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The threat of climate change is very real. And while the energy and transportation sectors get most of the attention, the everyday choices we make as consumers also have a big impact on shaping the future of this planet. LeafScore is a website devoted to fighting climate change by helping consumers make greener purchasing decisions. We are the leading online voice for climate friendly living.
Quality follows sustainability
At LeafScore, we believe quality follows sustainability. Why would anyone care how good a product is if making it harms the planet and the workers that produce it? The good news is that the best, and longest lasting, products are almost always made with sustainable, natural, non-toxic, and organic ingredients and materials. When we support companies that support the planet, we “vote with our dollars,” which puts pressure on manufacturers to factor in the environment, and not just their bottom line. Our research is devoted to finding the very best sustainable brands in every category and product type. We use these products in our everyday lives and offer our readers unique insights based on first-hand experience.
Our story and standards
The Leaf Score site was founded in 2018, originally as a sub-directory on another website called ecoHome. From the time we published our first articles, it quickly became apparent that there is real demand for seriously scrutinized, thoroughly investigated, eco-friendly product recommendations instead of the breezy, green-washed top ten lists that abound elsewhere on the Internet. As the directory and our research grew, a dedicated site called LeafScore was born.
Leigh Matthews (BA Hons, H.Dip. NT) heads the Leaf Score research team and prides herself on following rigorous journalistic standards and ethics, and maintaining editorial independence – put simply, our recommendations are made without input from the business side of, well, the business.
If readers choose to buy a product through links on the Leaf Score site, this may support our work through an affiliate commission in some cases. However, we will report on the best climate friendly products regardless of whether an affiliate program is available. Should the reader be dissatisfied and return the product, any commission is cancelled. This means there is no incentive for us to pad product recommendations, pick lesser quality goods with higher commissions, or cave to pressure from companies and manufacturers.
We want to highlight the very best eco-friendly products out there and we want to build and maintain trust with our readers. We’re in this for the long haul, and we hope you are too. That means we often spend dozens, or even hundreds of hours, researching products and industry practices. Further, we never publish AI generated content on LeafScore. The work that appears here is based on first-hand experience and personal passion.
The LeafScore rating system
When researching eco-friendly products in a particular category, we begin by examining scientific literature to see if there are known safety concerns over the composition and function of the products in question. The research compiled on each product is then used to assign a LeafScore ranging from 1-5 leaves, with products that achieve a 5 leaf rating showing exceptional commitment to the environment. For a full run down of our process and how it works, we invite you to visit our Methodology page.
The wider mission
Hopefully, if you’ve made it this far, you’ll have realized that we genuinely care about the recommendations we make. And, as much as we are idealists, we are also pragmatic. Even if we might hanker for a zero-waste, minimalist lifestyle, some home products are hard to live without. Thankfully, there are greener alternatives for almost everything we use in our daily lives. We want to make it simple for you to switch out toxic products for greener alternatives. These products can be healthier and safer for your family and those making the goods, as well as for the wider environment. African Americans are 75% more likely to live next to a factory that produces hazardous waste, and as such, the quest to find green manufacturers and sustainable brands is also a mission of anti-racism. Our mission is to highlight companies and products that support the environment, to plant a lot of trees in the process, and in the end to play a small part in reversing climate change and dismantling systemic racism so future generations can enjoy this beautiful earth we all call home.
Contact us
To get in touch with our leadership team drop us a line at john [at] leafscore.com.
For more general inquiries info [at] leafscore.com.
Note: we do not accept sponsored posts or guest blogs. If you have an eco-friendly brand that should be on LeafScore, product samples can be sent to:
LeafScore, Inc.
970 W. Broadway, Ste E., #422
Jackson, WY, 83001
Our Team
Leigh Matthews
Leigh Matthews, BA Hons, H.Dip. NT, is a science writer specializing in health and the environment. She is a zero-waste, self-sufficiency advocate, long-time vegan, and environmentalist. Leigh studied at the University of York, UK, and obtained a First Class Honours Degree in Philosophy & English, followed by study at the University of West London for a Higher Diploma in Nutritional Therapy. Leigh’s work on solar policy has been published in Canada’s National Observer.
Lydia Noyes
Lydia Noyes is a health, wellness, and lifestyle writer who specializes in topics related to general health, nutrition, fitness, farming, and environmental sustainability. She has worked as a health journalist for HighYa LLC and has freelanced for Mother Earth News, Rural Sprout, and dozens of other brands and publications within the health and wellness industry.
Michele C. Hollow
Michele is a journalist that specializes in climate, pet care, autism, health, and mental health. She’s contributed previously to publications like The New York Times, WebMD, GoodRX, Parents, AARP, The Guardian, and many more. She’s also a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists.
David Markowitz
David is an ecologist and sustainability expert that serves as the Principal Ecologist at World Parks, Inc., an environmental non-profit that aims to assemble the largest network of protected areas on the planet. He advises Ecologi as a Climate Committee Member on tree planting and carbon offset projects, and is also involved as a Forest Ecologist at the Green Future Project.
Emma Brentjens
Emma Brentjens is a climate change writer at LeafScore. She recently graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies from Davidson College and is passionate about environmental science, photography, and writing. She is an ORISE intern at the EPA assisting with microplastic and cyanobacteria research and previously interned with the National Audubon Society. In 2019, she attended the School for Field Studies in Kenya, where she studied wildlife ecology and conservation.
Adia Carter
Adia Carter is a pop culture and beauty fanatic with a passion for natural hair products, women-led companies, and clean living. Now six years into her natural hair journey, she’s picked up tips for recognizing power ingredients and hair regimens that promote healthy hair.
Sharon McDonnell
Sharon McDonnell writes about the environment, travel, food/drink, culture, and history. She’s written for Fodor’s Travel, Roadtrippers, Costco Connection, AARP, New York Times, Teatime, and many airline and cruise magazines. When she’s not walking amid the Bay Area’s gorgeous nature, she’s apt to be cooking food from Morocco, India, Thailand, Bali, and New Orleans, thanks to cooking classes she’s taken there. She’s never bought a plastic water bottle for home use in her life.
Trees Planted – 12,500
Some businesses hang their first dollar on the wall as a good luck charm. We don’t have a cash register, so we proudly display the certificate commemorating our first donation to American Forests, which you can see below.
Final thoughts from the Leaf Score team
We’re here to expose the problems with conventional manufacturing and highlight truly eco-friendly goods. We want to make it simple for you to switch out toxic products for greener alternatives. This is all part of our team effort at Leaf Score to help make meaningful changes that support a happier, healthier environment for all of us.