Shop Our Editors' Favorite Sustainable Brands

Since Reformation launched in 2015, the carbon-neutral company has been at the forefront of the sustainable fashion conversation. According to Kathleen Talbot, Reformation Chief Sustainability Officer and VP of Operations, the brand plans to be "climate-positive" (which means they plan to save more greenhouse gas emissions than they generate) by 2025.

"With this commitment, we're going further to actively reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and invest in solutions that have a net-positive impact," Talbot told Forbes earlier this year.

How will the company reach this goal? By getting the REF fam involved.

Reformation offers customers the option to switch their electric bill to wind energy through Arcadia Power — a company designed to give easy access to renewable energy. In exchange, consumers get a $125  shopping credit.

The brand also launched "Climate Credits" which Ref customers can buy to support verified carbon-offset opportunities "like encouraging renewable energy and forestry projects that actively reduce CO2 emissions," according to Talbot.

And most recently, the brand debuted Ref Active, its debut activewear line sustainably made with the recycled fiber Repreve, which is composed of 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. 

Buy It! Ivy Ecostretch Cropped Tank, $48; reformation.com 

Buy It! Ecostretch High Rise Legging, $88; reformation.com 

Buy It! Individual 6-Month Climate Credit, $60; reformation.com

The sporty, heritage sandal company that's rooted in outdoor adventure and has evolved into a hypebeast favorite in recent years has committed to reducing its carbon footprint in a big way.

In 2020, the straps across the entire footwear product line switched to a yarn made of recycled plastic. And this year the company partnered with TerraCycle on its new TevaForever Recycling program, which encourages Teva customers to mail in their retired sandals to TerraCycle at no cost. The shoes will then be deconstructed by manufacturers to make a number of new products including playgrounds, athletic fields and track ground cover, according to the brand. 

Curious to learn morn? Check out actress Rosario Dawson's take on the recycling program. Spoiler: She's pumped! 

Buy it! Teva Original Universal Sandal, $50; teva.com 

The eco-driven company exclusively uses organic cotton, which conserves 91% more water compared with conventional cotton, for its apparel lines (spanning women, men, kids, baby and maternity) and home goods collection. Just in 2020, Pact purchases conserved over 35.5 million gallons of water, according to the brand, which produces all product in Fair Trade factories to support local communities and help protect the environment.

In honor of Earth Day, Pact is offering customers 20% off the entire site on April 22nd.

Buy it! Pact Textured Slub Pocket Maxi Dress, $52; pact.com

This apparel line doesn't think style should sacrifice sustainability. In its incredibly chic line-up of wardrobe staples (from office wear to casual basics), each item is created with organic materials wherever possible. That includes using recycled or recyclable fabric like BCI Cotton, Lenzing, Ecovero, Tencel and Repreve and using digital printing, which reduces the amount of water and ink that traditional screen printing requires. 

Buy it! b new york Recycled Oversized Jacket, $260; bnewyorkbrand.com

Have a hard-to-kick online shopping habit, but feel guilt every time the packages pile up at your door? Olive aims to solve for that. Shop at retailers you already love (Kule, La Ligne, Dolce Vita, Saks Fifth Avenue) using their app or browser extension, and they'll consolidate your purchases and deliver them in one tote. Returns are as easy as putting them back in the tote and leaving it on your doorstep.

Rothy's made a name for itself for its celeb-loved flats and for its sustainable practices. All of its items (which includes shoes, bags and face masks) are 100% sustainably crafted from discarded plastic water bottles and marine plastic, which is transformed into the yarn used in the products. Since the brand launched in 2012, it has repurposed nearly 100 million plastic water bottles and 100 pounds of marine plastic to-date.

Next up for the company? It just launched new sandal styles and three new perfect-for-summer tote bags. Plus, it rolled out some impressive new sustainable goals for itself. This year it will introduce its first-ever recycling program in an effort to keep Rothy's out of landfills. By 2022, the brand will achieve zero-waste at factories and will incorporate twice-recycled materials into its new products. And by 2023, it hopes to achieve cirural production and carbon neutral status.

Buy it! Rothy's The Pail, $225; rothys.com

Grove aims to be your one-stop shop for greener home and beauty products, including their own cleaning concentrates to go in glass bottles (just add water) and laundry refill system that eliminates those huge plastic tubs — plus a curated selection of "better for the environment" products from brands including Mrs. Meyers and Stasher. Sign up for monthly deliveries or buy a la carte; the site aims to be 100% plastic free by 2025. 

The brand that's foundation is based on having fewer — but better — pieces, is rethinking what we know about silks. The usually dry clean-only garment has been given a full upgrade, from its material make-up to machine-wash capabilities.

The four-piece silk collection (consisting of a pocket tee, muscle tee, bomber and jogger) is made from Bluesign-Certified silk crepe de Chine. Where typical synthetic silks pollute the environment and deepen a dependence on fossil fuels, Bluesign Certified ensures the lowest possible impact on the environment. Plus, Cuyana's washable silk still has the same soft-to-the-touch properties as conventional silk, but is easier to wear, wash and repeat.

Buy it! Cuyana Washable Silk Muscle Tee, $125; Cuyana Washable Silk Jogger, $165; cuyana.com

If cleaning has been your main focus lately, you can depend on Cleancult to provide sustainable options that can be delivered right to your door. You can buy one product at a time (soap, cleaning solutions, laundry detergent) or save through buying bundles. Fill up their reusable shatter-proof glass bottles with their refills and recycle them once they're done.

Their latest must-have product is their foaming hand sanitizer. It's baby-safe and kills up to 99.9 percent of germs. It's not drying and is perfect to keep near your front door so you can use it every time you come home.

Buy it! Cleancult Foaming Hand Sanitizer Bundle, $49.99; cleancult.com

If you thought solar energy was something that was too expensive to use or too complicated to install, think again. Grouphug's window solar charger is the coolest way to power your electronic devices with the sun.

Stick the lightweight panel to a sunny spot in your home and you're good to go. The panel itself needs about 10 hours of direct sunlight to fully charge its built-in battery and has a USB port to easily connect your devices. The suction cup hook can be attached to any window and from April 22 through April 25, Grouphug will be donating 10 percent of sales to Vote Solar, an organization that works state by state to build a thriving clean economy with affordable solar energy for all. The panel is also a great educational tool for kids who get to see first-hand the power of solar energy at work.

Buy it! Grouphug Window Solar Charger, $149; grouphugtech.com

This fine jewelry line was built around eco-friendly practices and ethics, from using 100 percent recycled gold from the start to only sourcing pearls from family-run, sustainable farms. They started with the classics (like these earrings) and have expanded to include something for everyone (including Kerry Washington, now an investor with her own collection).

In celebration of Earth Month, Aurate launched The Organic Pearl Gold Charm in collaboration with sustainable bag brand, Senreve, with 10% of proceeds donated to the Oceanic Global Organization.

Buy It! AURATE X SENREVE: Organic Pearl Gold Charm, $200; auratenewyork.com

The beloved denim brand wants customers to rethink how they buy, wear and maintain their jeans in its latest sustainable initiative, Buy Better, Wear Longer. The campaign (featuring YouTuber Emma Chamberlain, among others) brings awareness to the environmental impacts apparel production and consumption have and highlights Levi's commitment to making quality clothing that can last for generations. "We are using this campaign to encourage consumers to be more intentional about their apparel choices: to wear each item longer, for example, to buy SecondHand, or to use our in-store Tailor Shops to extend the life of their garments," says Jennifer Sey, Brand President.

In addition to using sustainable production and manufacturing practices, the brand launched its SecondHand collection in October as a first-of-its-kind buy-back program that lets customers purchase second-hand jeans and jackets on Levi.com. Customers can also contribute to the program by turning in their worn jeans and jackets for credit towards their next purchase.

Buy It! Levi's Sustainability Jeans; levi.com

Levi's Secondhand Jeans and Jackets; levi.com

This brand (which recently released a collaboration with Brooklyn Decker, pictured) cuts many of its products on-demand, often from deadstock or upcycled textiles, which means no large style runs that can go to waste. 

Buy It! Buru On and Off The Shoulder Puff Sleeve, $128; shopburu.com

The sustainable lifestyle brand is committed to reducing its carbon footprint. Atoms uses 100% vegan materials on all shoes, a waterless dyeing process to eliminate toxic runoff, carbon offsets on all shipments, plus, all the label's footwear is 99% recyclable. In the past year, the Atoms team added breathable masks, lightweight no-show socks and crew socks to the its offerings. 

Buy It! Atoms Model 000 sneaker, $129; atoms.com

The baby brand of the past is back — but has evolved to rely on recycled materials and sustainable practices. Items like the Play On 2-in-1 playard and activity center (right) are made of fabrics created from recycled plastic bottles, and able to be sent to TerraCycle when families are done with them. The company has lofty goals, too, like recycling 10 million water bottles in the next three years and encouraging families to keep and use the cardboard boxes products arrive in as vessels for kids' creativity. A whole line including additional carseats, playards, high chairs and stroller systems is available at Buy Buy Baby.

Buy It! Century Happy Planet Collection, prices vary; buybuybaby.com

For those who love the taste of bottled water but hate the waste, Icelandic has a new solution: a 'Refrigerator Pack,' available now on Amazon. The 5-liter package is 100-percent recyclable, and part of the company's work to be the world's first-ever CarbonNeutral-certified bottled water. The company already uses BPA-free recyclable packaging, and runs a sustainable operation in Iceland fueled entirely by geothermal and hydroelectric power to maintain a net-zero carbon footprint. Fill up your reusable bottle and be on your way! 

Buy It! Icelandic Glacial Refrigerator Pack, $26.99; icelandicglacial.com

A paper company might not sound overly eco-friendly, but Paper Culture has been planting a tree for every order placed since its inception 10-plus years ago, helping grown more than 1 million trees so far. Every card, wedding invite and photo book is printed on 100-percent post-consumer recycled paper — and on top of that, the company is wind-powered. But what makes it stand out most are its adorable designs; check out the delicate thank-you notes and photo-filled graduation announcements at paperculture.com.

Buy It! Paper Culture Save the Date Cards, $112 for 50, paperculture.com

The brand known for embossing brightly colored recycled and organic cotton sweatshirts and sweatpants with its distinct sans-serif logo on the hip and chest just launched an innovative capsule in collaboration with Gravity Labs (the creators of Air-Ink). The new collection utilizes Gravity Labs technology to create a water-based printing ink that was utilized for the text block designs found on each piece. The Pangaia x Air-Ink by Jenke Ahmed Tailly collection "repurposing harmful waste and effectively re-enforces the brand's move towards circularity," a press release states.

Buy It! Pangaia x Air-Ink Hoodie, $160; thepangaia.com

Since it launched in 2010, Everlane has been the brand that "wears ethics on its sleeve," touting full-transparency about everything from production cost and factory information to sustainability efforts So it's no surprise that the millennial-loved label's 2021 Earth Day contribution is substantial.

On April 22, Everlane announced The Next [collective] Initiative and Coalition, which will "fuel industry innovation in sustainability" and marks the next chapter of the brand's commitment to eliminate all virgin (new) plastic from its supply chain by the end of 2021.

"Everlane is bringing together emerging activists, passionate students and change-makers around the world to help fuel and fund ideas to tackle the problem of new plastic use in fashion," the brand said in a release.

On Earth Day (and all year round!), an Everlane purchase is one you can feel good about. 

Buy It! Everlane Square-Neck Bikini Top, $40; everlane.com