Last updated on July 18, 2023

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Kate Bould
Communications Manager @ Yotpo
April 19th, 2022

Discover the brands that have taken sustainability to the next level, and find out how a few small changes can up your brand’s sustainability game.

It’s no surprise that in 2022, sustainability is a big deal. “Sustainability” as a term has been growing in popularity for the past 10 years, and the perception of sustainable brands has gone from burlap sacks to effectively any piece of clothing, household items, or even your toothbrush.

Sustainability is no longer just about materials, it’s the supply chain, the lifecycle of an item, the packaging, and more. In a recent survey, we discovered that over 84% of customers are more inclined to buy from a brand whose values align with their own. In fact, over 20% of them will stop shopping from a brand if they have an affiliation with a big polluter.

We’ve collected a few brands that are acing the sustainability game right now to inspire you.

Girlfriend Collective

Girlfriend Collective is an American activewear brand that makes essential and timeless pieces out of recycled materials. Between their use of eco-friendly materials and finding new ways to minimize textile waste, Girlfriend Collective is building a company that redefines the way we might think about sustainability.

They also limit the amount of chemicals, water and wastewater used in production. Their factory is certified by Social Accountability International and has a Code of Conduct that covers all of the ILO Four Fundamental Freedoms principles. They monitor health and safety issues through a third party audit and ensure living wages in the final stage of production.

Fair Indigo

Fair Indigo makes premium-quality organic clothing that’s meant to last, encouraging you to buy better and buy less. Fair Indigo uses organic cotton and low impact non-toxic dyes in all of its products, with wastewater that’s treated and discharged properly. They have a formal statement covering workers rights. Fair Indigo mitigates risk of labor abuse by ensuring payment of a living wage for most of its supply chain and tracing and visiting suppliers regularly.

Mud Jeans

Rated “great,” by Good on You, MUD Jeans is making high quality jeans in a circular and sustainable fashion. MUD Jeans uses a high proportion of eco-friendly materials and low impact non-toxic dyes, and limits the amount of chemicals, water, and wastewater used in production.

Its labor rating is “great,” with a Code of Conduct that covers all of the ILO Four Fundamental Freedoms principles. They monitor health and safety issues through a third party audit and ensure living wages in the final stage of production. And last but not least, MUD is listed by PETA as vegan.

ASKET

ASKET has been creating timeless wardrobe essentials since 2015 with revolutionary sizing and fair pricing. ASKET uses eco-friendly materials including organic cotton and encourages consumers to reduce their climate impact when using its products. They also use low impact non-toxic dyes in most of its products. ASKET has a formal statement covering workers rights and ensures payment of a living wage in most of their supply chain. They trace most of its supply chain and visit their suppliers.

Toad & Co

Rated “good” by Good on You, Toad&Co keeps it simple, making clothes that help you feel as good as you look: versatile enough for work and play, and sustainably made to help clean a dirty apparel industry. From eco-friendly fibers and recycled materials to revolutionary reusable shippers and helping adults with disabilities, Toad&Co strives to be good and thoughtful citizens of the planet.

100% of the Toad&Co line is sustainable, 100% of the time – meaning all clothes are made from a minimum of 80% sustainable fibers (like organic cotton, hemp, and recycled fibers) and/or fabrics that are third party certified for responsible manufacturing. Toad&Co also offers reusable shippers and partners with organizations supporting conservation, environmental non-profits, and the circular economy.

ADAY

ADAY is all about simplifying their wardrobes and creating a new standard for clothing that lets us do more with less. ADAY focuses on the life cycle of their clothing, ensuring the pieces you buy are long-term, classic, and wearable far beyond just a season.

ADAY uses eco-friendly materials including recycled materials and renewable energy in its supply chain to reduce its climate impact. Fabrics are Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified and they trace most of their supply chain including all of the final and second stages of production.

TruWood

Canadian-based brand TruWood was founded in 2016 by two friends with a passion for watches and sustainability. The brand has the inspirational mission of providing as much value to the world as possible. And they live up to it. Not only are the majority of their products handmade, but they have also left behind the polluting metals, and instead are focusing on natural materials such as wood, bamboo, and reclaimed lumber.

TruWood has also partnered up with Trees For The Future, a foundation dedicated to helping farmers across Africa plant, grow, and live off what they planted. So for every order placed on the site, Truwood is committed to planting 10 trees. So far, the brand and Trees For The Future have planted 850,000 trees, that have fed over 20,000 people all over Africa.

Embla Home

When Embla Home set out to rethink how home decor is being made, they started small, with a candle collection. Today, the brand has a plethora of other home design goodies to offer, but their candles remain a hit with customers, and for good reason. Not only are Embla Home’s candles made of 100% bee’s wax, but the brand recognizes the danger bees are in and 10% off every candle order is donated to Planet Bee Foundation, a non-profit organization that teaches children how to save the bees.

Charlotte’s Web

Charlotte’s Web are on a simple mission — to help people improve their lives, naturally. The brand specializes in all-natural CBD products, including oils and gummies meant to help people manage stress, pain, and even increase focus (they even have CBD for dogs!). Charlotte’s Web is now B Corp Certified, which means they are committed to growing their brand with transparency and accountability. Their goal is to live, work, and create in perfect harmony with nature, all while improving our lives with the incredible power of botanics. The brand’s B Corp status will help protect its goals, workers, and their environmental investments

Outdoor Voices

Outdoor Voices is very aware that sustainability is an ever-changing journey more than a set goal, and they are constantly working at improving their environmental impact. When designing their activewear, the brand has two things in mind: the longevity of their products and their circularity. Not only does Outdoor Voices think about what our clothes go through when we own them, they also developed solutions to repurpose, repair, and recirculate their products.

Outdoor Voices have already started using RecPoly in their products and have swept the wasteful plastic shipment packages for 100% recycled paper envelopes or recycled boxes. But the journey doesn’t stop there and the brand has set some impressive goals for the coming years including eliminating all waste from community events, increasing the percentage of traceable fibers from recycled sources seasonally, and more.

 

If you want to up your brand’s sustainability game, check out our sustainability marketing strategies blog post, where we discuss 8 changes your brand can implement today.