What to Avoid

Palm Oil

Palm oil is extremely harmful to animals and the environment - its production leads to deforestation, loss of habitat, displacement and extinction of animals like orangutans (Source). 100,000 orangutans have died as a result of palm oil production (Source).

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Palm oil is common in many food products and contributes to air, water & soil pollution and climate change (Source).

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Try avoiding processed/packaged foods and read ingredient labels to avoid palm oil.

Canola Oil

Canola oil comes with a litany of problems.

1. It is genetically modified (no long term studies of the effects of GM food have ever been done on humans).

2. It is more resistant to herbicides (meaning more toxic herbicides are sprayed on it - and you are consuming them)

3. It is a seed oil, which is harmful to human health due to trans fats & inflammatory omega 6 lineoleic acid (Source).

Google's first results may tell you canola oil is safe and healthy, but those results are distorted by Big Agriculture's influence.

Canola oil is common in processed foods. 
Try cooking with avocado, coconut or olive oil instead.

Sugar (refined)

Refined sugar is a hidden evil for the environment.

Growing sugarcane contributes to deforestation in places like the Amazon rainforest (Source).

It also requires high water consumption, agrochemicals and causes pollution and harm to biodiversity (Source) & (Source).

There is no shortage of reasons to stop eating sugar for health reasons, as refined sugar is linked with increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, depression, dementia and liver disease, among many others (Source). To learn more, we recommend the documentary Fed Up.

Try using sweeteners like maple syrup, dates, roasted bananas or monk fruit instead, and avoid processed sugary foods (including sugary drinks).

Wool (new)

While wool is a sustainable, NEWLY-produced wool contributes to horrible animal cruelty (Source). Unfortunately, even certified (like RSW or ZQ) wool is not cruelty-free, and sheep still suffer immensely (Source).

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There are innovations for vegan wool that are worth checking out. Hemp wool is one of the best options.

This link (at the bottom) lists all the wool/animal fabrics you should avoid.

Plastic-packaged food

Food packaged in most types of plastic a) creates waste that will not be recycled and b) is often processed and not good for your health. Minimizing consumption of plastic packaged food helps your health, animals and the Earth.

Corn, Soy & GMOs

Genetically modified organisms are something you 100% should try to avoid. GMOs are engineered in  laboratories by inserting foreign genes from one organism into another (Source). Many of them are designed to be herbicide-resistant, leading to the increased use of ecologically toxic and carcinogenic herbicides (Source).

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There have been no long-term human studies on GMO safety, and there are very few independent, non-industry-funded (and non-biased) studies (Source).

There is tons of misinformation and biased propaganda in favour of genetic modification (like the Genetic Literacy Project, funded by the biotech industry).

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In animals, studies have found GMOs are harmful. "The results of most studies with GM foods indicate that they may cause some common toxic effects such as hepatic, pancreatic, renal, or reproductive effects and may alter the hematological, biochemical, and immunologic parameters" (Source).

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GMOs contribute to decreasing biodiversity, increased water pollution and contamination, destroying beneficial soil organisms, harming birds and non-targeted insects, uncontrolled (and potentially harmful) new crop varieties, crop contamination, butterfly death, and the invasion of super pests & superweeds (Source), (Source), (Source) & (Source).

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Look for Non-GMO Project certified (their website is a great resource) and certified organic products. If you want to be very safe, avoid corn, soy, canola, sugar beets, papaya, and vegetable oils.

Plastic & Plastic Fabrics

Plastic is notoriously toxic for the planet AND human health.

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Plastics are bad for the environment in just about every way - they're non-biodegradable, they persist in the environment, animals and our bodies, and contribute to ocean, land and air pollution (Source) & (Source).

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Earth: "Plastic sticks around in the environment for ages, threatening wildlife and spreading toxins. Plastic also contributes to global warming as it's made from chemicals that come from the production of planet-warming fuels (gas, oil and even coal). Our reliance on plastic therefore prolongs our demand for these dirty fuels [that cause climate change]. Burning plastics in incinerators also releases climate-wrecking gases and toxic air pollution" (Source).

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Health: "The toxic chemical additives and pollutants found in plastics threaten human health on a global scale. Scientifically-proven health effects include causing cancer or changing hormone activity (endocrine disruption), which can lead to reproductive, growth, and cognitive impairment. Many of the toxic chemical additives have several other known health impacts, persist in the environment, and bioaccumulate in exposed organisms. Research also revealed that microplastics can harm our health, and act as vessels for pathogens to enter our system, increasing the spread of diseases." ​(Source)

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Avoid plastic wherever you can (packaging, food items, clothes, furniture, kitchen products, single-use plastics, bags, etc.). Buy reusable, recycled or non-petroleum-plastic items instead. The Resources section offers some plastic alternatives for commonly used items.

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Avoid plastic fabrics: polyester, nylon, acrylic, polyethylene, polypropylene. Good resource