After travelling Europe for the better part of a year in a red camper van, mother of two Natasha Ray and her husband, John, returned to Dorset with a new outlook on life — and a mission. Experiencing the freedom of the road taught them that they could actually live very well with far less of pretty much everything. And they started seeking out brands that shared their mutual passion for protecting the planet.
‘We thought long and hard about our values and what means the most to us, what we could throw our heart and soul into’, Natasha recalls. ‘We live and breathe sustainability — planet protection pulses through our veins’.
In 2017, the pair co-founded &Keep, an online store that specialises in eco-friendly, sustainable, and reusable alternatives to plastic in everyday products.
‘We are not simply selling goods but passionately believe in leaving a better world for future generations’, says Natasha, who was recently named one of the U.K.’s 100 most inspirational female entrepreneurs. ‘At &Keep, we only have forever in mind — eco-friendly, sustainable, reusable. We believe that everyone should have the freedom to acquire mindful goods with the protection of the planet at heart … We also believe there are plastic-free or reusable alternatives for most things in life, if you look a little harder’.
Guilt-free shopping
&Keep sells a wide variety of mindfully selected products to help customers make informed, ethical purchases that reduce the environmental impact of everyday living. From plastic-free bathroom products like bamboo toothbrushes and natural toothpaste to eco-friendly cleaning supplies, plastic-free gift boxes and bundles, plastic-free period products, and reusable bottles, &Keep makes it easy to banish single-use plastics from your home.
Most of &Keep’s products are plastic-free and ethically made, and in rare cases where there’s plastic present, like the tops of sports bottles, it’s the BPA-free kind. All products are cruelty-free, and &Keep’s packaging is always made from completely plastic-free recycled materials. At their headquarters in Dorset, the husband-and-wife team carefully curate the brands and products they sell based on a simple set of criteria.
‘The things we buy are important because when you cherish each and every little thing, life’s just way more fun’, the Rays say. ‘We’ve travelled the world to find brands who value what we do so that together we can pass a little piece of fun, a little piece of foreverness, and a little piece of “functional bliss” to everyone we meet’.
Those brands include popular favourites like Friendly Soap, One Green Bottle, Black+Blum, Bambaw, and Klean Kanteen. And the functional bliss extends across a broad range of categories, from Travel Essentials and Camping to Kitchen & Home, Skincare & Beauty, Ethical Clothing, and Plastic-Free Parenting.
Turn the holidays into earth days
From stocking stuffers to big-ticket gifts, if you’re dreaming of a green Christmas this year, &Keep has your Yuletide covered with their extensive Holiday collection. Shop for make-your-own eco-Christmas crackers and holiday decorations made of recycled paper, recycled plastic, and wool felt. Send holiday greeting cards that come with plantable seeds, printed on recycled stock with vegetable inks. Play sustainable Santa with planet-friendly gift wrapping. And jazz up the fireplace by hanging a few Recycled Sari Silk Christmas Stockings.
Get creative with the handmade Eco Glitter Christmas Decorations Craft Kit by Cotton Twist, which comes with six wooden shapes to enhance with watercolour pencils and a paintbrush. The attractive holiday set also includes eco glitter, a velvet ribbon bow, and twine, so the kids can hang their creations on the tree after an afternoon of crafting. Add one of Cotton Twist’s Woven Hanging Decorations Craft Kits for even more fun, with five wool yarn ornaments they can weave by hand.
For anyone in your life who could use a Hug-in-a-Box, the giftably indulgent self-care bundle contains a luxurious selection of natural skincare and bath-time essentials, along with organic vegan chocolate-covered figs and a relaxing lavender Parkminster soy wax candle. They’ll love the Orange & Grapefruit Soap, the Lavender & Tea Tree Shampoo bar, the velvety reusable bamboo and cotton makeup pads, the natural lip balm, the ultra-soft organic bamboo flannel towel, and the lavender and patchouli Himalayan bath salts.
Or pamper them with this limited-edition Festive Collection gift box from UpCircle, which contains the vegan beauty brand’s bestselling sustainable skincare products. Perfect for cosy winter nights curled up inside, the all-natural DIY spa package includes Body Cream with Shea Butter & Date Seeds, Chocolate + Charcoal Cleansing Bar, a Chai Latte Soy Candle, Hand + Body Wash with Lemongrass + Kiwi, and fragrant Upcycled Rose Petal Bath Salts.
When you’re ready to give big with &Keep — while also giving a little back to the planet — be sure to make your purchase using Amazon Pay. Our fast and convenient payment method makes it easy to check out using the billing and shipping information that’s already stored in your Amazon.com account.