The Best Brands of Sustainable Soda Drinks
Choosing a soda that’s as kind to the planet as it is refreshing, isn’t as hard as it once was. More brands are fighting the tide of throwaway culture, using recycled packaging and sourcing ingredients with care.
From fizzy classics to playful twists, each of these sustainable sodas offers clean taste and bubbly joy, while helping the planet.
NHS says to have no more than 1 cola a day (ideally none) if pregnant or nursing. Or 1 cup of weak coffee or 2 cups of weak tea (either, not as well as ). Check medication before consuming grapefruit or rhubarb (avoid hibiscus lemonade for pregnancy).
Canned Drinks in Classic Flavours
Steep Soda Co stands out for putting a fresh spin on classic soda flavours. Their canned range takes familiar tastes and packages them in stylish, modern cans that look great on any shelf.
Steep’s take on cola hits the spot with its blend of sweet and spicy notes. There’s a gentle fizz that makes each sip satisfying, just like the cola you remember from childhood.
The recipe uses pure cane sugar, giving it a smooth and rounded flavour without any artificial aftertaste. Drink it chilled for the best experience. The can’s retro design adds a nice touch and stands out in any fridge. It’s also in a stevia-sweetened ‘light’ version.
Sharp, refreshing, and tart enough to quench a real thirst, Steep’s Lemonade is a crowd pleaser. They use real lemon juice, which gives a natural zest without tasting too sour.
A little sweetness balances the kick, making it easy to drink on a warm day or as a mixer. The clean taste and bright can design make it feel homemade, yet much more convenient.
For those who like a little spice, Steep’s Ginger Beer delivers. Made with real ginger root, it’s got a fiery kick that makes it ideal on its own or as a mixer in drinks.
The spice warms gently rather than burning, and the finish is clean with a hint of citrus. No artificial flavours, just a strong, well-rounded ginger taste. The bold can matches the bold taste inside.
Karma Drinks: Organic Fair Trade Cola
Karma Drinks was first created to offer an organic Fair Trade cola (including a low-calorie one sweetened with natural stevia) to help farmers in Sierra Leone, who don’t get much money from the big brands.
Karma Drinks stays true to its promise of only using certified organic ingredients. That means no artificial flavours, no synthetic sweeteners, and definitely no chemicals that you can’t pronounce.
Every fizzy sip is made with real cane sugar and a blend of natural botanicals, giving you pure cola flavour with nothing extra.
Buying Karma Drinks cola helps pay for community projects in Sierra Leone, where much of the company’s sugar comes from. Karma Drinks invests in schools, infrastructure, and economic projects.
Karma’s cola uses a secret blend of real spices and citrus oils. You get a bold, rich cola taste that’s hard to beat—no bitter aftertaste, just a balanced hit of sweetness and spice. It’s a real treat whether poured over ice or straight from the fridge.
Many leading soft drinks are loaded with preservatives and artificial sweeteners that leave a strange aftertaste. Karma Drinks keeps it simple. The sweetness comes from organic cane sugar (or stevia), and there’s nothing extra hiding in the bottle. For anyone who wants a more honest drink, this makes a real difference.
Every drink helps fund real improvements for real people.
Other Drinks with good Karma!
It now also offers other drinks like lemonade, raspberry lemonade, orangeade and gingerella.
Widely sold, they are also sold widely at vegan fast food outlets, as the fizzy drink choice.
Sparkling Drinks with Bold Flavours
Dalston’s Soda Co has become a real favourite for anyone who enjoys proper soft drinks. Unlike most big brands, Dalston’s promises real ingredients, bold flavours, and a strong focus on being good to the planet.
Dalston’s Sodas stand out because they use real fruit juice in every can. You can taste the difference right away. They skip the usual artificial flavourings and stick with pressed juices, which gives their sodas a fresher, truer taste.
Flavours include:
- Cherry
- Elderflower
- Rhubarb (check medication)
- Lemon
- Peach
- Ginger Beer
Chef-Created Happy Gut Options!
Dalston’s has recently released a Happy Gut range, created by chefs. These contain dietary fibre along with zinc, magnesium and calcium, for digestion, immunity and metabolism. Choose from Raspberry or Tropical.
Botanical Sodas from Northumberland
Fentimans has been making soft drinks in Northumberland for over a century, and its unique botanical recipes set it apart. Known for its bold flavours, elegant bottles and natural ingredients,
This drinks brand has an interesting history. Thomas was approached for a loan back in the day, and the ‘security’ was the recipe for botanically brewed ginger beer. The loan was never repaid, so that’s how Thomas became the founder of Fentimans!
This company has been around 100 years. If you look closely on the top label of each bottle, you’ll see an illustration of Fearless, the family dog who still guards each bottle, a century later!
Most sodas are made in minutes, but Fentimans uses botanical brewing, a process that takes seven days. They infuse, ferment, and blend real plants, roots, and herbs. This method creates deeper flavours and a natural fizz that stands out from mass-produced drinks.
Fentimans offers a wide range of flavours. Popular picks include their classic Victorian Lemonade, fiery Ginger Beer, and Rose Lemonade. More adventurous choices like Cherry Cola or Dandelion & Burdock draw on British flavours and botanical blends. Each one is bold, refreshing, and unique.
- Elderflower Rose Tonic
- Sparkling Elderflower
- Victorian & Raspberry Lemonade
- Ginger Beer & Pink Ginger
- Curiosity Cola (also in cherry)
- Dandelion & Burdock
- Lemon Shandy
Fentimans Botanical Boost drinks include extra ingredients, for good digestion and metabolism. Choose from:
- Apple & Elderflower
- Cherry & Blood Orange
- Lemon & Pink Ginger
A Range of Artisan Tonic Waters
Fentimans also makes nice tonic waters, to go with your gin or vodka. Avoid tonic waters for pregnancy/nursing due to quinine (assuming you’re not drinking alcohol).
As well as Indian and light tonic water, choose from various flavours including:
- Elderflower Rose
- Ginger
- Pink Grapefruit
- Rhubarb
Organic Soft Drinks & Mixers from Devon
Luscombe is one of England’s most celebrated soft drinks brands, which has built a loyal following over the years for its organic soft drinks and mixers.
Luscombe began back in 1975, producing just apple juice and cider. The company was taken over by the founder’s son around 20 years later, who decided to expand into the no-alcohol soft drinks market.
The first soft drinks company to be certified organic, the brand has planted 1800 elder trees alongside organic horticultural crops and wildflowers, for increased biodiversity on the farm.
It also means the company can use its own organic elderflower, rather than foraging for wild flowers.
Bottles are glass, not plastic. The packaging is all easy to recycle. And the farm follows Soil Association guidelines, helping pollinators and local wildlife thrive.
Luscombe doesn’t just stick with orange and apple. This drinks collection is more classic and unique, adding a grown-up twist for something different from fizzy pop. Flavours include:
The range includes:
- English Apple Juice
- Rhubarb Crush
- Raspberry Crush
- Cool Ginger Beer
- Mango and Peach Crush
- Damascene Rose Bubbly
- Sicilian Lemonade
- Sicilian Citrus Crush
Plus a range of tonic waters (avoid quinine for pregnancy/nursing):
- Devon Tonic Water
- Light Devon Tonic Water
- Elderflower or Grapefruit (check medication)
Thirst-Quenching Soda Drinks for Summer
Quenched brings a simple refreshing take to busy days, and special occasions. These fizzy fruit-flavoured drinks are ideal for warm days, or when you wish to skip the booze.
Sold in three flavours, each can contains just sparkling water, real fruit and a little thirst-quenching bicarbonate of soda. For a light, flavourful refreshment to enjoy any time.
- Lime and soda is not too heavy or sweet, ideal with a touch of Rocks organic cordial.
- Blackcurrant and soda is a classic childhood treat, with a sweet-tart balance to appeal to all ages.
- Orange and soda blends juicy, sun-ripened oranges with the lively fizz of soda water. Summer in a glass!
Botanical Sodas from The Cotswolds
If you love unique drinks with a botanical twist, Nuisance Drinks (also sold at Farm Fetch) delivers a sparkling taste of the Cotswolds. These non-alcoholic drinks bring together wild and foraged ingredients to create a refreshing alternative to sugary sodas.
The unique flavours are inspired by the founder and his mum, who spent summer foraging to make homemade cordial.
1% of sales from this brand go to rewilding projects, which help to foster natural homes for native species like beavers. The range includes:
- Nettle & Elderflower blends wild nettles with fragrant elderflower, delivering a light, grassy fizz and floral notes. Perfect for a summer picnic or as a mixer.
- Rhubarb & Ginger suits autumn evenings or a lively lunch with friends. The ginger isn’t overpowering, giving just enough warmth without stealing the show.
- Wild Bramble & Rosemary is a nice non-alcoholic spritz, as an alternative to tonic or lemonade.
- Damson & Rosehip has a subtle floral tang. Not too sweet.
- Cucumber & Mint offers a fresh, crisp profile that’s perfect on a hot day. A great base for mocktails or simply with crushed ice.
Sustainable Sodas (with foraged ingredients)
For those who love a cool sparkling drink on a warm day, Idyll Drinks bring something special to the table. These drinks focus on flavour, natural ingredients, and a fresh style that makes them stand out. 5p from each can is also donated to a rewilding charity.
Idyll Drinks are not afraid to mix things up. They combine fruits, botanicals, and herbs to create one-of-a-kind flavours that are carefully balanced. These aren’t your everyday sodas—they offer something new with every sip.
The range includes:
- Wild Gooseberry (berries from a regenerative Essex farm with South African wild rooibos)
- Wild Apple (with Herefordshire cider vinegar, sweet woodruff and hogweed seeds). Tastes like ‘apple infused with warming spices, orange zest and a hint of hay!)
- Wild Rhubarb (low-calorie alternative to rhubarb crumble, which is good too!) A refreshing take on classic cream soda, with meadowsweet and vanilla. Check medication, before consuming rhubarb.
- Pine Forest Soda (Douglas Fir and Scots Pine – who ever thought of drinking a Christmas tree, but there you go! Nice with gin or serve in a whisky highball)
Unique Scottish Sustainable Drinks
Rapscallion Soda (Scotland) brings something new to that story. Born in Glasgow, this small-batch soft drinks brand is all about fresh taste with a real ethical punch.
Rapscallion puts natural ingredients front and centre. Every bottle uses fruit, roots, herbs, and spices — not artificial sweeteners or colours. Instead of shelf-stable syrups or concentrates, they use pressed fruit and botanicals for a fuller, cleaner flavour.
Their flavour range changes with the calendar. By focusing on local, seasonal produce, Rapscallion connects drinkers with Scotland’s harvests.
They are also sweetened naturally with a little raw cane sugar. Each year, they offer seasonal sodas (these change by availability due to the weather – it’s Scotland!)
- Cranachan (raspberries and ‘cream’)
- Strawberry
- Rhubarb
- Blueberry
- Dry Lime
- Burnt Lemon
- Ginger Ninja
- Apple Pie!
