10 Must-Have Sustainable Products
Style Files, a curated collection of editors’ picks.
We like to think of purchases as opportunities: to find the best design and functionality of whatever item it is that we need, to bring ourselves joy each time we use it, and now, to help the planet. From sunglasses to laundry detergent, here are a few of our favorite, eco-friendly, sustainable products to add to your home and wardrobe.
FAB SLABS USA | Chopping Boards & Grazing Platters
These naturally antibacterial cutting boards are individually handcrafted in Australia from sustainable Camphor Laurel trees, the wood of which has been found to be the most effective natural food prep surface when it comes to reducing microbial growth. The wood also has a sweet, grainy smell that I love (it does diminish a bit over time but never completely goes away). Available in a range of sizes and made from a single slab of kiln-dried wood for longevity, they make excellent cutting boards—and gorgeous appetizer platters. Just slather on some grapeseed oil from time to time to protect the wood’s rich tones and durability.
Shop it: Fab Slabs USA
SIMPLE GOODNESS SISTERS | Rhubarb Vanilla Bean Syrup & Floral Sugar
In 2018, sisters Belinda Kelly and Venise Cunningham started Simple Goodness Farm, a sustainable, 10 acre “cocktail farm” in Buckley, WA, where they grow specialty herbs and edible flowers for their “garden to glass” products, like nonalcoholic, preservative-free syrups and cocktail rimmers. I recommend the flagship flavor Rhubarb Vanilla Bean (the farm is located next to the rhubarb capital of the west coast), which pairs deliciously with whisky, lemon, and a dash of bitters, or simply mix it into seltzer to make a handcrafted soda. The floral rimmers, made with dehydrated edible flowers, dress up any drink.
Shop it: Simple Goodness Sisters
KIND LAUNDRY | Laundry Detergent Sheets
Every year, over 700 million plastic laundry detergent jugs go into U.S. landfills, meaning that even if you’re using super fancy, earth-friendly detergent, you’re still not helping the earth. Kind Laundry’s biodegradable laundry sheets come in a small recyclable box, are made of four naturally derived ingredients, and are also lightweight, easy to travel with, and mess-free. Best part is they clean fabrics just as well as their goopy counterparts.
Shop it: Kind Laundry
THE POLISHED JAR | Glass Bottle Signature Collection
Going with the theme of plastic-free, have you ever considered buying glass pumps and jars and getting them filled at your local refill station? (Or at least buying in bulk and doing your own refilling to avoid all of those small plastic containers?) Elevate every room in your house with The Polished Jar’s stylish, high-quality bottles, from hand soap to lotion to multipurpose cleaners. Choose your colors—amber, clear, matte black, or white—and pre-set, waterproof labels like face wash, hand sanitizer, or shampoo, or make a custom label for five dollars extra.
Shop it: The Polished Jar
BRANDLESS | Cleaner Refill Packs
Another option to refill your glass bottles at home without involving plastic is to use Brandless’s Green Seal Certified, non-toxic cleaner refills. Simply place one of the little decompasible pouches—which come in multi-surface, glass, tub and tile, and granite and stone cleaners—into a bottle, fill with cold water, and shake.
Shop it: Brandless
OPOLIS OPTICS | Recycled Ocean Plastic Collection Sunglasses
The frames of Opolis’s vintage-inspired, Recycled Ocean Plastic Collection sunglasses are made entirely from recycled plastics and materials collected from oceans and landfills. (One water bottle equals one pair of Opolis sunglass frames.) By working with local recycled plastic material manufacturers based in communities in Bali, Manila, and Nairobi, Opolis supports developing economies by monetizing plastic waste.
Shop it: Opolis Optics
SONOMA WOOL COMPANY | Wool Dish Drying Mat
Wool may have been the first renewable resource; it’s been used for clothing, bedding, and protection from the elements for millennia, with ewes receiving a harmless haircut once a year. But beyond being natural, sustainable, and biodegradable, wool is also ultra-absorbent, resistant to dirt and stains as well as mold and mildew, and breathable, making it a truly remarkable fiber. Instead of using a mold-building, plastic rack to dry your dishes, try Sonoma Wool’s dish drying mat, which is not only beautiful with its 100% linen sleeve, but also naturally antimicrobial. Want a traditional “rack?” Simply place a bamboo one on top.
Shop it: Sonoma Wool Company
CONSCIOUS STEP | Socks That Plant Trees
Believe it or not, socks with sandals are in, so despite the warmer temperatures you can still pull some on (and all the way up) for an easy sartorial win. Why not contribute to the planet while you’re at it? Each cushy, terry padded pair from Conscious Step supports Trees for the Future, a nonprofit that helps communities around the world plant trees (one pair of socks equals ten trees planted). The cotton is sourced from organic cotton experts in India, and each pair is non-gmo, pesticide- and insecticide-free.
Shop it: Conscious Step
MATE | Organic Terry Classic Jogger
Los Angeles-based label MATE’s non-toxic, natural, and 100% organic cotton basics are not only clean for the planet but they’re also super chic and comfy. (Did you know that conventional cotton is notorious for using more pesticides than any other crop in the world, and that the use of these chemicals has led to the hospitalization of up to one million farmworkers every year?) These Organic Terry Classic Joggers are the Goldilocks of sweats, not too loose and not too tight. And with sizes ranging from XS through 3X, as well as 16 colors options like Bone (pictured here), Tobacco, and Ginger Tie Dye, there’s a perfect pant—or several—for everyone.
Shop it: Mate
AMASOUK ADILAH | Beni Ourain
Handwoven in the High Atlas Mountains, AMASOUK’s rugs are crafted one at a time, often by a single craftsperson, meaning that each design is as unique as the artist that created it. This 5.5 x 8 foot wool rug comes from Tamesloht, Morocco, where it was handspun, hand-dipped in natural dyes, and woven on a traditional wooden loom without a pattern.