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sustainable bathroom brands & Eco-friendly Products

My journey in sustainability went from food to clothing to bedroom to the bathroom. I'm still learning little tricks to make my environment more eco-friendly (particularly healthy), but these 11 brands are an excellent start for those in the market for a bit of bathroom - eco - upgrade. From the towels you dry off with to the toothpaste for your pearly whites, these brands create products that make switching to a more sustainable lifestyle easier. 

Why is it important to create a non-toxic, sustainable bathroom?

Unfortunately, there are not a lot of regulations when it comes to bath & beauty products. This means you could potentially be bringing home toxic chemicals and not know the impact they could have on your health. This is more than just creating an eco-friendly bathroom; it's about our bodies' sustainability and ensuring our health is put first.

The Average American Produces over 280 pounds of plastic waste every year

& a lot of that waste can be found within the bathroom. Almost everything we use within bath & beauty products is packaged in plastic, from our shampoo to toothpaste. It can be challenging to eliminate from your bathroom, but a few brands are working to help us with this!

what to look for when shopping for eco-friendly bathroom products

Always check the brand's website first! They should have transparent information on the materials and ingredients they use within their products. Another thing to look out for is sustainable packaging - is it refillable? is it plastic-free? Also, sustainable certifications are a good indicator (but, of course, just because a brand doesn't have one doesn't mean it isn't worth shopping). We make things easier for you by creating beauty listicles with our favorite brands. Finally, if you ever have a question about a product or brand, always feel free to contact them. Transparency is so crucial for sustainable brands!

our top picks for sustainable bathroom brands & products:

1. Nix Mouthwash

Eco-Friendly & Non-Toxic Mouthwash

This is honestly the best eco-friendly and non-toxic mouthwash I’ve tried!

It’s made with high-quality ingredients, without any alcohol or toxic chemicals. The bottle is refillable, too, making it very low waste & the perfect sustainable bathroom swap.

Plus, 10% of profits go toward providing dental care to underprivileged children in the U.S. and abroad.

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2. Grow Fragrance

Air Fresheners & Candles

Grow Fragrance is a North Carolina-based brand that creates certified 100% plant-based and toxin-free candles and air and fabric fresheners. It has a great selection of beautiful scents for every ambiance, including a few limited editions that you can only get at certain times of the year. With its perfumery expertise, Grow Fragrance only uses non-toxic, plant-based ingredients that are found in nature and relies on what is in season to come up with its limited editions. 

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3. THE POWDER SHAMPOO

Powder Formulated Shampoo & Body Wash

Are you looking for a completely plastic-free shampoo brand? THE POWDER SHAMPOO offers something unique to the beauty industry with its vegan, cruelty-free, powder-to-foam formulas.

Since no water is added to their formula, you can get way more washes out of a single bottle - one of their bottles is equivalent to FIVE bottles of liquid shampoo. In one 100g bottle you have over 100x washes!

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4. Green Eco Dream

Marketplace for hair, oral, & body care, cleaning products, and more

Green Eco Dream was created to help sustainable shopping grow by offering high-quality and reliable products that will have a positive impact on consumers’ lifestyles and the environment.

They have a wide range of eco-friendly products for the bathroom, from low-waste haircare and non-toxic body washes to men’s skincare, feminine care, cleaning products… and more!

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5. Nebia

Water-saving showerheads and PVC-free shower curtains

A great addition to any sustainable bathroom, Nebia’s sleek showerheads save up to 50% more water compared to a standard shower (with up to 60% more force—no slow flow here).

The Nebia by Moen Quattro showerhead comes with four different spray modes so you can change the pressure and feel for the kids or for extra-dirty messes. They’re also super easy to install and come with a lifetime warranty!

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6. Everist

Waterless Hair Product & Soap

Did you know most shampoos are more than 70% water, made from petrochemicals, and packed in single-use plastic? Everist saw a problem and has introduced the first waterless shampoo concentrate, a 100% plant-based paste-textured concentrate activated by the water in your shower. Not only is this a great way to reduce waste, but with 5 essential oils, your scalp will be left feeling refreshed. All their products are color-safe, vegan, and cruelty-free and free from parabens, sulfates, silicones, dyes, synthetic fragrances, and added preservatives!

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7. By Humankind

Zero-Waste Personal Care

By using products from by Humankind for just one year, you’ll save the planet up to 5 pounds of single-use plastic waste. They offer almost everything you need in personal care, from deodorants to mouthwash. This is a brand we use at home, & it’s so great. I especially love their hand sanitizers and always keep them on me. Once you finish an item, you order a refill, helping you cut down on plastic!!

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8. Delilah Home

Organic Cotton Towels

These soft towels are European-crafted and made of 100% organic cotton.

They are created with long-staple, 100% organic Turkish cotton, Global Organic Textile Standard Certified, spun into fine yarns, and loomed into long, two-ply, double loops making the most of the fiber’s extraordinary length. The extra-long loops make the towels highly absorbent, soft, and up to 50% thicker than most other towels. Talk about cozy and warm!

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9. EarthHero

A Curated Assortment of Eco-Goods for the Bathroom

This online shop has so much to offer in terms of eco-friendly goods.

From your office to your bathroom, there is something you can find that will make your oasis a little more green.

They have a great collection of bathroom goods like these sweet little bamboo and ceramic pieces.

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10. EcoRoots

Plastic-Free Bath and Beauty

I’m so happy to find more and more plastic-free stores becoming available and making zero-waste look really really good!! From rose gold safety razors (pictured here) to zero-waste dental kits, EcoRoots has much to fill your eco-friendly bathroom. They also always ship plastic-free with compostable, recyclable materials. Plus, they give 1% to Ocean Conservancy to preserve and protect our blue planet. Make sure to follow along with them on Instagram because they give great tips for living plastic-free!

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11. Made Trade

Curated Collection of Bathroom Goods

From bathrobes to shower curtains, Made Trade has a lot for you to choose from when decorating your bathroom. Their brands include popular ones like Coyuchi, Kiliim, & Anatoli Co.

I would love to have another Kiliim rug for my bathroom. Coyuchi is another brand you may have heard of that has luxurious bath towels and some beautiful colors and patterns to choose from.

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12. REEL

Bamboo Toilet Paper

One of the easiest eco-friendly switches you can make in your bathroom is toilet paper, and with 27,000 trees being cut down every day just for TP, it’s an essential switch.

Reel is made from bamboo! It grows much quicker than trees and uses less water. It’s also strong and soft, making excellent toilet paper. Plus, for each roll you purchase, they donate a single-use biodegradable toilet to someone in need.

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13. Under the Canopy

Organic Towels & Bath Robes

Under the Canopy's commitment to a cleaner planet and home goods industry is admirable.

They adhere to 6 kinds of certifications {FAIR TRADE, GOTS, OEKO-TEX, C2C, RCS & FSC}, and sustainability is at the forefront of their business model. All products are made ethically with eco-minded materials. Their waffle robe is a must have after your shower! We’ve been using their towels and robes for years, now.

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WANT MORE SUSTAINABLE BRANDS? VISIT OUR BRAND DIRECTORY!

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Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliated; we may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. We only ever add brands & products we truly believe in.

What is Viscose?

Viscose is a human-made material that’s partially synthetic, and made of trees. Sometimes it’s labelled as at least somewhat sustainable due to its woody beginnings, and other times, it’s called out as totally harmful for the planet – so how is viscose really made, and how does this process really impact the planet?

What is viscose used for?

Viscose is a fairly silky, draped fabric that is often used by brands seeking a cheaper version of animal-derived silk. In the realm of fashion, it’s common to see it in women’s blouses, skirts, and flowing dresses, and even making up partially synthetic velvet. 

It’s considered a lightweight and breathable material that maintains shape, is absorbent, soft and dye-fast. This makes it fabric that is widely used when it comes to printed fabrics and summer collections.

What is viscose made of?

Viscose is a cellulose material – like Tencel – meaning it is made from wood pulp. In the case of viscose, this ‘wood’ is from beech, pine, and eucalyptus trees much of the time, but it can also be made of bamboo and even soy or sugarcane.

One of the reasons Tencel is great is because of one particularly unsustainable aspect of viscose production: old-growth forest logging. Canopy, an organization dedicated to protecting forests, has found that for the production of viscose and rayon (essentially the same material), more than 200 million trees are logged each year. If these trees were placed end to end, they would circle our planet seven times! 

While Tencel uses wood from certified sustainably managed sources, this is too often not the case for viscose. Less than 20% of the world’s ancient forests remain in intact tracts large enough to maintain critical biological diversity. Yet, forests in Indonesia, Canada’s Boreal and temperate rainforests, and the Amazon are being logged for fast and even luxury fashion. In fact, it’s estimated that 30% of viscose and rayon used in fashion is made from endangered and ancient forests which once were home to native plants and animals. 

If fashion brands and people wearing viscose don’t know where the raw material behind it (the wood) is coming from, sadly, it may be from destroyed endangered forestry.

How is viscose normally made?

Once trees have been cut down, they are chopped into small pieces before being dissolved into a pulp. This is where viscose becomes semi-synthetic, as this is a very chemical-heavy process. Sodium hydroxide, carbon disulfide, and sulphuric acid are all used in this process and are all considered toxic.

Sodium hydroxide is highly irritating and corrosive, resulting in severe burns and permanent damage when it comes in contact with human tissue, including the eyes, which can also be permanently harmed and impaired due to exposure. In the case of carbon disulphide, evidence has suggested that exposure to this chemical by factory workers – as well as people living near viscose production facilities – can cause coronary heart disease, birth defects, skin conditions and even cancer. Meanwhile, sulphuric acid can cause severe skin burns, irritate the nose and throat, burn eyes, possibly cause blindness and difficulty breathing when inhaled by workers. 

These toxic chemicals – amongst others – are used together in order to dissolve the wood chips into pulp, clean and bleach the pulp, and treat the pulp so that the solution, known as ‘viscose’, is produced. This viscose solution is then run through a spinneret, a machine that creates filaments or fibers. Finally, this cellulosic fiber can be spun into yarn and then made into fabrics used in fashion. 

This chemical process can lead not only to poor health outcomes for workers, but often, to significant air and water pollution. Air emissions around viscose manufacturing facilities often include sulfur, nitrous oxide, carbon, disulfide, and hydrogen sulfide. 

Can viscose ever be made sustainably?

While viscose is biodegradable, meaning it won’t pile up in landfill for thousands of years like polyester or another completely synthetic fabric, this alone doesn’t mean that it is sustainable. Deforestation and chemical pollution are serious issues, and the process of making viscose can also be highly water intensive – from the watering of growing trees to the significant water requirements during processing. 

Fortunately, there are other ways to make viscose that are more sustainable. These processes are more expensive, so brands need to make clear commitments to prioritise the environment over profit, should they choose them. Since there’s no fashion if there’s no planet Earth, this should be an easy decision!

The previously mentioned Canopy non-profit produces an annual CanopyStyle report, which lays out the newest innovations and next-generation fibers in the textile space, that should allow us all to keep in line with set sustainability targets.

Certified Safer Logging

A great question to ask brands using viscose, is ‘where did the raw material come from?’. If brands can’t answer this for you, and if they can’t assure that the sourcing was responsible, according to a third-party accreditation, this is a real concern.

CanopyStyle offers brands plenty of information as to how they can source viscose responsibly. Brands that are a part of the CanopyStyle certification and program are also audited to ensure that ancient and endangered forests are protected from destruction. These better materials are considered ‘green-shirt’ rated.

Responsible, Closed-Loop Processing

Lenzing, the company that creates Tencel in a closed-loop system, also makes Ecovero, a viscose material derived from ‘certified renewable wood sources using an eco-responsible production process by meeting high environmental standards’.

Awarded the EU Ecolabel, Ecovero is manufactured with up to 50% fewer emissions and water impact than generic viscose. Importantly, Ecovero is also produced in a closed-loop, meaning that no harmful gases are released into the environment and are instead recovered, converted, and reused as raw materials.

Ecovero is made in a highly transparent supply chain, so brands can offer all the information that people deserve to know, about how this material was made, where, and from what.

Next-Generation Fibers, Made From Old Material

In order to combat deforestation, we cannot only rely on ‘sustainable sourcing’ of wood, from non-protected trees and forestry. We need to use less new raw materials in general. Fortunately, we don’t need to cut down so many trees in order to keep on making clothing.

Our current fashion system is one built upon overproduction, overconsumption, and waste. Because of this, more than an enormous 25 million tonnes of cotton and viscose textile waste is generated annually around the world. While we also need to slow down how we produce and consume, today, we can make use of this waste by creating viscose that is, at the very least, partially recycled. 

In fact, Canopy states that ‘all 6.5 million tonnes of viscose being produced this year could be made using only 25% of the world’s wasted and discarded cotton and viscose fabrics, thereby saving forests, reducing municipal and industrial waste to landfills, and reducing carbon emissions, energy, and water use.’ What an opportunity!

Brands using more sustainable viscose

There are plenty of brands working with both Canopy and Lenzing to ensure their viscose is more sustainable, and free from harm to precious biodiversity. Here are some of our favourites, that also ensure ethical production, when it comes to the people making their clothes.

Eileen Fisher

A trailblazing brand when it comes to transparency and ethics, Eileen Fisher has a collection of viscose and rayon styles that are largely sourced from responsibly managed, legally harvested forests. What’s more, the brand is supporting the research and development of recycled cellulose materials. The offerings from this brand, in cellulosic materials, include cardigans, pullovers, dresses, t-shirts, comfortable pants, and even velvet tops, dresses and jackets.

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Stella McCartney

This brand, famous for its animal-friendly refusal to use animal skins, is also committed to being a ‘zero-deforestation brand’. Since 2017, all viscose in Stella McCartney’s ready-to-wear collection has been from sustainably managed and certified forests in Sweden. Stella McCartney offers up a range of dresses, shorts, shirts, jackets, pants and co-ord suits in their more sustainable viscose material.

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Brava Fabrics

Showcased in our brand features this past Spring, Brava Fabrics creates beautiful patterns and colors on Ecovero shirts, pants, and skirts.

They ethically produce everything close to home in Spain and Portugal.

Brava Fabrics believe in fairness & transparency throughout the entire supply chain, so they keep a close relationship with all of their tailors.

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Amour Vert

Another great sustainable brand using Ecovero for lovely, vibrant prints and designs!

This brand uses a lot of sustainable fabrics like TENCEL, Organic Cotton, & Hemp - and it’s great to see a few Ecovero pieces thrown into the mix.

Amour Vert makes 97% of their clothing right here in the US, and their packaging is eco-friendly & compostable.

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Tamga Designs

TAMGA offers beautiful feminine clothing with colorful & vibrant designs. Whether you’re lounging around the house in one of their silky soft robes or headed out to a party in one of their evening dresses, you’ll love the way their fabrics and designs feel and look.

Everything is made ethically in Indonesia from sustainable materials like TENCEL, EcoVero, and French Linen.

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About the Author
Emma Håkansson is the founder and director of Collective Fashion Justice which seeks to create a total ethics fashion system that prioritizes the life and wellbeing of non-human & human animals, as well as the planet, before profit & production. She has written countless articles on ethics, sustainability, and fashion, and has two books due out over the next two years.

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The Best Eco-Friendly & Sustainable Slippers

After a long day out, it’s nice to come home to a pair of cozy slippers. But wouldn’t it be even better if your slippers were made from eco-friendly materials and by people who were paid fairly for their work?

what to look for when shopping for sustainable slippers

When it comes to sustainable slippers, there are many things to look for - Who makes them? What are they made from? Can you wear them for years to come? Transparency is essential when shopping sustainably, and if your questions can’t be answered easily on the brand’s website, you may want to look elsewhere.

Popular Eco-Friendly Materials Used in Sustainable Slippers

Many slippers listed below are made from wool, rubber & leather since they hold up well over time, and recycled plastics. You can also find a few up-cycled materials. My favorite Chilote slippers are made with up-cycled salmon leather & the entire shoe’s materials are locally sourced and support local artisans. All brands below source their materials sustainably as possible and create a beautiful, well-made slipper!

Our Favorite Sustainable Slippers for 2023:

1) Salmon Leather Slippers

Brand | Chilote

Price | $84

Material | Wool, Leather

Their most popular slippers have been recognized with multiple international design awards - and I have a pair, and love them. These slippers are 100% handmade ethically by artisan women in Patagonia using only natural sheep wool and up-cycled salmon leather, all locally sourced making it easy on the planet.

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2) Mel Slippers

Brand | Baabuk

Price | $79

Material | Wool & Rubber

Colors | Pink, Grey, Purple, Navy, Light Blue, Orange, Yellow & Green

A comfortable pair of slippers that are also easy on the planet. The wool is long-lasting, & each pair is handmade with a traditional felting, and the natural latex soles & glue are sustainably harvested.

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3) Mediterranean Organic Room Shoes

Brand | Coyuchi

Price | on sale for $24

Material | Organic Cotton

Colors | Light Blue, Grey

Inspired by Japanese Uwabaki house slippers, these room shoes are washable and designed for indoor comfort. The inside is lined with their best selling Cloud Loom terry for extra comfort.

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4) Tengries Slippers

Brand | Kyrgies

Price | $89

Material | Wool, Leather

Colors | Oatmeal, Charcoal, Navy, Orange, Plum, Grey

These slippers are made with centuries-old heritage techniques by the best wool felters in the world - women artisans in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. They use super soft & pliable wool and feature a midsole orthopedic sole for extra comfort.

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5) House Loafers

Brand | Dooeys

Price | $128

Material | Plant-Based, Recycled Materials

Colors | Black, Grey, Beige, Cinnamon

These slippers are great if you have hardwood floors or tiles at home!

Plus, they are vegan, and feature a vegan apple leather upper, recycled polyester suede sides, recycled lining, natural latex and cork insoles, and sugarcane soles.

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6) SeaChange Slipper

Brand | SeaVees

Price | $65

Material | Recycled Polyester Fleece, Natural Rubber

Colors | Blue, Leopard, Light Purple, Grey & Ivory

SeaChange is their most responsible collection, each style made with recycled materials. They are also vegan and give back $1 to their partner SeaTrees, a non-profit working to restore global coastal ecosystems and ocean health.

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7) Classic Turkish Cotton Slippers

Brand | Parachute

Price | $39

Material | Cotton, Rubber

Colors | Blush, Grey, White, Moss

If you want a more affordable option, these basic cotton slippers from Parachute (made to match their Classic Turkish Cotton Robe) are OEKO-TEX Certified and come with climate-neutral shipping.

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8) Patellie Bamboo Slipper

Brand | Thought

Price | $20

Material | Organic Cotton, Bamboo

These bamboo slipper socks from UK-based brand Thought are so sweet! If you can’t decide between comfy socks or slippers, this is the perfect solution. Thought is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), a leading alliance of companies, trade unions, & NGOs that promotes respect for workers’ rights worldwide.

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9) Wool House Shoes

Brand | Nootkas

Price | $94

Material | New Zealand Merino Wool, Suede Sole

Colors | Oatl, Charcoal, Heather Grey, Wine

These slippers have a barefoot/zero-drop construction for better posture and joint alignment, and they are great for wood floors with their soft suede outsole. The colors are made using non-toxic AZO-free dye, and each pair is crafted in a Fair Trade Certified facility in Nepal. 

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10) Wool Baby Booties

Brand | Silk Road Bazaar

Price | $27

Material | Wool

Too cute not to mention in this post! Find over 20 different animals, from dinosaurs to bumble bees. Each pair is ethically made in Kyrgyzstan with 100% locally sourced sheep’s wool.

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Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliated; we may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. We only ever add brands & products we truly believe in. Thank you for supporting the brands who are making the world a better place!

9 Brands making Eco-Friendly & Sustainable Baskets

Storage is something we always need in our homes whether it is a place to put your kid’s toys, bills, collectables, books, blankets or more. When buying household storage many people think of Target, Amazon, Ikea or another big-name brand first. What you might not realize is you can get beautiful, practical storage from many sustainable fair-trade businesses that support women artisans and local economies. Let us introduce you to some great brands for baskets that will beautify your home while doing good.

What Types of Materials and Certifications To Look For

Baskets can be made from just about anything from plastic to fabric to grasses. Look for materials such as those that are sourced locally where the baskets are made, are organic, naturally sustainable like bamboo, use no to few pesticides, are biodegradable, use natural dyes, or are recycled. Palm leaves, banana leaves, and local grasses like sisal are really common in baskets. If they are sourced locally, handmade, and grown without heavy pesticide use these materials are a highly sustainable option. Definitely avoid plastic that is not recycled, mass produced palm baskets, and non-organic cotton.

Transparency of the production process and treatment of the artisans making your home storage is a very important factor to consider when shopping for baskets. Many baskets might look like they are authentically made by artisans from other countries, when in fact they are produced using cheap labor in not so great working conditions. Fair Trade certifications help ensure the beauty in what you are buying is also creating a beautiful life for someone else. A brand sharing specifics about their artisans, production processes and labor practices is also a good sign of humane treatment. All of the brands featured here carry at least some Fair Trade made baskets.

Now, our top picks for sustainable baskets:

1) Obakki

Types of baskets: A couple dozen storage and decorative baskets that are versatile enough to use for anything from laundry to planters

Common Materials: Sisal, palm leaves, wicker, banana leaves, and natural dyes

Obakki’s baskets make me think of versatility – style and colors that would complement nearly every home.

I would love one of their bowls on my kitchen table filled with fruit.

Obakki’s model is different as they purchase products directly from their artisan partners at above market prices and reinvest profits into their partner’s businesses and communities through their foundation. Their items are made in small batches using only local materials to reduce waste and the environmental impact of production. They provide information on the artisans for each product, ensuring transparency.

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2) Ten Thousand Villages

Types of baskets: Over 50 choices in everything from storage, to décor, to bowls, to hamper baskets, to kids storage, to bread baskets, and even a bike basket.

Common Materials: Recycled cotton, palm leaves, wire and thread, grass, banana stalks, and natural dyes

Ten Thousand Villages has an abundance of basket selections with a variety of price points to suit nearly every home. No matter your need, you should be able to find a basket or two (or more) you love on their site.

Ten Thousand Villages is a pioneer of Fair Trade, and of the maker‑to‑market movement that breaks the cycle of generational poverty. They have the most transparent and educational information on fair trade practices I have seen. They focus on the use of locally sourced, recycled and renewable materials in their products. Most baskets are handmade, which reduces waste. They even hold workshops on how to creatively re-use products and minimize waste in the supply chain.

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3) Made Trade

Types of baskets: Around 50 baskets for everything from storage, laundry, round bowls, décor, hampers, planters, and even a bassinet.

Materials: Seagrass, jute, locally sourced, handmade, recycled cotton, recycled thread, grass, recycled plastic, and food safe dyes

Made Trade has classic neutral baskets, as well as some unique patterns and colors sure to be showcase pieces in any home. Made Trade is a woman owned, family run company right here in my area – Portland Oregon.

Shopping is easy as they have options to shop by Fair Trade, sustainability, women owned, POC owned, Made in USA and more. Made Trade’s products are sourced locally, and they provide transparent information about each brand and how their artisans are treated. Nice bonus, Made Trade is certified climate neutral due to carbon emission offsets and conservation projects to which they contribute.

use code SUSTAINABLYCHIC for $20 off your first order of $150+

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4) The Citizenry

Types of baskets: Over a dozen baskets of various sizes for storage, décor and laundry

Materials: Hand woven palm leaves, chocolatillo, paja tetera, and leather handles

The Citizenry has some of the most elegant baskets I have seen, elevating them beyond function to statement decor. I would call the style luxurious boho.

The baskets come individually or in sets, making it easy to mix and match. All the baskets have handles and some come with lids.

Their baskets are almost all handwoven and Fair Trade certified, with artisan information provided for each product. The baskets are made in small batches, reducing the chance of waste. The Citizenry travel to each country where their products are produced and build relationships with their artisans – how cool is that.

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5) Shades of Green

Types of baskets: Storage, waste baskets, and laundry hampers

Common Materials: Biodegradable palm fiber, grass, and natural dyes

Shades of Green’s baskets are beautiful and classic styles that will compliment nearly every home. I love the two-tone style of their baskets in particular. Shades of Green not only specializes in high quality products for homes and workplaces, they also offer design consultation services.

All of their products are put through a 5-tier evaluation scale ensuring you know the quality and sustainability of your selections. Shopping is easy too, as you can shop by material, price range and color. I appreciate that Shades of Green is transparent about their production processes and treatment of the artisans they partner with.

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6) Goodee World

Types of baskets: Around 30 baskets for storage, laundry, decoration, and bikes.

Common Materials: Grass, leather handles, straw, palm fibers

Goodee World has some of the most unique baskets I have found, amongst the already uniqueness you find in the fair trade market. Their unstructured type baskets from the Baba Tree brand are one of my favorites. They also have many classic style baskets that would fit most homes.

Goodee is a BIPOC owned company and B Corp certified, meeting the highest standards of benefiting people and the planet. They require all of their brand partners to report on the materials used, supply chain, labor standards, ecological footprint and business practices ensuring transparency and alignment to their values.

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7) Serrv International

Types of baskets: Over 50 baskets including a large selection of decorative baskets, storage, planters and even a vase.

Common materials: Banana fibers, rafia, elephant grass, rope, leaves, jute, and leather wrapped handles

Serrv’s baskets are really colorful and designed to authentically reflect the culture of their artisan partners, which makes them even more eye-catching. They will be statement pieces in your house.

Serrv is one of the first fair trade organizations in the world. They have worked with over 8,000 artisans from around the world to ensure fair trade practices for their products since 1949. When shopping for products on their site they share stories and pictures about the artisans that make the products. Serrv ensures their artisans have regular orders and advanced payment so their uses of resources are reliable and little is wasted. Finally, they clearly outline the causes each purchase supports.

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8) Indego Africa

Types of baskets: Approximately a dozen storage and tote baskets

Common Materials: Sweetgrass, palm leaf, bolga straw, elephant swamp grass, banana leaf, organic yarn, and dyes from flowers, fruit and vegetable material.

If you are looking for adorable baskets with handles to easily tote around, Indego Africa is the place for you.

They are neutral colors with cute details like shells and colored handles.

Indego Africa partners with women artisans from Rwanda and Ghana to create locally sourced handmade baskets that keep true to the history and beautiful craftsmanship of traditional African artistry. They further support their artisans by investing profits into their education. Indego Africa also focuses on sustainability through using recycled and upcycled materials, repurposed fabric scraps, and other salvaged textiles. Finally, I love that Indego Africa has a very diverse executive team.

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9) Aziz Life

Types of baskets: Approximately 20 choices for storage, planters, dividers, serving trays, and a tote

Common Materials: Banana leaves, sisal, papyrus, natural dyes, and woven tassels

Aziz Life’s divider baskets and storage sets are so versatile because you can mix and match your storage needs.

The base of each basket are neutral colors with some flair in the pattern.

They have cute tassels that you can purchase separately and add to most of the baskets so you can change up the style to suit your mood. Many of the baskets come with a detailed story of who made the basket, how long it takes to make and how it is made. Aziz partners with over 30 rural artisan groups in Rwanda to ensure economic security, traditional designs, humane conditions and even honoring of their spiritual beliefs. They have a handful of impact projects they focus on supporting with their sales and you can read about each one on their site.

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About the Contributor: Mindy Redburn-Smoak has enjoyed a 20+ year career in corporate learning as a consultant, designer, and manager. She is passionate about sustainable living, family, travel, and dog rescue. She has been on a mission to live more sustainably for several years, and loves the journey of learning and trying new things in this space. She is on another journey pursuing her dream of writing about things she is passionate about and that can make a difference in the world. The best way to connect with Mindy is via email at mredsmoak@gmail.com.

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A GUIDE TO COMMUNITY SOLAR

One of the most dramatic steps we can take to reduce our carbon footprint is to power our homes with clean energy. Unfortunately, because the question of what counts as “clean” energy is such a contentious and complex issue, figuring out how to make the best choice for the planet, as well as for your home and budget, can be an overwhelming task. Researching the options, it can feel like there isn’t a perfect or totally “green” solution, but there are certainly some types of energy that are better for the environment than others.

Solar technology, for example, has been going through some big innovations recently; one major development in recent years is that it’s now becoming more commonly available, even to people who can’t install solar panels on their homes. A new report from the Energy Department suggests that while solar energy currently provides 3% of US electricity, it could provide 40% by 2035, and, combined with wind energy, meet 90% of US electricity needs by 2050. For that to happen, though, the solar energy capabilities (as in, the number of panels installed nation-wide) of the US would need to increase substantially.

What are the most sustainable options for home energy?

Renewable energy, sometimes referred to as green or clean energy, comes from renewable sources; unlike finite natural resources like oil, coal, and other carbon-based fossil fuels that aren’t naturally renewed quickly enough to meet human demand, renewable resources don’t deplete the earth’s supply and also don’t add to climate change because they don’t emit carbon dioxide. In 2020, carbon-emitting non-renewable fossil fuels accounted for approximately 79 per cent of the total primary energy production of the USA. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, greenhouse gas emissions in the USA in 2019 were 13 percent below their 2005 levels; we’re slowly seeing a shift in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go.

There are various different renewable energy options out there, all with their pros and cons, including wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, and solar energy. It’s important to note that renewable energy sources can have very serious downsides of their own; hydro-power dams and wind turbines can have a negative impact on local wildlife and ecosystems, for example. Some energy companies will claim they use renewable or sustainable energy because they use nuclear energy, which, while renewable, is arguably one of the most dangerous and environmentally harmful forms of energy there is because of the amount of toxic waste it creates, and the potential for large-scale accidents if there’s a fault or failure at a nuclear power plant.

The good news, however, is that there are some incredible innovations in clean energy happening around the world. One example is how communities in India are using biogas digesters to turn food waste into a source of energy for electricity; a stroke of genius that helps reduce landfill, cut waste disposal and energy costs, and reduce emissions. The biogas digesters are expensive, but have reportedly been installed in more than 75 locations across India.

Until innovations like this become more commonly available, solar energy is arguably one of the easiest forms of renewable energy to adopt, which is why the US government has been focusing on it so much in their plans to shift away from fossil fuels. 

There are a number of things that hold people back from embracing rooftop solar energy, perhaps the largest roadblock being that solar panels take up a lot of space, and need big batteries to store energy and provide a constant supply. Not everyone has enough (or any) viable roof space to make it work, and the fact that you need to have a good credit score to install solar panels, as well as needing to be a homeowner rather than a renter, means that generating your own solar energy is usually a luxury for the privileged few.

I’m lucky enough to live in a beautiful cottage in the UK that dates back several hundred years, and while I love the fact that it’s full of character and history, it unfortunately means that we can’t get permission from the local authorities to install solar panels on the roof because of the historical significance of our home (the intrusive appearance of solar panels are still one of the biggest downsides of solar energy for many people). Until recently, I thought this meant that we wouldn’t be able to use solar energy to provide our home’s electricity—that is, until I came across the concept of community solar.

image from Arcadia

What is community solar?

Community solar projects provide diverse local communities with solar energy, even if they can’t install solar panels at home. Community solar projects make it possible for people who don’t own a home, or don’t have a home with viable roof space, to fund a local solar energy farm that in turn provides them with clean energy for their home at a reduced price. 

There are various dedicated community solar projects around the US (and worldwide) you can subscribe to if you’re not able to install your own solar panels at home, and more and more mainstream energy companies are developing ways for their users to opt for solar energy these days, too. 

According to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, as of 2020 about a third of states in the US had enabling policies for community solar in place to encourage and support the growth of community solar projects, so there’s reason to hope that projects like this will grow and become more readily available in the near future.

How does community solar work?

To power your home via community solar power, you have to first sign up to a local community power project and pay a monthly subscription for membership or shares in that solar farm. One community solar project can provide power for hundreds, even thousands, of homes in the local area.

As Joel Gamoran, Vice President & General Manager of Energy Services at Arcadia explains, “As a community solar program member, you subscribe to a number of solar panels in a solar garden that supplies energy to your community.” Your subscription helps fund the installation of the solar panels at the solar farm or “solar garden”, and then you pay your monthly utilities bill on top of that (generally very low) subscription fee. Essentially, your subscription helps crowdfund the solar panels, and gives you money off the clean energy that those panels produce.

Does subscribing to a community solar project save money or cost more?

According to Arcadia, signing up for a community solar project actually saves you money and reduces your monthly utilities bill. “Installing large solar gardens allows solar developers to achieve lower setup costs and a lower average cost per watt that they can ultimately pass down to community solar subscribers whose subscriptions help fund the upfront cost of the installation,” Joel Gamoran told Sustainably Chic. “Every single project we manage at Arcadia is at a 5-10% savings to the traditional local utility rate.”

Meanwhile, the Solar Energy Industries Association reports that utilities using solar energy have now reached a point where they are “competitive with all other forms of [energy] generation.”

Pros of community solar:

There are many benefits to using community solar as your home’s energy source:

• Solar power (energy derived from the sun) is renewable energy that doesn’t create carbon dioxide by-product as that energy is generated, although it’s important to remember that the materials for the technology has to be responsibly and sustainably mined and disposed of to be considered fully sustainable.

• Solar energy projects can be installed on land that needs to lie fallow before being used for crops, and won’t make permanent changes to the landscape or harm local wildlife while they’re there.

• One of the biggest benefits of community solar projects is that it makes solar energy accessible for people living in low income communities. “Not all households have access to clean energy,” Joel Gamoran points out. “In fact, two out of three renters, apartment dwellers and homeowners in the U.S. don't have access to or can't afford rooftop solar, including poor and BIPOC communities… Community solar will help democratize the transition to clean energy.” Anyone living in the locality of a community solar project can use this solar energy, regardless of their economic status or living situation—community solar projects mean that you don’t even need a roof to access solar energy anymore. 

• The developers at the solar farm are responsible for the installation and maintenance of the solar panels, and they guarantee that your electricity supply won’t cut out.

• Generally, once a community solar project starts generating energy, it also starts generating savings which you, as a subscriber, will see reflected in lower energy bills.

  Cons of community solar:

  So, what are the downsides to community solar (and solar energy more generally)? If you’re thinking this all sounds too good to be true, here are some potential cons to consider:

• Community solar projects are, by nature, very localized. This means that not everyone will have access to a community solar project if there aren’t any running in their local area. As the concept of community solar catches on and our awareness of the importance of clean energy grows, however, you can expect to find more options near you, so keep an eye out for new projects near you, and find out what community solar projects are available near you using Arcadia’s zip code checker.

• As a subscriber to a community solar project, you won’t get the tax benefits that owners of personal rooftop solar panels get. 

• Solar energy requires large amounts of space—big surface areas—for solar panels to collect and store the energy generated from sunlight in batteries. The best practice for large-scale solar energy projects is to find multiple ways to use the land, for example by positioning solar panels such that animals can be let out to graze underneath and in between panels.

• Many people have concerns that solar panels are unsightly—though, they’re arguably less unsightly than a traditional electrical power plant. It can be hard to get permission to install solar panels on protected land or historical buildings.

• Solar panels (and other “eco” technologies, including electric cars) require batteries which have a limited life and have to be disposed of very carefully, because they contain materials and substances that are harmful for the environment. According to the Institute of Energy Research, batteries are expensive to recycle. The US doesn’t currently have systems in place to recycle this kind of technology on a large scale, meaning that as more people opt for solar energy, we also have to campaign for adequate local recycling facilities.

The most striking downside of solar energy in general does seem to be the tech waste that it produces, especially as newer and more effective models of solar panels are developed and people inevitably want to replace perfectly functional panels for the latest model. Some estimates suggest that there’ll be well over 70 million tons of solar panel waste worldwide by 2050. It’s not all bad news, though; Bloomberg reports that the market for used solar panels is growing fast, and that re-used solar panels are already powering communities in the developing world.

All in all, switching to clean energy via a community solar project is an easy and affordable positive step to take for the environment (as long as there’s one available in your area), and will dramatically reduce your household’s carbon footprint. As we work towards a carbon neutral world, supporting solar energy, and campaigning for more innovation and transparency in the clean energy industries, is one major way to live a more sustainable life.

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About the Author

Sophie Caldecott is a freelance writer living in a cottage on the edge of the moor in the South-West of England. She writes about grief, empathy, ethical fashion, and the things that connect us and make us human. You’ll most likely find her cozied up by the fire with a mug of hot chocolate and a good book.

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