Earth Day has come and gone and each year many pledge to live more sustainably. Many choose to reduce their plastic and foam waste, plant a vegetable garden, or ride their bike rather than driving once in a while. But this should also go beyond choosing to stop using single-use plastic bags and water bottles. Together, we can make a conscious decision to be more sustainable in all aspects of our lives. If you have eco-friendly goals, it’s important to look at all parts of our lives and choose brands that already have sustainable practices in place.

Thinking about our eco-footprint and finding sustainable brands can be overwhelming and an ongoing challenge. That’s why we’ve gathered ten brands that are already making it their mission to be sustainable. Here’s a list of those brands that you can support with confidence, there is something for everyone to start with on this list:

Patagonia

Patagonia was one of the first clothing brands to take an environmental stand. The company makes fair trade outdoor clothing including adult and children’s outdoor apparel and activewear. Patagonia makes it their purpose to use recycled materials and has switched to organic cotton in manufacturing of their clothing. They are also a Certified B Corp, a certification given to businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Additionally, they are Fair Trade Certified, meaning they are supporting farms that provide safe working conditions, fair wages, and protect the environment.

TenTree

The casual fashion brand makes comfortable adult and children’s tops, pants, and outerwear.  TenTree uses sustainable fabrics including hemp and organic cotton, reducing synthetic and plastic fabrics that are produced and going to the landfill. 10 trees are also planted for every item purchased. The clothes are designed in Canada and ethically manufactured globally.

Pela Case

Pela Case is a smartphone case manufacturer that uses plant-based materials like flax straw. The phone cases are biodegradable after use. They’re slim, sustainable, and come in a variety of colours and designs. This company is also B Corp Certified and Climate Neutral, a certification given to companies that offset and reduce all of their greenhouse gas emissions.

Native

Native is a deodorant brand offering plastic-free packaging. Their various deodorant products come in paper tubes that are 100% recyclable. They also use 100% recycled materials in shipping. You can feel as good as you smell when using this product – a bonus is that the deodorant uses vegan, cruelty-free ingredients like shea butter.

Tom’s of Maine

Another hygiene brand that is making strides in sustainability and reducing plastic and foam waste is Tom’s of Maine. Not only does Tom’s encourage consumers to send back empty plastic containers from personal care items, from any brand too, but they are also the first company to produce a toothpaste in a 100% recycled tube recognized by the Association of Plastic Recyclers.

Ikea

The leading home furnishing retailer has a goal to inspire and enable people to live a healthier, more sustainable life. Ikea is promoting a circular economy, starting with their furniture and testing buy-back programs – taking back old furniture and reselling it at reduced rates to prolong the lifespan of their home furnishings as well as using more recycled materials in the production of their products. In fact, the brand has a goal to become climate positive by 2030 and shifting to a circular business model is one way they will start to get there. They are designing their products to be reduced and refurbished and eventually recycled from the start of their product development process. Ikea Canada recently encouraged their customers to aim for Zero Waste Takeout by encouraging them to reduce and reuse single-use plastic when ordering takeout at Ikea restaurants. This is only some of what the brand is doing to be more sustainable and you can read more about their mission here.

Vital Farms

The US ethical food company is committed to high standards in sustainability and conscious capitalism. This includes considering the environment in its business decisions from the land on which animals are raised to the materials used to package its eggs. Vital Farms uses 100% recycled paper egg cartons that are recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable. The paper lids of their cartons are made from 100% recycled fibers and is also Greenchoice 100™ certified. This certification means the lid is C02 neutral – as the carbon emitted during its production is offset by new tree plantings. You can feel good about eating their eggs when the packaging is plastic and foam-free and can be put right back into the recycling bin to be made into another egg carton.

Stasher

Upgrade from plastic sandwich bags to Stasher, a line of reusable and non-toxic silicone bags. They are not only great for storing food on the go but are also microwave, oven, dishwasher, and freezer safe. The possibilities are endless for using these bags to reduce plastic and foam waste.

Tru Earth

Tru Earth is disrupting the laundry detergent industry with its eco-friendly laundry strips. The pre-measured, liquidless laundry strips are thrown straight into the washing machine and eliminate the nearly 700 million plastic laundry jugs that are dumped into landfills across North America every year. The strips are also packaged in a plastic-free compostable cardboard sleeve that doubles as a shipping envelope, further cutting back on waste. They are also hypoallergenic, free of added dyes and chlorine bleach and vegan. Check out this laundry brand and make the swap.

PlanetCare

Another laundry industry brand that is changing the way we wash our clothes is PlanetCare. It is estimated that 700,000 plastic microfibers from our clothes are released during an average load of laundry. Microplastics end up in our waterways, our food, and drinking water. PlanetCare has created a microfiber filter to stop the harmful microplastics from entering our wastewater from our washing machines. The filter has proven efficiency to stop 90% of microfibers and is also a closed loop cycle as they refurbish and recycle each cartridge after use. Consider this innovative technology to reduce your plastic waste while doing laundry

Do you know other brands that have sustainability at their core? We would love to learn more about what they’re doing or which brands you are using! Share with us on social media using #ditchplasticpackaging. #ditchplasticpackaging.