This guide will help ensure that you’re putting eco-friendly products into your shopping cart.
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How do you shop for eco-friendly products? If you’re paying attention to your shopping habits you might want to ask yourself a few questions first before putting an item into your shopping cart. This is a helpful guide of questions you can ask beforehand to learn more about a brand and to find out just how eco-friendly a product truly is.
What raw materials were used to make this product?
Every product has an environmental impact that begins with the raw materials used. Depending on what those are, that impact can be positive or negative. Most eco-friendly products will be sourced from organic, regenerative, recyclable, or recycled resources. These tend to have a positive impact.
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Apply this knowledge when you’re shopping for clothes by checking out a garment’s label. A few eco-friendly materials to look for include organic cotton, linen, bamboo, Tencel, deadstock fabrics, and recycled nylon. These tend to make a positive impact on the environment and help to minimize waste. For instance, regenerative or organic cotton is grown without the chemical pesticides used in conventional cotton that are harmful to the soil and biodiversity. Also, regenerative cotton contributes to rich soil and crops that can sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Another example is the controversial polyester. Virgin polyester production uses an estimated 342 million barrels of oil yearly. An eco-friendly alternative would be regenerative polyester, a type of polyester made from plastic water bottles and other plastic waste.
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This can be applied to other products as well; from toothbrushes to handbags to furniture. Natural materials, like a toothbrush with a bamboo handle, will always be the more sustainable option when compared to its plastic counterpart.
Who made this product?
There are real people who make our products. Unfortunately, a lot of times, these items are made in regions that don’t enforce fair labor and human rights. Industries like fashion, agriculture, diamond mining, and others have recently come under fire for slave labor, exploitation, child labor, and unsafe working conditions. One way that we as consumers can shop for eco-friendly products is to choose brands that make the well-being of all workers across their supply chain a priority.
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If a brand makes its products overseas, look for Fair Trade certifications. Or check their website to see if they publish the factories where their items are made. Do they personally visit these factories? Do they make items in-house within the U.S. to ensure fair wages? Do they share wages and ensure customers that they pay living wages? These are a few ways that companies share how they are ensuring the well-being of the people who make their eco-friendly products.
What sustainable initiatives has this brand taken?
It also pays to review a brand’s website to see how they’re making their eco-friendly products. It’s not enough just to say it. They should be able to show it. Some brands will do this by publishing a sustainability report. Produced annually, it details how a brand is and isn’t sustainable and its goals. At its best, it gives customers a clear idea about the steps a brand is taking to reduce their CO2 emissions, reduce water waste and pollution, and use more sustainable materials along with their goals to guarantee fair wages and a way of life along their supply chain.
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Even if a brand doesn’t publish an annual sustainability report, they might still share its sustainable initiatives on its website. That could include using recycled materials for their packaging materials, making the switch from polyester fabrics to organic cotton, or giving back to a non-profit that protects the environment.
The most important thing is that a brand can show exactly how its products are eco-friendly.
Do they have certifications for their eco-friendly products?
There are certifications out there that guarantee that a product meets certain ethical or eco-friendly standards. For instance, Fair Trade ensures that fair labor and wage standards are met. The Forest Stewardship Council ensures that wood products have been responsibly sourced from sustainable forests. There are also others that guarantee a product is organic, made from recycled materials, or socially beneficial. One of the biggest certifications is the B-Corp certification. Brands that achieve this certification have undergone a rigorous vetting process where several areas of their business operation- from their supply chain to their end product- are examined for their social and environmental impact. Brands that achieve this certification have proven that they balance purpose and profit to do good.
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While certifications from 3rd parties are a great way to see whether or not a brand is truly sustainable, it should be noted that it’s not the only way. A brand could still do good even without a third party vetting them. But, it is a great way for us as conscious consumers to quickly learn about a brand’s environmental and social impact.
How many times can I use this product?
The most eco-friendly products are the ones that we will use again and again….and again That way, we can create less waste. For instance a reusable water bottle will always be better than a single-use plastic water bottle. The clothes that you wear for years will be better for the environment than the fast fashion pieces that you’ll throw out after just a few wears.
This also holds true for gifts. Instead of a paper card, a plantable card that becomes flowers afterward won’t create waste because it can be reused in a new way. And, the gift that your giftee can use for years to come is more beneficial to them and the environment in the long run.