COUNTRY LIFE'S Little Green Book

Trying to buy from companies that are truly sustainable is not always straightforward. Madeleine Silver selects some of the best brands striving to make the world a better place

- By Madeleine Silver

IF sustainability was once the buzz word, now, it's greenwashing—and we're rightly wary of how a brand's mission statement matches up to the reality of putting our planet first. There's no such thing as perfect when it comes to buying new, but whether it's lining the larder or splashed on the walls, there's a joy—and necessity—to knowing that a greener future is the priority for our pick of places and products to scribble on your wish list, each brand having toiled over ways to tread as lightly as possible.

Decking the halls and walls

Another Country

Since Paul de Zwart founded this Dorset-based furniture company in 2010, making everything from standout oak coffee tables to beech stools, the mission has been to create responsibly made pieces that last. Each is crafted to order to minimise waste, packaging is 100% compostable or recyclable, only FSC- or PEFC-certified timber is used and a 'repair and restore' service is offered to boot. www.anothercountry.com

Bonni Outbuildings

High on the wish list are these havens for your garden, designed with the company's signature round windows and a range of extras, from outdoor bathtubs to wood burners. The aim is for suppliers to be within a 10 mile-radius of Bonni headquarters in Oxfordshire; you can add water butts to collect rainwater and there's a choice of solar, wind or biomass energy to power everything. www.bonnioutbuildings.com

Coat Paints

A rainbow of tastefully curated colours is on offer from Coat Paints, each 100% solvent free and made to order in Suffolk to avoid the waste of dust-covered paint pots lining shelves. Then there's the pre-painted 'peel and stick' samples to test colours at home (95% less waste than tester pots), the carbon-neutral deliveries and the natural ingredients (clay and limestone) sourced in England and Wales. www.coatpaints.com