Everybody knows by now, consumer choices have a huge effect on the earth’s health and resources. Employing a mindful approach to changing the way we live, eat, travel – and shop – is key. No, it is not always easy being green, but it helps if our favourite brands do their best to ensure our usual shopping experience is made more sustainable. To reduce their contribution to climate change, these fashion and beauty brands at Dundrum Town Centre are committing to better, more earth-friendly practices, that involve recycled, plastic-free, or natural resources.

Dundrum Town Centre’s own commitment

Dundrum Town Centre itself is also committed to sustainability and careful consumption of precious resources. In 2020, the Centre reduced electricity consumption by 16 per cent on the previous year. It also reduced water consumption by 59 per cent, and gas by 46 per cent. It recycled 75 per cent of its waste, with over six tonnes of reusable material donated to art projects. Customers were provided with 50,000kWh of electricity to charge their cars. 

Nurturing nature

Dundrum Town Centre currently has seven beehives on the roof of the Centre. Two fully trained beekeepers look after happy and healthy colonies. Honeybees play a vital role in our community so Dundrum Town Centre has created a rich diversity of flowers and plants for them to feed on. Three Bug Hotels are providing a safe habitat for beneficial insects and pollinators. (These can be seen in the perennials garden in front of the RSA building and on the Dundrum bypass). Dundrum Town Centre does not use pesticides, giving these important creatures the best chance to thrive. And for a few more weeks, you can still enjoy Deep Sea Dundrum, an interactive exhibition devoted to our oceans, and their vital role in supporting human, animal and fish life. When you have finished shopping from all the sustainable brands below, a virtual plunge into the deep blue sea could be just what’s required!

Fashion

Marks & Spencer

Iconic UK brand Marks & Spencer has done a terrific job over the years of changing with the times, without compromising on style or function. Its commitment to sourcing better materials for its lines is yet another skilful step. Take cotton – 100 per cent of the cotton for M&S clothing is from more sustainable sources that are better for people and the planet, including the Better Cotton Initiative, Fairtrade, organic and recycled.

A newly manufactured pair of jeans, a welcome wardrobe staple, causes the earth – and our pockets – some harm. Now every pair of M&S jeans is sustainably made, from sourcing to finishing. The British retail giant has been working to reduce water in the finishing process by partnering with Jeanologia – the leader in sustainable finishing technologies. As a result, on average M&S jeans are now made with 86 per cent less water than the industry standard. What’s more, the brand has started replacing standard indigo dyes with cleaner alternatives.

Gym + Coffee

Irish-designed athleisure brand Gym+Coffee’s relaxed, sporty look was ultimately created to stand out against natural landscapes in Ireland. So it makes sense that the brand, centred around fresh air and great views, understands its impact on our Earth as a clothes manufacturer.

Gym+Coffee’s product range includes 100 per cent recycled garments, and the brand aims to have a minimum of 30 per cent of the entire range sustainably made and/or made from recycled materials by the end of this year. It is the only brand in Ireland offering award-winning recycled carry bags made from recycled fridges (!) and it has a range of reusable accessories including KeepCups and stainless steel water bottles. Plus, Gym+Coffee’s clothing bags are reusable and its delivery and courier parcels are now 100 per cent compostable.

SELECTED

An international brand based in Denmark, SELECTED’s neutral tones and tailored, on-trend styles are so cool, its Dundrum store feels like a breath of fresh air. It consistently offers wardrobe staples that work for work and weekend, making it a fashion favourite.

SELECTED shoots for quality over quantity – so sustainability is a main focus. The Viole Dress is made with LENZING™ ECOVERO™ branded viscose fibres using wood pulp sourced from sustainably managed forests and produced in a way that reduces environmental impact.

SELECTED’S Marissa Plastic change jacket is made with 100 per cent recycled polyester. Recycled polyester saves natural resources and reduces the amount of waste by reducing our dependence on virgin petroleum-based materials.

TK MAXX

TK Maxx has been delivering on great value style for many years. Now, a new collection of unique, handcrafted homeware from Uganda has landed in TK Maxx stores across Ireland – most notably, in Dundrum Town Centre. The beautiful collection of handmade baskets and crafts is created using traditional weaving techniques by local traders and helps to support Western Ugandan communities through sustainable trade. So not only does this colourful homeware collection look good, but it does good too.

Beauty

Skinfull Affairs

Founded in 2016, on cruelty-free principles and grounded in natural origin ingredients, Skinfull Affairs stocks mostly small, independent suppliers. The Irish beauty brand prioritises ethical and sustainable beauty practices – its Dundrum store even offers threading, tinting, manicure and pedicure options, all completely cruelty-free and vegan.

The store is now stocking a range called Up Circle – vegan, natural, sustainable, free from SLS, parabens and palm oil, and cruelty-free. Up Circle reuses leftover natural ingredients such as coffee grounds, fruit stones and chai spices to give them a new lease of life. In addition to these amazing ingredients, 99 per cent of its packaging is plastic-free.

Skinfull Affairs now stocks another Irish brand, called Glow Circle, a new range that is all-natural, vegan, sustainable and plastic-free. They are mainly known for selling facial tools such as Gua Sha and Aventurine Jade Facial Roller.

Molton Brown

Founded in 1971, with a strong reputation as a classic fragrance brand, Molton Brown, purveyor of divine luxury bath and body products, has made great strides in adapting to changing trends and expectations in the cosmetics industry.

The newly launched Molton Brown Hair Care line features only natural botanical products, 100 per cent vegan, free from parabens and phthalates, and silicone-free. In a creative and highly practical move, Molton Brown has also introduced a Return Recycle Reward programme now available in all of its stores, to highlight the brand’s determination to banish single-use plastic and reduce our impact on landfills. So too does its commitment to Sustainability (ESG) Initiatives, and its aim to be fully vegan by 2022.

The Body Shop

The Body Shop has an impeccable reputation when it comes to sustainability – after all, it has been eliminating plastics and parabens from its products for many years. Its new launches are no different.

The Body Shop has five new and improved haircare routines for all hair needs, made with Vegan Silk Protein, a 100 per cent plant-based protein, which cleverly replicates the chemical structure of natural silk produced by the common European garden spider. Its new haircare bottles and tubs are made from 100 per cent recycled plastic, including Community Fair Trade recycled plastic collected off the streets of Bengaluru, India.

Hourglass Cosmetics at Harvey Nichols

Harvey Nichols now stocks Hourglass, an innovative and luxurious beauty brand with an edge. Typically, lipsticks contain dyes made from carmine, the industry’s standard red pigment produced from crushed female insects.

Hourglass introduces Confession™ Refillable Lipstick Red 0, a special-edition shade featuring a patent-pending vegan replacement for carmine. Available in an exclusive red refillable applicator adorned with a beetle, Red 0 symbolises Hourglass’ ongoing commitment to animal welfare: zero animal by-products, zero insects harmed.

Hourglass has a long history of working for animal welfare, from its ongoing partnership with the Nonhuman Rights Project, a US organisation working to secure fundamental rights for animals, to its Eye to Eye campaign, which went viral in raising awareness for animal protection in the beauty industry.

Discover these brands and more at Dundrum Town Centre. Dundrum Town Centre is committed to making your visit pleasant and hassle-free. To enhance your sustainable shopping experience and stay safe, check out the Crowd Checker feature on the Dundrum Town Centre website. The Crowd Checker provides live updates as to the popularity of the Centre at any given time, to let you plan your shopping session safely. Go to www.dundrum.ie/crowd-checker for details. You will also find individual opening hours, booking systems and safety procedures for our retail and beauty services at www.dundrum.ie.