As conscious consumers, we can counteract harmful shopping habits with ones that cultivate a more sustainable lifestyle. With the fashion industry being one of the most environmentally "unfriendly" industries, looking for ethical clothing brands that use sustainable practices to create quality, timeless pieces while reducing waste and energy is essential.
Many brands understand the need for a healthier and safer environment and are doing their part to help reduce environmental impact and move towards a better future. These brands focus on creating stylish, fashionable designs that use sustainable materials and practices.
We've been in the apparel industry for over a decade, and we see and understand the environmental value that being a sustainable clothing brand holds. We compiled a list of 5 *stand out* eco-friendly apparel brands that are helping to change the world by creating stylish, fashionable clothing with sustainable materials and responsible production processes. Choosing to shop from sustainable brands will not only help to support their mission but will reduce your environmental impact as well.
SIDENOTE: If you're a clothing brand looking to change your mission, get a pen and paper ready – you will want to take some notes.
Let's Get Into It, Shall We?
1.Patagonia
Patagonia is one of the most well-known eco-friendly clothing brands. They are "in business to save our home planet" with a mission to choose purpose over profit. Patagonia is transforming how they make products and are committed to using recycled materials and responsible production processes to create stylish and sustainable clothing.
Patagonia is also a leader in the fight for environmental protection and works with many environmental initiatives. They launched their Take-Back Program in 2021, intending to help create a circular clothing system to upcycle waste into new clothing so the fabric can be used repeatedly.
Notable information:
- 98% of their line uses recycled materials
- 101,706 garments were repaired in 2020
- They turn discarded fishing nets into gear and have kept 935 tons of plastic waste out of the world's oceans
- 2,500+ farmers are part of their Regenerative Organic Certified Cotton Program
2. Everlane
Everlane uses eco-friendly materials and production processes. They are also dedicated to transparency, even revealing the exact cost of every product. They partner with factories to ensure the workers are paid fairly and have a good work environment and reasonable work hours.
As a company, Everlane prides itself on ensuring its customers know exactly where and how their clothes are made.
Everlane is an excellent option for those looking for products that last, as well as what they call "Cleaner Fashion," which is a collection that consists of 10 factors dedicated to helping clean up the industry. Some of these efforts include cleaner cotton, renewed materials, reduced water usage, and animal welfare.
Notable information:
- 66%+ of their cotton use is certified organic through the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) or Organic Content Standard (OCS)
- Styles marked with a particular icon use at least 50% recycled content.
- 97% of the polyester and nylon Everlane uses comes from certified recycled sources
3. Reformation
Reformation is a sustainable brand committed to bringing sustainable fashion to everyone. They are working towards this by focusing on four primary areas of sustainability: People, Products, Planet, and Progress. While most business report quarterly earnings, they believe in sharing much more than that.
The proof is in the pudding, which you can read in their extensive and transparent Sustainability Report. Reformation is knocking it out of the park with its effort and dedication to using eco-friendly, recycled materials and responsible production processes to ensure a positive impact.
They are also an official Climate Neutral Certified company. They measure the company's carbon emissions yearly to offset 100% of their footprint and aim to remove more emissions than they produce by 2025!
Notable information:
- 73% of their fabrics are from recycled, regenerative, or renewable materials
- 85% of their dyers and printers have a clean chemical certification
- 5,300+ people have joined their circularity revolution, helping divert 570 lbs of their product from the landfill
4.Tentree
Tentree is an eco-friendly clothing brand that uses sustainable materials, such as organic cotton and recycled materials. While some companies are all talk, Tentree believes in open conversation about how they are protecting the planet to keep them accountable and make it happen.
They've invested in technology, such as blockchain-based software, to keep track of the materials they use. They take an "Earth-first" approach to using sustainable and soft fabrics like blends of organic cotton, hemp, and recycled polyester, which typically use less water, harmful chemicals, and other damaging processes to make.
Tentree also plants ten trees for every item purchased. Their website says they have planted over 85 million trees, thanks to their passionate and dedicated community.
Notable information:
- Tentree has been carbon neutral since 2020
- 200 MM g waste saved
- 245 MM l water saved
- 1 MM kg CO2 saved
5. Nisolo
While Nisolo isn't technically a clothing brand (they focus primarily on shoes and accessories), we'd still count it as an eco-friendly apparel brand since its goal is to push the fast-fashion industry more sustainably. The effort they put into their sustainability framework is extensive and a good resource for brands looking to change their processes for sustainability.
Nisolo is a Certified B Corporation, which has met the highest social and environmental responsibility standard. To meet B-Corp certification standards, a company goes through a grilling and rigorous 3rd party evaluation that scrapes through a company's impact across Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers.
While many apply, only about 7% have qualified. This honor is worth sharing with customers and other brands to inspire everyone to take steps toward a better future.
Notable information:
- Nisolo has been B Corp Certified since 2017, ranked #1 among all leather goods companies and top 3 in footwear.
- 100% of our leather is a byproduct of the meat industry, which means no cow will ever be killed for the sole purpose of creating leather
- While they have yet to reach their goal, they are fully committed to reducing and offsetting 100% of their carbon emissions as a brand through various partnerships.
- Nisolo is launching its first products with recycled post-consumer waste.
By shopping with eco-friendly clothing brands, you are helping to spread the message of sustainability and supporting a company committed to using sustainable materials and production processes.
Feeling Eco-Inspired?
Now that you know about some of the most notable eco-friendly apparel brands changing the world, are you thinking, "Hmmm, how can I become a part of that?
Aside from being an eco-conscious consumer, you can be an eco-superhero by getting your hands on sustainable custom apparel for your next event, company merch, or clothing line.
We offer various sustainable garments for you, whether you want a tote bag embroidered with your company's logo or a super soft t-shirt with your designs screen printed on it.
Our customer success team is here to help you take your designs to the next level and feel good about your impact on the planet.
Hit us up; we've been doing this custom apparel thing since 2009.
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