Every year when Earth Day rolls around (psst, this year it is on April 22!), we are reminded of the fact that our shopping habits can contribute to showing the planet some extra love. There are brands that reduce waste and their carbon footprint, eco-friendly fabrics we can wear, plus positive ways companies donate or give back to environmental causes when you shop with them. The best part? You don’t need to wait until Earth Day to support these feel-good brands. Learn about 15 eco-friendly labels that are helping all of us be more mindful about our planet and live green year-round.
Allbirds
Skipping flashy logos and design details in favor of simplicity, practicality and comfort, the footwear brand uses materials like sustainable wool and eucalyptus fiber instead of synthetic materials that are harmful to the environment. And, they are constantly innovating: This past fall, they launched flip-flops with soles made from sugar-cane instead of petroleum. Plus, thanks to their partnership with Soles4Souls®, lightly used Allbirds are donated to communities in need.
Alternative Apparel
Truly living up to its name, the brand takes an entirely innovative, eco-friendly approach to creating your favorite wardrobe staples. First, there are the materials: Every year, they use approximately 60,000 pounds of organic cotton in place of conventional cotton, plus their recycled polyester is created from 1.8 million plastic bottles. Additionally, they use low-impact dyes, biodegradable fabric softeners and products are washed with a G2 wash (it uses 60 percent less water and energy than traditional finishing methods). The result? Super soft materials (we live in their t-shirts) that you can feel good about wearing.
Amour Vert
Clothing brand Amour Vert, which translates to “Green Love” in French, makes pieces that are 100 percent sustainable (and 97 percent is made stateside). As part of their partnership with American Forest® and the Buy a Tee Plant a T(r)ee program, Amour Vert plants a tree for — you guessed it — every tee purchased. To date, they have planted over 220,000 trees around the U.S.
EcoVibe Apparel
The Portland-based apparel and accessories line focuses on recycled and natural materials, operates on 100 percent renewable energy, and uses 100 percent recycled boxes to ship every order. They donate 1 percent of all of their sales to 1% For the Planet — a global organization that protects forests, rivers and oceans.
Feather
Imagine furnishing your entire home being as easy as ordering your next dinner on Seamless. This modern furniture company (that partners with brands like West Elm, Casper and Pottery Barn) lets you rent pieces at a low monthly cost. Whether you are a city dweller constantly moving from apartment to apartment, or you simply like to switch up the style of your home, this creative company allows you to avoid tossing furniture to the curb that ends up in a landfill.
Love Beauty and Planet
Since its launch two years ago, the personal care brand (which includes shampoos, conditioners, body washes and more) is dedicated to reducing their carbon footprint in a variety of ways. From eye-catching, color packaging in 100 percent recycled plastic to sustainable ingredients to formulas that quickly rinse out in the shower so that you save water, the brand is certainly showing some love to the planet.
MAC Cosmetics
With their Back-to-MAC program, you can bring any of your six empty MAC makeup containers to any MAC store (or submit online), and you will get a free lipstick of your choice from the brand. Eyeing a cult-classic shade like Ruby Woo? Start digging through your makeup bag for your empties.
Madewell
If you have been waiting years for your flared bell-bottom jeans to make a comeback, perhaps there is a more practical approach: As part of Madewell’s participation in the Blue Jeans Go Green™ program, when you recycle your old jeans (any brand or style) at a Madewell store, you get $20 off a new pair. Blue Jeans Go Green™ then upcycles them into housing insulation for communities in need.
Outdoor Voices
Your next sweat sesh feels even better knowing that your workout gear is made from sustainably sourced materials. Look out for products in the brand’s line that feature Rec Poly (recycled polyester), which is made from empty water bottles that are melted down and then turned into fibers. Their Seamless collection decreases waste by knitting styles as a tube of fabric instead of sewing smaller pieces together (read: no wasted clothing scraps). Plus, the higher-quality materials mean a longer lifespan for your workout clothes — and fewer clothes that end up in landfills.
Paper Culture
Plan on tying the knot soon? This stationery brand that specializes in wedding invitations uses 100 percent recycled paper to offset their carbon footprint. Plus, to celebrate your happy future, with every order they plant a tree in honor of your marriage. This year will mark one million trees planted thanks to their eco-conscious customers.
Rothy’s
You wouldn’t think wearing plastic on your feet would be enticing (or comfortable), but these one-of-kind shoes are chic as they are versatile (we love the fun prints and designs their loafers come in). The main outside material consists of 100 percent post-consumer plastic water bottles, the insoles are made from recycled foam, and they use carbon-free rubber soles.
Sand Cloud
With funding from “Shark Tank,” this brand quickly became known for its bulk-free, sand-repellant beach towels made from lightweight Turkish cotton. Not only do they have a recycled version of these stylish towels, 10 percent of their profits site-wide go towards saving marine life so the animals can enjoy the beach as much as you do.
Sunday Riley Modern Skincare
By 2022, Sunday Riley will be a sustainable company — and the gears are in place to make it happen. “I personally feel an obligation to move towards being a greener, more sustainable brand,” says Sunday Riley, CEO and founder. The brand is exploring initiatives like alternative papers, wind-powered manufacturing facilities and reusable jar packaging. “The first change you will see will be in our rigid board boxes [the company is replacing the foam inserts with compressed paper trays],” says Riley. “Expect to see the foam replaced by end of the year.”
TOMS
When it comes to doing good, the comfy shoemakers always have something brewing — literally. For every TOMS Roasting Co. product you purchase (you can find them at Whole Foods), the brand provides 140 liters of safe water (that is a week’s supply!) to a person in need as part of their One for One® program.
United by Blue
This outdoorsy clothing and lifestyle brand is going places — in more ways than one. For every product sold, they commit to removing one pound of trash from the world’s oceans and waterways. To date, they have collected over 1.6 million pounds of trash through company cleanups where their employees literally roll up their sleeves to remove garbage from beaches, rivers, ponds and the like. Our favorite way to support the brand: United by Blue’s Log Cabin Out-of-Doors Candle (it smells like a campfire).
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