
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Honestly there is no reason any surfer should still be using wax with petroleum in it when we have an eco friendly option. This wax is made from organic beeswax and coconut oil. Simply the better choice. So let us protect our waters and support brands such as these.
Here at Wave Tribe, we do our part by making it our mission to keep oceans safe from toxic surfing. We do this by creating stylish and eco-friendly surfing gear and products so that you don’t have to worry about harming the ocean while enjoying the benefits of surfing. – Wave Tribe
I often find myself wondering how we can do more. There are some really simple steps to being a more conscious surfer. We can always do a beach clean up after a good session. Or simply tell other surfers about brands like Wave Tribe, you can help us create that wave. Come be a part of our tribe.
We took it upon ourself to find an old second hand board… And paid very little for it. We figured that if it didn’t have the chance to go back in the water at least we would hang it on our wall as decoration. Well Iñaki worked hard on it, sanding it down several times and fixing the dings and dents (thank you Ding King for letting him use your space), we weren’t sure how it would hold up. Now just a few weeks after fixing it, not only did we find out that it was worth quite a bit of money, but I have been catching waves with it like crazy. Pretty much every time I take it out someone offers to buy it.
It is not for sale, it was a gift to me. I hope one day our son will get to use it, the hours of love and dedication that went in to it do not have a price in my eyes. It is by far one of the greatest birthday gifts I have ever been given.
The whole point of sharing this story however, even though there are some really nice Eco friendly surfboards surfacing on the market, and I am sure we will enjoy trying them at some point. There is something really magical about taking someone else’s trash and turning into your very own treasure.
Skippy Slater model Takayama
To finish off this beauty of a board we were so excited to add our sustainable leash by Wave Tribe. So what can I say other than we are stoked and yes we’ve both been using the board now.
Have you refurbished something recently that you would like to inspire us with? We are always eager to hear your stories!
Thanks for reading and hopefully we will see you in the waves sooner rather than later.
Sustainably yours,
Eco Couple
P.S Thanks to Silversurfer72 we have just found out that this is a Skippy Slater model Takayama board!
If you liked this article check out our other article on sustainable surf apparel.
Eco Couple uses affiliate links. If you make a purchase using a link we may receive a commission. Such revenue helps keep this website running, helps us pay our growing core team . Allows us to keep the content free for readers and keeps us on our mission to inspire conscious consumerism.
Traveling with a baby is no joke! Most parents know exactly what I am talking about. However you buy your first stroller before you have had these experiences….and then learn about all the annoying non useful things about it when you already own it! Instead of focusing on the strollers we didn’t like we want to focus on our very favourite stroller on the market: The Bumbleride
Anyhow so here we are as a family traveling through airports, on trains and automobiles…. Curving through cold city streets in snowy white Hamburg, to strolling the beaches of Tarifa in the south of Spain or simply taking a walk through Los Angeles…. what do we need to look out for when purchasing a stroller before we can even think about how green it is?
Is it versatile? Does it have small or big wheels? Does it fold up easily? How heavy is it? Is it comfortable for the little one to take his naps in? Will it work when he is a little older? Can I go for a run with it? Does it have storage space? This strollers has all these features as well as being able to get a car seat adapter and drinks holder if you so please.
You never really think about that if you spend some time in a city with cobble streets, your baby might wake up ten times when you try to put him down for a nap… Or you may want to take a stroll on the beach spontaneously and not get stuck in the sand. Or you may want to go to a music festival and take your little one with you! If you are an adventurer and like to be spontaneous all of these factors are important. So we made it a mission to find the most versatile, eco-friendly stroller on the market. It has plenty of storage, a front lock wheel and big tires with great suspension (our first stroller had zero suspension) which means you can take a sleeping baby anywhere! This is a huge plus for us, especially while Iñaki is out searching for the perfect wave.
What we love most, is not only that Bumbleride has created the perfect stroller for us and our adventures, but most importantly they have done it keeping our planet in mind….and that is why we consider the Bumbleride the best stroller on the market today and are absolutely exstatic to be collaborating with them.
Eco Couple uses affiliate links. If you make a purchase using a link we may receive a commission. Such revenue helps keep this website running, helps us pay our growing core team and allows us to keep the content free for readers and keeps us on our mission to inspire conscious consumerism.
