Hi Gaia lovers!
Today I wanted to share some brands that are making great efforts to becoming more environmentally friendly. When I'm shopping or looking for new products, I always like to see what the company is doing to help the world in some way. It would be nice if all companies followed this same idea, and many are realizing how important this has become for consumers. The more we demand these changes and efforts, the more companies will work harder to gain our trust and business. We have more power than we know. Take a look at the few I'm sharing (you might be surprised) and remember there are many, many more out there to be discovered.
1. Adobe
Everyone knows Adobe because they invented the PDF, and they created the famous Adobe Cloud, but many people might not be aware that sustainability runs at their core. They did start the idea of reducing paper waste by making documents digital, but in more recent years they have become more committed to reduce their carbon footprint and create a more sustainable future.
Seventy-percent of of Adobe's workplaces are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. In the past few years they have dramatically decreased their energy consumption and emissions, and they vowed to power all their operations and digital delivery of products with 100 percent renewable electricity by 2035. Adobe has also decreased their water consumption by more than 60 percent.
2. IKEA
Everyone I know loves the Swedish furniture giant. Along with delivering stylish and affordable furniture and home accessories, IKEA has made some tremendous strides in adopting sustainable practices. In 2018, 60 percent of IKEA products were based from renewable materials and 10 percent used recycled materials. Their goal is to use 100 percent renewable and recycled materials by 2030. Among many other achievements, they have also increased renewable energy by powering some of their units through solar power. IKEA is also using more plant-based food--they introduced the veggie hot dog--and they intend to phase out all single-use plastics from their products by 2020.
3. by Humankind
by Humankind is a company I recently discovered. Their main focus is eradicating single-use plastic. They work as a subscription service that sends you 100 percent clean and ethically sourced products such as deodorant, soap, shampoo, and mouthwash. They send you a refillable plastic container, plus your first refill, and after that you receive refills on a personalized schedule. If you don't want a subscription, you can also order individually, and for every purchase $1 is donated toward removing plastic from the ocean. Shipping is always free and packaging is Earth friendly. I think this is a really cool, innovative idea that will reduce your plastic use drastically. The product that really caught my attention is the mouthwash in tablet form, which you simply dissolve in water.
4. Beyond Meat
Beyond Meat is a great company based in California with the mission to improve human health, positively impact climate change, address global resource restraints, and improve animal welfare through the production of gluten free, plant-based burgers, sausage, crumbles, and more. Beyond Meat discovered that meat's building blocks--protein, fat, trace minerals, and water--could also be found in plants. Meat without the animal requires fewer resources, and Beyond Meat makes the process more efficient and sustainable. Their Beyond Burger uses 99 percent less water, 93 percent less land, 90 percent less Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and 46 percent less energy than a quarter pound beef burger. They also insist their products taste just like the real thing. Check out their website to find the closest grocery store selling Beyond Meat products.
5. Patagonia
Patagonia started out small by making climbing gear, but today they're known as one of the biggest companies creating fitness gear. They're also dedicated to reducing textile waste by producing excellent quality products that last and encouraging people to repair items instead of buying new ones. Their Worn Wear program allows people to have their Patagonia gear repaired or recycled into new fiber when it can no longer be repaired. Patagonia also uses recycled and environmentally safe materials in their products--wet suits are made of natural rubber and plastic bottles are recycled into parkas. Stores and facilities are energy efficient, and at least one percent of sales are donated to environmental groups from around the world. The company also encourages employees to volunteer and make better commuting choices through its Drive-Less program.
6. Piñatex
Piñatex is an amazing leather alternative made of pineapple leaf fibers--a by-product of the pineapple harvest, which has become an additional income stream for farming communities- developed by Ananas Anam Ltd. The company was founded by Dr. Carmen Hijosa, an ethical entrepreneur and leather goods expert who was inspired while consulting on the Philippines leather export industry in the 90s. She realized that mass leather production and chemical tanning were having a massive environmental impact. So, she set out to create a non-woven textile made of plant fibers that could be commercially produced but at the same time maintain a low environmental footprint and provide a positive social and economic impact. Piñatex is natural, sustainably sourced, and cruelty free. The company works as a distributor and will sell the material directly to brands and designers who are interested in working with more sustainable products. Check out their site and see their amazing process.
7. Ecoegg
Ecoegg is another company based in the UK that was founded in 2008. They manufacture eco-friendly laundry and cleaning products to UK and international markets. The company focuses on producing products free of harsh chemicals and helping reduce plastic waste. Ecoegg also never tests their products on animals, and they try to use as many recyclable materials as they can. The company is also committed to always sourcing raw materials, using FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certified paper and board for their packaging, and recycling as much of their industrial and office waste.
My favorite product (and what their most known for) is their ecoegg, which is a mineral based washing system that essentially replaces your laundry detergent and fabric softener. As you can see from the image, the plastic egg is filled with pellets that remove dirt and odors without leaving any residue. What's so cool about this is that the egg can be reused over and over, so you only buy the pellet refills while reducing your plastic use.
8. Grove Collaborative
Subscription based companies are so popular today that you see new ones popping up almost every day. One which I found would be worth joining is Grove Collaborative. Their auto-shipment service is customizable and delivers all-natural, cruelty free home, beauty, and personal care products to your door. Not only do they provide their own Grove brand products, they also curate products from other eco-friendly brands, which go through a thorough evaluation in order to meet Grove's high standards in quality, sustainability, and ethics.
All products are non-toxic, plant based, sustainable, and 100 percent cruelty free. I love this site because it introduces you to so many cool brands and products. My favorite products are the Seedling by Grove tree-free paper products such as napkins, toilet paper, and paper towels, which are made of bamboo pulp. Another amazing plus of the brand is that a portion of every Seedling purchase goes to help plant trees in the US.
9. Blueland
Blueland is a new company I discovered through Instagram. They focus exclusively on cleaning products and reducing plastic waste. When I saw their video on how their product works, I was instantly hooked. It's such an easy and ingenious concept. For a mere $29 you receive a clean up kit, which consists of three forever bottles and three tablets (multi-surface, glass + mirror, bathroom). You pop a tablet in each bottle and simply add some warm water. The formula is said to be extremely effective and always non-toxic.
The idea is that you will never again have to buy another cleaning product or plastic bottle, and refills are only $2. The plastic bottles are designed specifically for the tablets, 100 percent BPA free, and non-leaching. Think about how much plastic you use when you buy cleaning products. There's the bathroom cleaner, kitchen cleaner, glass cleaner, oven cleaner, etc., but with Blueland you will drastically reduce that plastic waste and save money while you're at it.
10. The Body Shop
The Body Shop is a really great brand that sells skincare and hair products for both men and women, fragrances, and makeup. All of their products are ethically sourced, vegan or vegetarian, and 100 percent cruelty free. The company aims to be the world's most ethical and sustainable global business by reducing their environmental footprint, carefully selecting natural, biodegradable ingredients, and being transparent about their business practices. The company has 14 targets to cover so they can achieve their mission by 2020. Some of the targets include powering all their stores with renewable or carbon-balanced energy, developing sustainable packaging, and reducing their stores' energy use.
What really called me to this brand are the environmental initiatives they're engaged in. Their Bio-Bridges project ensures that every purchase made restores about 1 square foot of rain forest. Along with the World Land Trust they're aiming to restore over 246 million square feet or forest by 2020. They're also very passionate about ending animal cruelty and have been campaigning since 1989 to globally ban animal testing.
11. zero daniel waste
zero waste daniel is an eco-friendly fashion brand based in New York City and founded by designer Daniel Silverstein. Realizing how much textile waste the fashion industry creates, Daniel brought his brand to life in 2016. The clothing produced is genderless and is 100 percent fabricated from pre-consumer waste from New York's garment industry. Pieces are made of literal scraps, and each one diverts one pound of waste from landfills. The brand also uses recycled and recyclable materials in their packaging, shipping, and office materials.
As mentioned in my previous post on textile waste, each person in the US throws out about 70 pounds of textiles per year, which is about 21 billion pounds this year alone.
"Daniel has mastered the process of large and small scale production without bringing textile byproducts to landfill," and he's bringing that process to designers such as Eileen Fisher, Vestment, and Miakoda. Other designers and brands are welcome to learn the process as well. As the first brand to make 100 percent zero waste clothes, zero waste daniel has captured the attention of many media companies, Google, and various celebrities who have worn pieces from their collections. Check out their store in Brooklyn if you can or peruse the items they sell on their website. The items are pricey, but it's nice to see a brand taking a stand and bringing change to such a large and established industry as fashion.
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I urge you to discover even more brands working hard to bring environmental awareness and implementing changes to help the world. It's possible for companies to be eco-friendly and waste free, but many simply don't care or don't want to spend the money to make the needed changes in their company structure. Don't follow a brand just because it's popular or trendy. You will find the same quality in lesser known brands who are focusing more on doing things right, rather than just making money. Don't give in to popular culture and demand these changes to be made!
Sources: Greatist | Virgin
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