Companies Doing Cool Things to Save the Planet
Companies Doing Cool Things to Save the Planet
I’m always on the hunt for amazing companies to support that have more than profit in mind. More and more brands are popping up with incredible missions to do their part in evading the climate crisis by using alternative, recyclable, and degradable materials for both the product and packaging. Plus, it feels so good to know that you’re wearing or using an item that is good quality, will last a long time, and isn’t damaging our planet further.
HoW focuses on the individual and what simple tasks we can do in our daily lives to be more eco-friendly in our practices. They are always running a number of campaigns with a variety of goals. Currently, their campaigns are:
1. Challenging individuals to cut their personal carbon emissions with actionable items that can be done immediately.
2. Encouraging individuals to say no to singe use cutlery from food delivery services and emailing chain restaurants about giving out single use items only upon request.
3. Recommending that individuals cut down their animal protein by 40% - 50% by eating vegan 8 meals a week, understanding that it’s not always feasible for most people to go 100% vegan.
4. Writing letters to the Hollywood unions to eliminate single use plastic from being shown in film and TV.
5. Suggesting the use of plastic-free beauty products in the form of bars, not bottles.
6. Explaining how tap water is typically completely fine to drink, and purchasing plastic water bottles is a detrimental to our environment.
7. Shipping greener - getting companies to send their products in small boxes that actually fit the product, which will reduce the amount of filling they need to surround the product with.
8. Teaching high schools how to eliminate plastic water bottles.
Pangaia is a clothing brand using a number of alternative sustainable materials backed by science to create their clothes. Some of their materials are:
1) Flwrdwn: Made from wildflowers, polymer, and aerogel
2) C-Fiber: Made from eucalyptus pulp and seaweed powder
3) Plntfiber and Frutfiber: alternatives to cotton that feel like cotton, Plntfiber being made from plants like himalayan nettle, bamboo, eucalyptus, and seaweed, and Frutfiber being made from food waste, banana leaves, pineapple leaves, and bamboo
4) Mirum Leather - a vegan leather alternative made from recycled plant matter
Additionally, they have created unique, environmentally minded alternatives for dying clothes and other treatments that will make their clothes last for a long time. You can read about all of their methods here.
This shoe company recycles all of their shoes, and refurbishes them to give to someone new. Customers send back their shoes once they’ve lived a complete life and the company will give you back $20. Plus, the shoes are sustainable to begin with - made from corn waste, coconut husk, and recycled water bottles. They are super sleek and cute too.
Melody Swim is a swimsuit brand that manufactures their suits sustainably in Bali made from Econyl - a material made from fishing nets and other waste from both the ocean and land. 5% of your purchase will always go to a charity who needs it at the time.
Solgaard is a suuuper cool luggage brand using regenerated ocean plastic to make their suitcases. It’s also incredibly easy to stay organized in these cases with their built-in shelving system inside!!! I’m obsessed.
Thinx has created an underwear alternative to tampons and pads. Their underwear can hold anywhere between 1 and 4 tampon’s worth based on which you buy. They are working to make period products more accessible to everyone and normalizing puberty education.
Seventh Generation’s products are quite literally “powered by plants” with their main ingredients coming from biobased plant oils and scented with essential oils. You can find all kinds of products for laundry, dishes, household cleaners, and personal hygiene. They are incredibly transparent about all of their ingredients and processes. Many of their products are held in reusable, plastic-free containment.
Green Toys makes a variety of kid play items from jump ropes to toy cars to bath toys, and every single item is made from 100% recycled materials, mainly recycled milk jugs. Their packaging is all recycled too, using recycled cardboard and water bottles.
