In one of my most recent posts (Wall Street's Ethical Behaviors: Are we not also accountable?) @getonthetrain made a comment that stuck with me. He said " it is hard to find out what the companies have been up to" and he brings up a very good point. One of the issues we all face with changing our shopping habits is it takes a lot of time and effort to research companies that have truly ethical and socially responsible practices. Therefore, I decided to put this small list together to help raise awareness of some of the clothing companies out there that are doing truly remarkable things for society. Let’s do our part and support companies such as these:
Ten Tree – http://www.tentree.com
This is one of my wife’s favourite brands and their concept is a simple one to understand. For every piece of apparel sold, Ten Tree plants…you guessed it 10 trees! As you would expect with a company such as this, they also ensure all products are sourced ethically and work towards minimizing their environmental footprint. They ensure all trees planted are among the local species in the area so that it will not have an adverse affect o the ecosystem. They have planted trees in a multitude of countries such as Brazil, Haiti, Canada, Honduras, Ethiopia and India to name but a few.
United By Blue – http://www.unitedbylue.com
Maybe instead of land, you spend most of your time in the ocean? Then United By Blue may be for you!! (Rhyme intended!!) Founded in 2010, United by Blue has a very unique concept. The amount of trash and plastic in particular, finding its way into our waterways has been well documented. So, for every product sold, United By Blue removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways. They are a certified B-Corp organization, which means that they “meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.”
Oliberte – http://www.oliberte.com
Established in 2009, Oliberte is a shoe company but this is no Adidas or Nike! Their primary focus is to support workers’ rights in sub-Sahara Africa. How do they do this? In 2013, they became the world’s first Fair Trade Certified shoe company and produce all their footwear in their factory in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They work to create jobs in their free trade factory which provides safe and ethically sound jobs for impoverished families. Profits from every product sold is re-invested into the creation of more jobs and factories. By employing local adults, their children are able to attend school which keeps them out of potentially dangerous child labour situations. Like United by Blue they are a certified B-Corp organization.
My Sister – http://www.mysister.org
My Sister mainly offers a limited selection of women’s tops, men’s tees and accessories. Their main objective is to raise the awareness and participate in the movement to end human trafficking. Profits are reinvested back into the community and serve to provide education and employment to survivors of sex trafficking. A percentage of their profits also goes back to non-for-profit agencies whose mandates match their own. Ultimately, their goal is to raise awareness of the issue and support survivors. A very noble and worthwhile initiative.
Next time you are thinking about getting a new tee or hoodie, why not check out one of the aforementioned companies. Let’s do our part and support not only the environment but companies that are truly trying to make a difference.
Are you aware of additional companies that support worthwhile causes? Please share in the comments section.
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