We are all trying to do our part to help the environment. Supporting sustainable brands seems like a super-easy way to show some love for mother earth. And sometimes, it is! But don’t trust everything you hear. Unfortunately, some businesses are taking advantage of the global movement towards a greener world by claiming to be “sustainable” to be trendy, but not actually doing much to help the burning earth! Here are some brands that aren’t quite as earth-loving as they claim to be. And as always, do your research before loving a brand and taking what they say as truth.
- Everlane
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I know it’s sad, but this trendy and gorgeous California-based online retailer is not as “radically transparent” as it makes itself out to be. As online eco-checker Good On You discovered, Everlane continues to use materials that are greatly energy-consuming, despite the fact that they are biodegradable. Additionally, the company sells a lot of animal products (leather, cashmere, wool). Finally, while Everlane does sell some clothes made from recycled plastic, these are only a few of its many products, which doesn’t quite make up for the rest of it.
- Lush
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I love Lush as much as the next girl—as an animal rights activist, I’m all here for its anti-animal testing theme. However, the company still uses synthetic parabens and fragrances in conjunction with its mainly organic ingredients. Additionally, the company tries its best to limit its palm oil consumption, but still uses it for some products.
- Madewell
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Another heartbreaker! The main issue with this minimalist brand is their lack of transparency. The brand claims to be sustainable but, as with a lot of brands on this list, uses non-recycled animal products.
- Allbirds
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The gorgeously sleek shoe brand is doing a great job, but I do have one issue to point out. All of its shoes are made out of wool, which obviously comes from sheep. While the wool is organic, the entire production most likely requires overbreeding to keep up with demand.
- Vejas
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Quick flex–I have a pair of Vejas from their vegan leather line. Get these! They’re great and literally look the exact same. But avoid the others, as leather production requires tons of animals to be slaughtered, overbreeding, and generally harmful animal agriculture practices. Keep the demand for leather low and opt for something kinder.
Want to limit your shopping-based carbon footprint even more? Limit the number of things you buy online, buy second hand, stop buying leather and wool, don’t subscribe to fast-fashion, and go vegan!
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