Are you trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle? Whether it’s through fashion, technology, furniture or even the car you drive, there are countless ways you can reduce your carbon footprint. And as you learn how to be more eco-friendly, you take a closer look at brands. Not only should they be sustainable, but also ethical. Not sure where to start? Here are three brands that are committed to becoming more sustainable and six brands that are already doing it.
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6 Brands That Are Already Doing It
Let’s begin with the brands that are already setting the standard in sustainability, from Pela Case phone accessories to the Frank and Oak slow fashion brand and more.
#1. Pela Case
Electronic waste, or e-waste, is a growing problem, causing 50 million tons of waste each year with only 20 percent recycled. E-waste accounts for our cell phones and all their accessories, too, among many other devices. Fortunately, that’s where Pela Case comes in. This sustainable phone accessory brand creates items like eco-friendly phone cases and eco-friendly AirPods cases that are not only recyclable but 100 percent compostable! Each phone case or AirPods case is made from flax shive and a plant-based biopolymer.
However, Pela Case does much more than offer consumers eco-friendly phone accessories. They’ve also committed to donating one percent of every sale to Ocean Cleanup and Preservation Initiatives. This means that when you buy a Pela Case phone accessory, you can not only rest assured it will not wind up in the ocean, but that you are standing behind a sustainable brand.
#2. United By Blue
A Certified B Corp, United By Blue (UBB) is also committed to cleaning up our oceans. With every product sold, they remove one pound of trash. UBB has also committed to eliminating all single-use plastics from its supply chain by 2020. Offering everything from outdoor clothes to backpacks and gear and decorative items, UBB uses ethical manufacturing and sustainable materials, such as hemp, Tencel and Corzo, a nut from the Amazonian Tagua Palm. Plus, they organize local cleanups across the country or will send you a DIY cleanup kit so you can lend a helping hand to your environment.
#3. Allbirds
Allbirds is another Certified B Corp you can trust for sustainable fashion, but are most known for their shoes. Each pair of Allbirds laces is a single plastic bottle and their packaging is made of 90 percent recycled cardboard. When you combine these materials with the fact that their mission aims to reduce their carbon footprint to null, that’s something you can stand behind – in natural wool shoes, that is!
#4. Reformation
Fast fashion Reformation is not. Reformation releases a quarterly sustainability report, along with a “RefScale” that offers complete transparency to consumers and themselves, tracking their environmental footprint. This fashion brand is also committed to becoming a Climate Positive by 2025 as a 100 percent carbon neutral company.
#5. Frank and Oak
Frank and Oak offers sustainable fashion, but takes it a step further. Instead of simply selling sustainable goods to the consumer, they offer a subscription service of timeless, minimal style essentials (think capsule wardrobes). Garments like jackets, tops and skirts are often made of recycled denim, wool and even hemp. Their jeans are even made with removable metal rivets, allowing them to recycle the denim. The production of their garments is also sustainable and kind to the earth. They use resources like eco-friendly dyes and choose a hydro-less manufacturing process that reduces energy and water consumption.
#6. Avocado Mattress
It’s estimated that Americans dispose of 20 million mattresses and box springs every year, most of which end up in landfills or incinerators. But Avocado Mattress is trying to change that. Avocado offers mattresses that use organic materials, such as cotton, latex and wool, which reduce the harmful chemicals in a mattress’s production process. Plus, Avocado Mattress is Climate Neutral-certified, meaning they offset all of their production and shipping emissions through the Carbonfund nonprofit.
Avocado Mattress also makes ethical and sustainable efforts behind the scenes, too. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they made face masks for medical workers. Plus, they have partnered with 1% for the Planet, along with several environmental nonprofits.
3 Brands That Are Committed to Becoming More Sustainable
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Consumers are becoming aware of ethical and sustainable practices that companies and brands use to create products. Because of this, many brands are having to bend and adapt to the will of the consumer. While they have not always been so, here are three brands that are committed to being more sustainable and taking more initiative.
#1. IKEA
We all know IKEA for their affordable DIY furniture, but they are beginning to take efforts toward becoming more sustainable. IKEA has not only introduced eco-friendly products that help the consumer reduce waste, but have also introduced a more sustainable production process and resources into their products. This, combined with their efforts to recycle waste from stores, shows how committed IKEA has become.
Plus, to become more carbon neutral by 2030, IKEA’s Ingka Group bought 10,840 acres of marshland in southeast Georgia from The Conservation Fund to show its commitment to responsible forest management.
#2. Honda
While Tesla gets lots of attention for their electric cars, Honda has also committed to more sustainable practices and innovations, too. Overall, Honda has taken measures to reduce CO2 emissions in their automobiles, motorcycles and even power products by 30 percent. They have what they call the Triple Zero goals, aiming to reach zero CO2 emissions using renewable energy, zeroing their resource and disposal risks and zeroing energy risks.
Ultimately, they plan to manage resources, work with disposal partners, collaborate and innovate with energy companies to integrate new technology. Plus, they plan to encourage their customers to follow in their footsteps and choose a sustainable lifestyle as well.
#3. Nestlé
Feel good about eating that Nestlé chocolate bar! Nestlé has made great strides in becoming a more sustainable brand and protecting nature. They have taken steps to reduce the weight of their packaging, reducing waste and their carbon footprint. They have also provided training to farmers to help minimize their environmental impact on the land.
Nestlé also aims to take greater care of water resources. They try to ensure water is available and managed sustainably, treating it effectively as possible throughout the supply chain. Like teaching farmers, they also educate communities on how to use water efficiently, as well as providing access to water and sanitation. Ultimately, they work with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Zero Water technology.
