Ericas
Ericas is a Portuguese company that handcrafts pet toys from 100% natural heather roots using traditional artisan methods. The toys are dura…
Minimalism & Conscious Consumption
Less, but better: bulk pioneers like Maria Granel, the refill movement Mind the Trash, and family projects like Living the Life choosing enough over more. A quieter way to consume.
Projects in this focus
Atelier Janela Velha
An upcycling atelier in Torres Vedras, founded by Margarida Vieira, that makes handmade jewellery and slow fashion and restores furniture, a…
Burel Factory
Burel Factory is a Portuguese brand born in the Serra da Estrela, dedicated to preserving and innovating the traditional burel wool textile …
Conscious consumption in Portugal
The cheapest sustainable purchase is the one not made, which is an awkward premise for a catalogue of businesses. The projects here mostly agree: they sell less, sell slower, or sell the thing that replaces a stream of purchases.
Maria Granel and Mind the Trash sell by refill rather than by package. Leafclean concentrates cleaning products so you stop buying water. Terra Lab works with plants that last, O Cais runs a shop and café in a 1765 building in Silves, and Vida em Transição and Living the Life are households in central Portugal doing the whole thing as a way of life.
See also zero waste living, plastic-free alternatives and ethical shopping platforms. Dated activities from these projects are listed in our events calendar.