Beat Prime Day and harmful consumerism. Shop good brands giving back. Plus, they’re sustainable and ethical too.
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Sales are nice, but sales from sustainably and ethically made brands are even better. So, we’ve rounded up good brands giving back. These brands step away from the fast-fashion / product mold. Instead, natural and organic raw materials are used. Some are even biodegradable to ensure that what we take from the earth is replenished. And all of these brands give back to humanity to help their community- from educational programs to nonprofits focused on conservation.
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The timing for supporting sustainable brands couldn’t be better. In 2021, the youth collectively raised their voices to boycott Black Friday in France. In 2022, Elizabeth Borne, France’s minister for Environmental Transition, sat down with Europe 1 Radio Station to talk about the environmental impact of the international shopping day. She criticized consumers’ mad dash for discounted products for polluting the environment and contributing to gas emissions. Her remarks came a few days after French politician Matthieu Orphelin tweeted, “Stop overconsumption and communications that mislead consumers.”
“The level of consumption we have at the moment is totally unsustainable”.
Anton Lazarus, from the European Environmental Bureau
Yet, it’s not only Prime Day or Black Friday that environmental activists blame for harming the environment and society. It’s our obsessive consumerist culture for throw-away products as a whole that is unsustainable. The production, packaging, delivery, and disposal of products deplete our natural resources, sit in landfills for hundreds of years, and emit toxins. Consumers, brands, and policy makers are increasingly aware of the need to change this model. And it begins by saying ‘no’ to disposal products and ‘yes’ to sustainable, reusable, and ethically-made brands.
So, whether you’re seeking gifts or something new for yourself, have a look at these good brands giving back supply to the environment.
Bario Neal
Since 2008, Bario Neal has been a brand with ethical origins. Designers Anna Bario and Paige Neal and their team handcraft rings with reclaimed precious metals, Fairmined gold, and sustainably-sourced stones.
“In 2021- 2022, we donated 13% of profits to organizations aligned with our core impact areas, as well as some great local organizations, including Ethical Metalsmiths, Better Without Mercury, The Attic Youth Center, Planned Parenthood, and UNICEF.”
Cariuma
Organic fabrics, sugarcane, cork, bamboo, and recycled plastics are the priority materials used in these sneakers. Since 2020, Cariuma has transitioned from offering 43% vegan products to 65%. Each pair is designed for optimal durability. Certifications include OEKO-TEX, I’m Green Plastic, and FSC. For every pair of sneakers sold, a pair of trees are planted.
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Woven into Cariuma’s ethos is partnering with nonprofits focused on reforestation and biodiversity. These organizations- Sos Mats Atlantica, CEPAN, and the Black Jaguar Foundation- focus on planting, assisting with natural regeneration, and supporting seedlings with tree nurseries.
Christy Dawn
“We envision ourselves as land stewards first and clothing makers second.” Christy Dawn, a vintage-inspired sustainable brand, has spent the last two years collaborating with cotton farmers and artisans in India to practice sustainable and regenerative farming. It’s a style of farming that isn’t based on simply growing a crop like cotton for profit. It’s about growing a crop in a way that can increase biodiversity and water quality while capturing carbon and even nourishing the soil.
Here’s How Christy Dawn Dresses Are Made With Regenerative Cotton
Christy Dawn partners with farmers to go beyond buying cotton to investing in the regeneration of the land that supports their crops. From farmers in rural India to Peruvian alpaceros whose alpacas provide the wool for their sweaters, the brand crafts partnerships that focus on maintaining the land for generations to come.
Ettitude
The bamboo bedlinen brand offers luxurious bamboo bed and bath products that use 500x less water than conventional cotton to grow.
Ettitude gives back to several nonprofits focusing on social and environmental issues. The brand’s 2022 Impact Report shows that they give back to 1% For The Planet, contributed $5,000 to the National Movement for Black Lives, $22,500 to the grassroots youth program Harlem Grown, supported the work of One Girl—a non-profit organization that harnesses the power of education to drive change for girls in developing countries, raised $7,100* for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal and Wildlife Victoria, and donated over $14,000 to WIRES and WWF Australia. “We don’t just believe in reducing our impact, but also doing good.”
Honest Co.
This certified B Corporation donates baby products, toys, school supplies, and other items to families in need. They also partner with organizations across the US to offer health services and provide support for children’s hospitals. Since 2011, Honest Company has donated 206 million essential items and advocating for the Safe Chemicals Act.
“Honest has partnered with Baby2Baby to help provide diapers, clothing and other basic necessities to low-income children across the US. We believe in empowering more families to live happy, healthy lives.”
Nisolo
Everyone deserves a good pair of shoes. That’s the motto behind Soles 4 Soles, the nonprofit that partners with Nisolo. Soles donate lightly used shoes to entrepreneurs in developing communities in Haiti, Nicaragua, Africa, and Moldova. The shoes then become a part of a sustainable job creation model where micro-entrepreneurs can repair and resell the shoes.
SiiZu
Beautiful products and a beautiful promise drive the philosophy behind this sustainable brand. Only 100% natural fabrics and sustainably grown raw materials are used in their clothing. It’s a commitment to the environment that expands to Siizu’s promise that 10% of profits are donated to the American Forest. With a goal of planting 2.7 million trees this year, buying a Siizu’s product brings new opportunities for life and a new way to give back to the environment.
Warby Parker
Stylish frames that leave you with a little extra cash in your wallet aren’t the only other benefit to buying Warby Parker glasses. When you purchase a pair of sunglasses, one pair is donated through their Pupils Project. As of 2019, 5 million pairs of glasses have been donated to those in need. “2.5 billion people around the world need glasses but don’t have access to them. To help address this problem, we work with a handful of partners worldwide to ensure that for every pair of Warby Parker glasses purchased, a pair of glasses is distributed to someone in need.”