Five easy, palm-oil free supermarket swaps for the planet

85 per cent of palm oil is produced unsustainability, we have the ability to make change with our consumption habits

It doesn’t take a David Attenborough documentary to make us realise how beautiful our little green planet really is. World Earth Day may have already passed, but we should always be thinking about what we can do to help our precious world. 

We now have the power to make change with our wallets, meaning we can align our everyday purchases with our social responsibility. And simple palm oil free swaps are an easy place to start!

Palm oil is currently found in over half of all supermarket products. Around 85 per cent of palm oil is produced unsustainably, with millions of hectares of rainforest in Asia systematically burned to make way for oil palm plantations – resulting in a catastrophic loss of this vital habitat which is home to more than 80 per cent of the earth’s biodiversity.

This is not only damaging for the environment, but is also the leading cause of orangutan extinction, with up to 5,000 orangutans killed each year in palm oil concessions^[1].

Whilst consumers may feel helpless in the face of this wider context, we can mobilise in force by making changes to our consumption habits – adapting the products we buy to focus on more sustainable ingredients where possible. Whilst switching to palm-oil free products is a small step, it’s a step in the right direction.

Here are five everyday palm-oil free swaps youcan make next time you’re doing your supermarket shop to help ease the damaging effects palm oil production has on the rainforest and, ultimately, our planet:

1. The Flower Farm – Spread
Many traditional margarines are made using palm oil. Recently launched in the UK, The Flower Farm spread switches palm oil for a sustainable alternative, Shea butter, to help combat the catastrophic deforestation required to fulfil palm oil demand.

By switching to a palm-oil free spread, one UK family of four can save up to 10kg of palm oil in just ONE year – the equivalent of 27 square metres of palm oil plantation^[2]!

RRP: £2.95
Stockist: Sainsbury’s

2.Ben and Jerry’s – Ice Cream

In 2017, Ben and Jerry’s proudly committed to making all of their delicious ice creams palm-oil free. This vegan Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream is just one of the many mouth-watering flavours you can stock up on.

RRP: £5
Stockist: Ocado

3.Meridian – Peanut Butter

Nut butters typically contain palm oil as it acts as a binder. Meridian never uses palm oil in their products as they believe oil separation is natural. So, get stirring and enjoy!

RRP: £2.80
Stockist: Tesco

4.Rude Health – Cereal

Start your day the sustainable way. Unlike other cereal brands, Rude Health don’t use palm-oil on their products to create that crunch – just the grain and nothing but the grain!

RRP: £1.80
Stockist: Ocado

5.Moo Free – Chocolate

Living sustainably doesn’t mean you can’t have a sweet treat every now and then. And what better way to indulge yourself (guilt-free) than with a vegan, dairy free, gluten free, soya free and palm-oil free choccy bar!

RRP: £1.90
Stockist: Ocado