Where I Go to Find Eco-friendly Yoga & Activewear

Where I Go to Find Eco-friendly Yoga & Activewear

by | May 8, 2021 | Sustainability

Today I’m doing a quick roundup of some of my favorite eco-friendly yoga and activewear. It’s easy to go to TJMaxx and pay $9.99 for a pair of leggings- trust me I’ve done it many times, but as I slowly build a more conscious closet I make a greater effort to only purchase from ethical and sustainable brands. It’s tempting to have a stack of 20 leggings to choose from, but my hope is that we can start to shift away from wanting lots of items that are cheap and quickly disposed of, in favor of fewer pieces that we can feel good about purchasing. I always say we vote with our dollars every day. I don’t want my dollars going to support practices that I don’t ethically support.

 

My Favorite Eco-Friendly Yoga & Activewear Brands

Outdoor Voices

I absolutely love what Outdoor Voices stands for, their transparency and their high quality pieces that are made to last.. Outdoor Voices is an eco-friendly yoga & activewear brand focused on protecting the environment. They do this through their use of sustainable materials such as fabrics made from recycled PET, ethically-sourced and recycled wool,  and cotton certified by Better Cotton Initiative. In addition, they focus on sustainable packaging that is both recycled and recyclable such as reusable totes in lieu of paper or plastic bags, 100% recycled paper envelopes/recyclable boxes and replacing poly bags (the plastics that protect clothing in-transit) with paper alternatives.

Girlfriend Collective

One of my most worn pair of leggings is most definitely my Girlfriend Collective Leggings. Partly becuase of the handy pocket for my phone which is essential on long walks with my dog, but also becuase of how comfortable they are. They are thick enough to feel sturdy and high quality, but soft enough to be able to lounge in.  Girlfriend Collective is known for making their leggings out of recycled water bottles, but that’s not the only sustainable initiative they focus on. Their tees and tanks are 100% cupro, a fiber made from waste the cotton industry leaves behind and the yarn in their pieces is made in a zero-waste, zero-emission facility. Some leggings are even made from recycled fishing nets and other waste using their ECONYL® yarn. Their manufacturing operation adheres to super strict regulations that keep factory employees well-paid, safe, and living healthy lives. And their fabric is dyed with eco-friendly dyes and the wastewater is cleaned and cooled before it is released. Ethical manufacturing, sustainable fabrics, and eco friendly production methods, are just a few of the reasons I highly recommend Girlfriend Collective. 

Eco friendly Yoga & Activewear Brands

Boden

Boden is another brand to look into if you are looking to be more eco-friendly. I haven’t actually added to my wordrobe with any items from Boden yet, but I have a long list of “wanted” items that are all from Boden, so it’s only a matter of time. While it appears that boden makes clothing on a large scale with many items offered each season (which is usually not something I look favorably upon) I do appreciate the sustaiable measures they are taking within their brand.  These include swimwear fabrics that are made from ECONYL® which is a regenerated fabric creatred from ocean plastics/waste. Packaging that is made from recycled materials. As far as fair labor goes, all manufacturing partners are “ethically audited” and support ethical practices. Boden’s offices and warehouses are zero waste, and they pledge to use 100% sustainable sourced materials for fabrics within the next 4 years. All those factored in, I feel comfortable making purchases from Boden without feeling uneasy about where my dollars are going. 

Fabletics

I think Fabletics is on the right track and is beginning to make efforts toward using more sustainable fabrics and practcices that reduce waste and carbom emissions, but they don’t win major points in this just yet. Fabletics is mainly an e-commerse business which is inherantly more eco friendly than physical stores, however the few stores they do have are all carbon neutral, use sustainable packaging with recycled polybags, recycled mailers, and reusable shopping totes. Some of their styles are made with recycled and upcycled materials such as transforming recycled plastic bottles into fiber, which has kept over 24 billion discarded bottles out of landfills. They definitely could expand a lot in this area so they are one to watch in the coming years. I am careful to spot greenwashing campaigns so this onw we will have to wait and see but I thought I would still mention it here. 

Shop all my favorites!

Just a friendly reminder the items I have linked here are affiliate links that I use to help support the time I dedicate to researching and writing for you all. This is NOT a sponsored post and I was not gifted any of these items. I only share products here that I either use myself, or hope to purchase one day because I either LOVE what the brand stands for or find the product conducive to living well and sustainably. This is no extra expense to you, just a way for brands to say “thanks, Caroline!” when I send my readers their way. You can read more about it in my affiliate disclaimer. 

Find this post helpful? Pin it & share it!

Low Waste Living is Easier Than You Think: Here’s How to Do It

Low Waste Living is Easier Than You Think: Here’s How to Do It

by | Apr 20, 2021 | Sustainability

A great way to take charge of your environmental footprint is to focus on how to reduce your trash and waste. Zero waste is a major buzzword these days but I hesitate to use it here because for the majority of people it’s not going to be a realistic goal in the long term. The concept of going “Zero-Waste” creates a very black and white view of sustainability that says either go zero waste or don’t bother trying at all. I think it’s great that there are people out there who can fit an entire year’s worth of trash into a mason jar, but for the rest of us for whom that’s not a realistic option there are some easy and long lasting ways we can reduce our trash. So let’s call it Low Waste Living. 

Here in the Bloom and Spark community we’re all about discovering ways we can create a more mindful and intentional life in a realistic way. Because I’m not perfect and I certainly don’t do things perfectly, it’s important for me to share how I work sustainability into my life in a realistic, and often imperfect, way. I encourage you to do things that work for your particular lifestyle. There’s no purpose in adopting an extreme way of doing things that you don’t see yourself doing it for the long term. Trying to go zero waste when you know it’s not going to last is akin to doing a crash diet, when you have no intention of cleaning up your eating habits for the long term. 

Remember, you don’t have to do everything perfectly to make low waste living a part of your life. Some areas that aren’t practical for your life or your family will not be perfectly low waste and that’s ok. Maybe you have a baby and cloth diapers are just not a realistic option for your busy schedule, get the disposable diapers and make eco friendly choices in another area of your life. Or perhaps you live in a city and have a very small kitchen so you get a lot of takeout. You can see if certain restaurants let you bring your own takeout containers, or you can continue to get takeout and cut down on your trash in other ways. If you are making changes in other areas and doing them for the long term that makes a difference.

What I am hoping to shed some light on is the concept of low waste living, which to me means making changes that are realistic for us and our families that will be long lasting, and it means being mindful of the amount of waste we produce. Every time you open that trash can think “can I reduce my use of this item? Can I repair or reuse this before I throw it away? Can I recycle it? Can it be composted?” If the answer to all those questions is no, then in the trash it goes. If one of those questions can be answered with a “yes” or even a “posssibly” then you have the perfect opportunity to practice low waste living!

 

Here are 5 Great Ways to Start Practicing Low Waste Living

 

Water bottles

Unless you live in an area with truly unsafe drinking water (and unfortunately those places still exist in this country) there’s no reason you should be using a plastic water bottle. Get yourself a pretty reusable water bottle and fill it up at the beginning of each day. I never leave home without mine, whether it’s to go to a yoga class or run errands. Remember friends, the goal isn’t perfect, if you use your reusable water bottle 80% of the time that’s still a lot of plastic water bottles you’ve saved from a landfill. Don’t beat yourself up if you forget it once in a while as you are developing this habit. These things take time but it pays in the long run. 

 

Coffee cups

Leave a reusable coffee mug or to-go mug in your office or in your car. You could also put it next to your reusable water bottle on the counter each day so you remember to take it with you. This doesn’t mean you can’t get your beloved Starbucks on your lunch break, just bring your reusable mug. *I should note that during the Covid-19 Pandemic many places have stopped allowing the use of reusable coffee mugs to avoid cross contamination, which is obviously important, but whenever you can bring your reusable mug, even if you are only using it half of the time, that’s still a lot of trash you’ve saved. Look at you being all low waste! 

 

Reusable shopping bags

Let’s also lump produce bags into this one. Why would I make the effort to take reusable grocery bags to the store, then use the plastic produce bags for all my fruits and veggies? Sillyness is what it is! I also want to say that these are not just for the grocery store anymore. Have a couple of canvas totes in your car or fold up bags in your purse to take whenever you go out shopping. Of course this is a habit that won’t develop over night. What I’ve done to make it easier is whenever I am done emptying my groceries I take my reusable grocery bags and put them by the door so the next time I go into my car I take them with me. Also be realistic, the whole point of a bag is if you have a lot of things it’s easier to carry. But if you only bought one or two things in a store you don’t actually need a bag at all. So if I can carry what I bought in my hands I the cashier “no bag please.”

 

Straws

Straws are easy to avoid because the majority of us don’t actually need them. Maybe for thick smoothies and for people with disabilities straws are a necessity, but for most of us they’re just not needed. Good restaurants will ask you if you want a straw, always refuse, or beat them to the punch and order your drink sans straw. 

Compost

For a long time I though “If food waste can decompose it doesn’t matter if it’s in a landfill or a compost bin so what’s the point of composting?” Here’s the hard truth: food waste that goes into the landfill that could have been composted is actually more harmful than the other trash you throw away because it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as it decomposes. A whopping 40% of landfills are food waste that could have been diverted into compost. If you aren’t composting think of other ways you can repurpose food scraps like making a broth or using them as natural dye.

 

Remember this is a marathon, not a sprint. If this seems overwhelming to you maybe you pick one area from this list to try to implement for the next few months. I try to do a decent job in all of these areas but there are some in which I am definitely not perfect. When I’m feeling lazy I throw food scraps into the trash, and sometimes I forget to bring my reusable coffe mug and bags when I go out. The big picture is that when we make these habits a part of our every day lives we are doing two things: 1) Reducing the amount of waste we leave on this planet, and 2) Teaching the younger generations (because you know kids watch how we do everything) eco friendly habits that they will carry with them for their whole lives. 

Shop the Post

WordPress or Squarespace: Which is Better for You?

WordPress or Squarespace: Which is Better for You?

by | Apr 18, 2021 | Web Design

This is one of the most common questions I get asked from friends, clients, and people in general when they find out I design on both platforms. Truthfully I like both, but for very different reasons. It’s easy for me to recommend one over the other to someone when I know what some of their priorities are. 

So below I’ve outlined some of the main priorities people have and what platform is best based on that priority. I’ll be talking about ease of use, pricing, customizability,  time/effort/maintenance, and customer service. I will continue to add to this post as I experience more priorities so save this post and come back to it in the future. 

Ease of use: Squarespace!

The customer experience and going through the process of creating a website is as easy as it possibly could be. WordPress can be difficult for beginners. So if you are not tech savvy or just don’t want to take the time to learn everything and go through all the steps to create and launch a site on wordpress, then go with Squarespace. With wordpress you have to buy your domain name, find a hosting service, install wordpress, buildout wordpress, upload themes, upload plugins, secure the site, design the site. Etc. 

 

Pricing: WordPress, but it depends on a few factors…

Squarespace pricing is a little more expensive. Hosting: $12-$40 per month depending on which plan you go with. Domain: the first year of your domain name will be free, then it’s $20/year after that. WordPress: wordpress itself is free but you need to get a hosting service and domain name from a separate provider. Each provider will have a different price so it will take more time to shop around and find the price that is right for you, but the flip side of that is you can shop around and find the best price for you. Site ground, Blue Host, Host Gator. It can also be complicated when you have your domain and hosting through different providers. That is another can of worms. 

 

Customizability: WordPress

WordPress has a ton of customization features because it’s open source, that means that themes and plugins are created by independent third parties and are virtually endless. There are infinite options. Squarespace has around a hundred themes and maybe 30 plugins. But that doesn’t mean squarespace isn’t customizable, if you know CSS code you can definitely style it exactly how you like. 

 

Time/Effort/Maintenance: Squarespace

Squarespace has built in features that gives you security, automatic updates, and helps you be more hands off with your website. WordPress are vulnerable to bugs, you need to constantly update it, security can be an issue if you don’t have that set up. There are a ton of independently moving variables in a wordpress site, whereas squarespace is all taken care of for you so it takes more time and energy to maintain your wordpress site. 

 

Customer Service: Squarespace, but a good WordPress host can be great too.

Because WordPress is free and open source you can’t just call them and ask questions which is a problem for people who are new to building websites. There are a lot of moving parts to your wordpres site, so if you need help with a theme or plugin you won’t get help from WordPress or your host usually. You can contact your host provider for a lot of issues but the wuality of the customer service depends on your host. There are so many different hosts out there so you would need to do your research. In my experience Bluehost has excellent customer service and have never had issues with them.  Squarespace has good customer service and I find it convenient that everything is contained so you can call them with anything regarding your site. 

As you can see there’s no straight answer becuase everybody will have different priorities and an array of different moving parts. I hope this helps at least provide you with some information to better help in your decision! 

 

Sustainable Clothing Brands

Sustainable Clothing Brands

by | Feb 18, 2021 | Shop, Sustainability

I wanted to create this list of sustainable and ethical clothing brands for a long time to be a resource to all who are striving to change their habits around fast fasion and the modern cycle of overconsumption. Every time we need (or let’s be honest, want) a new garment,  it’s easy to fall into a spiral of research, wanting to only invest in pieces that are made with sustainable practices. This process can be overwhelming, disheartening, and most of all discouraging. That’s why I put this list together (for myself, as much as for all of you) to take the guess work out of shopping ethically and sustainably.

Here you’ll find a directory of brands with links *some of which are affiliate links* I’ve come across that meet my standards of being ethical and sustainable; I realize that is subjective but this is my blog, so I make the rules. Below the directory is an outline of what each brand is doing to be ethical and sustainable. I encourage you to save this post to a favorites tab in your browser so you always have it. 

This list is always growing as I learn of more brands, so keep checking back as it will be ever evolving. I am always on the hunt for more sustinable brands, and if there are brands I’ve not yet added that you’d like to see on this list please contact me and let me know!

 

    Classic fashion and accessories for women

    • uses recycled/repurposed shipping boxes.
    • low waste leather, jewelry, and denim production.
    • uses recycled silver for jewelry and recycled cotton for clothes.
    • sources materials from ethical/sustainable vendors.
    • uses environmentally friendly alternatives to hash chemicals and prufies water used in denim production.
    • cotton is produced at a zero-waste and GOTS certified facility.

    Shop Able here* and learn about their sustainable practices here. 

    Fair trade accessories and home decor

    • items are handmade using traditional techniques that preserve cultural heritage in the areas in which they are made.
    • fair trade certified.
    • works with marginalized communities to help them become economically self sufficient.
    • high focus on humanitarian causes and philanthropy.
    • ETHICAL

    Shop here* and learn about their ethical practices here. 

    Comfy basics for men and women

    • uses recycled cotton and GOTS Certified 100% organic cotton.
    • uses hemp fibers in their fabrics.
    • uses TENCEL™ Modal fibers in their fabrics which are extracted from naturally grown beech wood by an environmentally responsible process.

    Shop here* and learn about their sustainanable materials here. 

    Fashion and loungewear for women

    • items are made in limited quantities to eliminate excess waste.
    • they plant a tree for every tee shirt bought.
    • uses sustainable and renewable materials such as TENCEL™ Modal, ethical wool, and Mulberry Silk  which is highly renewable, non-toxic, and has a low water footprint. 
    • packaging is made from recycled materials, is compostable, and uses soy based ink.
    • items are made in California which means smaller carbon footprint for those living in the U.S.

    Shop here* and learn about their sustainable practices here. 

    Cheerful everyday fashion for men, women, and kids

    • swimwear fabrics are made from ECONYL® which is a regenerated fabric creatred from ocean plastics/waste. 
    • packaging is made from recycled materials
    • offices and warehouses are zero waste. 
    • pledges to use 100% sustainable sourced materials for fabrics within the next 4 years. 
    • all manufacturing partners are “ethically audited” and support ethical practices. 

    Shop here* and learn more about their ethical and sustainable practices here. 

    High quality clothing and accessories for women

    • uses small family run vendors with emphasis on fair labor conditions.
    • raw materials are sourced close to the factories in which the clothes are made. A tight knit supply chain minimizes carbon footprint of a garment.
    • most of their products are made with environmental certifications for sustainability (70-90%)
    • by 2022 they committ to using 100% sustainable sources materials.
    • products are made in small batches to minimize excess waste.
    • offers repair services for well loved and worn garments to extend its life.

    Shop here* and learn more about their sustainable practices here. 

    Timeless high quality basics for women

    • created a clothing take back program, where they buy or take back old/worn designs and use the fabric to remake them into new designs, reducing clothing waste.
    • increasing use of regenerative fibers, which support biodiversity and restores the land.
    • create non trendy, timeless designs that are meant to be worn for many years, reducing clothing waste.
    • offset all of their electricity in their stores and offices.

    Shop here* and learn more about their sustainable practices here. 

    Everyday fashions for women and men

    • strong emphasis on using ethical factories with healthy working conditions and fair wages.
    • non trendy, timeless designs, meant to last.
    • transparency across the supply chain so people know exactly what they are paying for.

    In my research I wasn’t able to find much about sustainability practices, rather Everlane is focused on transparency and ethical factory conditions, which is still pretty cool and worth celebrating. Shop here* and learn about their ethical practices and transparency here. 

    Activewear and loungewear

    • tees and tanks are 100% cupro, a fiber made from waste the cotton industry leaves behind.
    • yarn is made in a zero-waste, zero-emission facility.
    • bras and leggings are made fromrecycled post-consumer water bottles.
    • some leggings are made from recycled fishing nets and other waste using ECONYL® yarn.
    • their manufacturing operation adheres to super strict regulations that keep factory employees well-paid, safe, and living healthy lives.
    • fabric is dyed with eco-friendly dyes and the wastewater is cleaned and cooled before it is released.

    Shop here* and learn more about their recycled fabrics here.  They also get bonus points (in my book) for featuring a variety of body types and skin colors across their marketing. Inclusivity and diversity for the win!

    Basics for men, women, and home

    • uses direct trade from independent and family owned farmers, cutting out the middle men ensures better prices for customers and higher wages for farmers.
    • going 100% organic cotton within the next 5 years.
    • helping small farms setup systems to go organic so they aren’t left behind.
    • fair and equal pay in factories.
    • cotton used is certified by the Better Cotton Initiative.

    Shop here* and learn more about their sustainable and ethical farmining initiatives. here. 

    Activewear for men and women

    • use of sustainable materials such as fabrics made from recycled PET(Polyethylene terephthalate),  ethically-sourced wool, recycled wool,  and cotton certifiefd by Better Cotton Initiative.

    • use of packaging that is both recycled and recyclable such as reusable totes in lieu of paper or plastic bags, 100% recycled paper envelopes/recyclable boxes and replacing poly bags (the plastics that protect clothing in-transit) with paper alternatives.

    • goals: eliminate all waste from community events, with 90% landfill diversion, launch clothing take-back and repair programs, and increase use of  fibers from recycled sources seasonally.

    Shop here* and learn more about their sustainable initiatives here. 

    Organic cotton basics for men, women, children, and home

    • uses organic cotton.
    • partners with fair trade factories.
    • carbon offset for all shipped items.
    • all packaging is recycled and recyclable.
    • plastic packaging is biodegradable.

    Shop here* and learn more about their sustainable initiatives here. 

    Fair trade everyday fashion for women

    • 93% of People Tree cotton in 2018 was Global Organic Textile Standard Certified Cotton (GOTS) which meets strict environmental and social criteria during processing.
    • only uses natural fibers that use closed loop processes such as Lenzing certified TENCEL. 

    Shop here* and learn more about their sustainable initiatives here. 

    Slow fashion for petites 

    • Work exclusively with one factory as to ensure a high quality environment and (more than) fair wages and benefits.
    • all items are made in the same factory, reducing carbon footprint.
    • repurposes fabric scraps into scrunchies and scarves ro reduce wasted fabric.
    •  small batch priduction of clothing to reduce clothing waste.
    • all items are designed and manufactured in a “slow” process, ensuring high quality to items life spand is longer than the average.

    Shop here* and learn more about their ethical and sustainable practices. 

    Trendy clothing and accessories

    •  suppliers are required meet standards for social responsibility, safe & non-toxic, and better materials.
    • transparency: the environmental impact of each garment is calculated and shared on each product page. 
    • invests in programs that offset and replace the resources they spend during manufacturing. 
    • Net-zero carbon emissions.
    • source electricity offsets from wind power. 

    Shop here* and learn more about their sustainable practices here. 

    French fashion for women

    • uses eco friendly materials: 63% of silk is Oeko-Tex 100 certified, 86% of cotton is organic, 54% of viscose is FSC Mix certified, 61% of leather is vegetable tanned, chrome-free or metal-free.
    • All new models in denim are created using organic and GOTS certified cotton, and the water used during their production is recycled.
    • Leisurewear is composed of pieces made from lyocell and recycled polyester or GOTS certified cotton.
    • Cashmere jumpers are composed of recycled fibers that reduce CO2 emissions by 97% compared to conventional cashmere.
    • 100% of shipping boxes are now made from recycled cardboard and/or are derived from sustainably-managed forests.
    • 100% of their locations are powered by renewable energy.

    Shop here* and learn more about their sustainable practices here. 

    High end women’s fashion

    • all stores us green energy, sustainable building materials, save water, ensure that waste is recycled.
    • vegetarian company: none of their products contain leather, fur, exotics skins or feathers – and none of the glues used in shoes or bags come from animal origins.
    • utilising cutting edge technologies to create alternative materials that are more sustainable.
    • pushing towards circularity in the fashion industry.

    Shop here* and learn more about their extensive committment to the environment here. 

    Everyday fashion for men and women

    • suppliers and their supply chains must commit to their Environmental Policy.
    • source natural, sustainable yarns that use less water, fewer pesticides, and create less CO2.
    • upcycle their leftover fabric at source so to reduce waste and create new products.
    • 90% of packaging is recyclable
    • 90% of items are PETA approved.
    • fair trade and GOTS certified teeshirts
    • uses organic cotton, vegan clue, and biodegradable garment bags.

    Shop here* and learn more about their sustainable initiatves here. 

    Casual comfy loungewear

    • uses Lenzing Modal, a fabric that is derived from the bark of beech trees and is biodegratable and compostable.
    • use sGOTS certified organic cotton.
    • polyeter and nylon used in their fabrics are made from recycled plastic waterbottles and fishing nets.
    • their factories use less than half of the water typically usef for a garment.
    • 80% of waste water is recycled and reused.
    • transparent about their environmental impact.

    Shop here* and learn more about their sustainable practices here. 

    Everyday clothing for women

    • small batch clothing production.
    • consciously sources fabrics.
    • responsible manufacturing practices such as living wages for workers, healthy factory environments, and reasonable hours).
    • quality garments designed to last.

    Shop here* and learn more about their sustainable practices here. 

    Casual fashion and home

    • uses sustainable sources materials for fabrics such as recycled polyester, Tencel, and Repreve.

    Shop here* and learn about their sustainable fabrics here. 

    I’ll be honest, their website didn’t go into great detail about their sustainable manufacturing processes or materials. I make a note of this here becuase while it’s worth checking out I am weary of companies greenwashing and making sustinable claims that aren’t substantiated with data and figures on their websites.

    Shop: Sustainable Clothing Brands

    by | Feb 2, 2021 | Shop