5 Sustainable DTC Brands to Look Out For
Quick Summary Sustainability is a concept that's on many consumers' minds as they shop. These direct-to-consumer brands have taken notice.
The trend of practicing sustainable and environmentally friendly habits has wooed customers into choosing more "Green" brands. There are plenty of places to look when it comes to helping the earth, such as analyzing your company's energy usage, where and how your materials are sourced, and how much water is used to keep your company up and running.
Below is a list of five sustainable direct-to-consumer brands that are leading the movement towards innovation and sustainability.
1. Eileen Fisher
“We want our clothes back." Eileen Fisher created a sustainable fashion initiative to discourage fast fashion. Using 100% cotton materials for durable long-lasting products, Eileen Fisher wanted to reduce wasteful purchasing.
This began with a commitment: any consumer who purchases Eileen Fisher products, worn out or torn, can return them to any location to be recycled. The fabric is then made into new designs continuing the cycle of sustainability.
2. 4Ocean
This brand focuses on the "business for good" model by donating funds from products sold to their global ocean cleanup operation. 4Ocean sells bracelets, apparel, and even face mask supports, with the mission of creating a community of customers who consistently show their support for a cleaner earth.
From 2017 to 2021, their cleanup crew has recovered 14,763,065 pounds of trash from the ocean. Their best-selling products include reusable travel straws, t-shirts with their logo, and bamboo utensil sets.
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3. Seventh Generation
Seventh Generation launched as a digitally native brand in 2017. The brand sparked attention for its niche product line of eco-friendly products, giving consumers a less harmful alternative for traditional household products.
Seventh Generation uses plant-based sustainable ingredients in all of their products. Unlike their competitors, Seventh Generation wants transparency amongst their community and therefore lists all of their ingredients on the bottle. The company continues to develop new sustainable solutions for its products, proving its ongoing dedication to saving the earth.
4. Everlings
The diamond industry has long been criticized for its unethical sourcing practices. Everling, a jewelry brand, wanted to rebrand this negative stigma around diamonds.
“Diamonds are forever” is a true statement, but Evernlig only uses diamonds that are recycled or ethically sourced. Their eco-friendly practices extend to using only recycled metals offering the option of mix metal bands alongside pure metals.
5. Allbirds
Producing “shoes made from trees”, Allbirds set out to make the most comfortable shoes on earth made from the earth. The company is one of the few footwear brands to be FSC Certified, meaning they use materials with strict guidelines on natural material consumption. The shoe's materials include natural wool from New Zealand, tree fiber incorporated in the shoes, sugarcane for their memory foam inserts, and only recycled plastic for the aglets.
To ensure a limited carbon footprint, this sustainable brand offered long-term contracts to encourage suppliers to create more sustainable practices. Allbirds took sustainability a step forward by presenting their packaging with recycled cardboard. The brand wants to inspire all its customers to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Take away
Customers want to know their purchases are not directly pushing the world closer to climate change, and also that they're actually preventing climate change from getting even worse. Making the change to become a more sustainable direct-to-consumer brand has allowed these companies to make a difference all in while creating a unique selling point consumers support.
