While concepts such as sustainability, zero-waste and eco-friendly are slowly but surely seeping more and more into Egypt’s collective consciousness, for those looking to incorporate it in their daily doings, options are few and far between.That’s why carnivore-turned-vegan Amira Ayman decided to found Urban Earthlings, an online shopping platform that sells cruelty-free and zero-waste products for daily use. Founded in April 2019, Urban Earthlings offers everything from bamboo brushes, to stainless steel straws, to eco-friendly tote bags.

“I’ve always been very aware of the environmental issues surround us," Ayman told CairoScene. "My mother and I would actually buy material from abroad to make sustainable bags that we could do our shopping with. Then, finally, I decided to stop complaining about these products not being available in Egypt, and decided to try and make it happen.”

As much of an animal rights advocate as she is pro-sustainability, Ayman has also been donating to animal shelters for years. In an effort to continue doing so, Ayman sets aside parts of the proceeds from her sales to go towards animal welfare as well as environmental issues. One of the causes Urban Earthling's contributes to are reforestation projects and research and development that help reduce carbon footprints.

“I’ve been a plant-based vegan for four years now, so it might come as a surprise that I don’t think everyone should go vegan. I think that everyone who can, should. Having said that, people should at least try it because our number one killer is our lifestyle,” says Ayman. “Being aware of what goes into your body is the first step in that direction.”

Coconut bowls, bamboo cutlery are only some of the new products Urban Earthlings are working to introduce soon and we can’t wait. We can already envision all the dinner parties we’ll be having with our new set of cool cruelty-free, environmentally-friendly bamboo cutlery.

Check out Urban Earthlings on Instagram or visit their website.