Three Must-Have Sustainable Home Delivery Subscription Services

I never really saw the value of having household or food items delivered to my door until now. I used to enjoy shopping daily at my local stores to see what they just got in that was fresh. With the coronavirus however, home delivery has never looked so good.  As a germ freak, the thought of waiting in long lines with crowds doesn’t sound appealing, nor safe in a city hard hit by COVID-19. 

As Charles Darwin, the father of natural selection hypothesized, “It is not the strongest of species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”  So, whether I like the new normal or not, I am learning to adapt. In our new world, home delivery has become queen. 

I rounded up three sustainable subscription services that will have your needs covered from food, personal care, and coffee so you don’t have to leave your home, unless you want to.

by Humankind

Launched in February 2019 by Humankind is a clean personal care brand dedicated to reducing single-use plastic waste in the products that we use every day. The brand has built more environmentally conscious versions of products used in our everyday routines like shampoo, conditioner, dish soap, and mouthwash for example. 

“Many of our products are refillable,” Brian Bushell, Co-Founder and CEO of by Humankind tells me when I ask how they are helping to reduce single-use plastic. “So in your first order you receive a refillable object (such as a container or shower dish) along with your first refill. Then in all subsequent orders you receive just the refill, or “Kindfill” as we call it. Our Kindfills are all designed with the planet in mind, minimizing or completely eliminating single-use plastic. You can subscribe and save or reorder products when you need them. Over time, you’ll reduce your waste footprint, and help save our planet from single-use plastic waste.”

The brand engineers all of their products in-house and Bushell tells me that they have already developed some intellectual property they are open to share to reduce single-use plastic on a global scale. When it comes to shipping materials by Humankind utilizes biodegradable paper for packaging. “We minimize scrap factor by consolidating manufacturing runs and minimizing line changeover between color SKUs, which is typically a common source of manufacturing waste. We also operate a carbon neutral supply chain, something we are proud to have achieved in our first year of business,” states Bushell. 

In a little over a year’s time since the brand launched they’ve introduced nine product category innovations that help save the planet in everyday routines that we all engage in. Bushell continues, “Since February 2019, we have prevented over 11,000 lbs of single-use plastic from unnecessarily entering the environment, and project to prevent 100,000 lbs by the end of 2020.”

Jot Ultra Coffee

Jot Ultra Coffee is disrupting the coffee vertical by offering a total paradigm shift.  Launched a few weeks back at the end of April, Jot is Ultra Coffee, a liquid 20 times more concentrated than common coffee. “Just one tablespoon of Ultra Coffee plus a splash of water or milk (hot or cold) is all it takes to create an unforgettable at-home experience,” states Andrew Gordon, CEO of Jot. 

“Today’s at-home coffee drinker faces a choice between ease and excellence (i.e. pod versus pour-over, Folgers versus French press, crystals versus cold brew). Jot rejects this false compromise by bringing the artisanal coffee shop experience directly to your door—no expensive or time-consuming equipment required. The old idea that a high-quality home-brewed coffee had to be laborious is now simply not true,” continues Gordon.

Jot is sustainably imported, brewed, and delivered. It starts with organic, fair-trade beans that through a proprietary process extracts and retains as much as a 30% more liquid coffee out of every bean that helps reduce waste and impact. Gordon tells me, “With reusable, de-materialized packaging and sustainable materials, every element of Jot is built with respect for people and the planet. Most coffee grounds, pods and filters wind up in a landfill. Jot composts 100% of its spent grounds for use as soil amenders for local farmers. And there are never any disposable components used in our brewing processes.”

While Jot doesn’t require a subscription to purchase their Ultra Coffee a subscription has its benefits. “Fresh Ultra Coffee is delivered to your door just when you need it, with a $4 per bottle savings in the process. Once subscribed you can fine-tune your settings, add an extra bottle, or update your personal information at any time,” states Gordon. Starting the day with coffee is an essential for most people (like myself). “In a time when coffee shops are closed, store access is limited and keeping a morning routine can be critical to keeping your sanity, Jot delivers, literally, directly to your door.

Public Goods

Based on the premise that consumers are overwhelmed by choice when it comes to essential items in the marketplace, Public Goods, a one-stop shop membership service launched in 2017. “Consumers can have difficulty finding products that match their progressive lifestyle. To combat this paradox of choice, we launched Public Goods. We offer essential products united by the values and beliefs that the products we use everyday should be healthy, sustainable and easy to access. We deliver well-designed, eco-friendly essentials directly to the doors of consumers across America,” states Morgan Hirsh, Founder and CEO.

Public Goods offers a membership that is the antithesis of an Amazon. “Unlike Amazon, where there are thousands of options for each product, we offer one product that meets the highest standards possible,” explains Hirsh. “Each one of our products are clearly marked with the certifications that it meets, whether that be certified organic, vegan, gluten-free, and/or tree-free. We additionally use the most eco-friendly material innovations whenever possible, such as sugar cane bottles, tree free paper, toxin-free ingredients, and offer refills for products wherever possible.” 

Another benefit is that a yearly member to Public Goods costs $59, which is exactly half of the price of an Amazon Prime membership. Hirsh continues, “Public Goods’ members get access to their entire line of thoroughly researched, high-quality products across the grocery, personal care, and household categories at well below retail prices.”

When I ask Hirsh if they make their products in house he tells me, “We ethically source, partnering with the best vendors around the globe to offer products that are good for you, good for your wallet and good for the planet. Most brands go through four suppliers before selling you a product. That adds cost at every step. We work through a membership model instead that allows us to deliver the highest quality at a minimal price.”