Whether you’re adding a sustainable mirror to your space for functionality or beauty — or perhaps both! — these mindfully crafted mirrors will help you complete your vision.
This guide features everything from rattan wall mirrors to industrial-grade bathroom mirrors to minimalist floor length mirrors.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase through some of these links, we may earn a commission which enables us to keep creating resources just like this one. As always, these are brands that meet high standards for sustainability and are brands we truly love — and that we think you’ll love too!
What to Look for in a Sustainable Mirror:
While quality can vary, mirrors are all made from glass, which is generally regarded as a lower impact material. But there are a few more aspects to consider if you’re looking for an eco-friendly mirror.
Search for Secondhand Mirrors
Shopping for pre-loved mirrors keeps existing mirrors out of the landfill while reducing the need for new production. Get tips for shopping secondhand home goods here!
Local Secondhand Options:
- Local thrift shops and furniture resale stores
- Estate sales or garage sales
- Apps like Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp for local pickups
Online Secondhand Options:
While these options are typically priced a bit higher (and may involve shipping fees) they can be more convenient and curated than the above options. These resoruces do all the work of inspection, cleaning, and delivery for you.
- Kaiyo is best for big name brands at lower prices. The resale site has gently used, mid-market furniture (think West Elm and Ethan Allen) for prices that are anywhere from 10-85% lower than new.
- Chairish is best for unique finds and investment pieces. The vintage site has a stunning, curated selection of everything from art deco mirrors to traditional 19th century mirrors.
- Happy Vintage Studio is best for vintage accent mirrors. This “star seller” on Etsy has plenty of one-of-a-kind mirrors of all shapes and sizes — and at quite reasonable prices for vintage, too. You can get the pieces delivered or do a local pickup if you’re near the Virginia-based seller.
Responsible Materials
If shopping new, look for mirrors with eco-friendly frames made from materials like bamboo, rattan, or recycled metal.
Working Conditions & Craftsmanship
The people aspect of sustainability is just as important to consider. Does the brand publish information about how the mirror was made and if the makers earned fair, living wages? If they worked in safe conditions and had benefits? [Read more on ethical production here.]
Where to Find Sustainable Mirrors
Sustainable home shopping isn’t easy, but this guide is here to help! Check out the following vetted sources to find responsibly-made more sustainable mirrors.
1. Ethnicraft @ Urban Natural
Ethnicraft has mastered the art of creating stylish home objects with exceptional craftsmanship over the course of their 25 years in business. Their sustainable mirrors are crafted by artisans using materials like solid mahogany, walnut, oak and bronze.
The brand sources FSC-certified wood and repurposes waste, like recycling leftover wood into things like base material. regularly tests their products to ensure the highest quality
Best for: Elegant, artisan-made mirrors
Price range: $459 – $1439
2. Made Trade
This woman-owned sustainable retailer curates an exceptional selection of artisan-made small businesses making fair trade mirrors.
One brand, Casa Amarosa is a WOC-owned brand based in India working with Fair Trade Certified and Good Weave Certified partners across the country.
Another brand, Mojo Boutique sources natural materials like rattan and rafia for their free-spirited designs, perfect for a boho aesthetic
Best for: Boho mirrors with all-natural frames
Price range: $70 – $680
3. The Citizenry
The Citizenry collaborates with local artisans in various communities from around the world to share their stories and art, paying wages that are double the fair trade requirement. The retailer’s mirrors are handcrafted in Chile by Quilicura Design Studio and in Japan by The Okawa Hinoki Workshop.
Best for: Sleek minimalist mirrors
Price point: $249 – $659
4. Cisco Home @ Urban Natural
Sustainable furniture brand Cisco Home crafts their heirloom-quality furniture and decor in Los Angeles using durable and mindful materials.
Cisco Home’s industrial mirrors feature metal or fabric frames and some of their mirrors are finished with black rust to give a dark antique vibe.
Best for: Industrial mirrors with a darker feel
Price point: $1550 – $3380
5. VivaTerra
Green lifestyle retailer VivaTerra offers a selection of sustainably-crafted home decor and furniture, including mirrors. Their eco-friendly mirrors are made from reclaimed wood, like their Vintage Fir floor mirrors crafted in the USA by experienced artisans.
Best for: Rustic, farmhouse chic accent + floor length mirrors
Price point: $199 – $2000+
6. Schoolhouse
Crafted with steel frames and finished and assembled in Portland, Oregon to “exacting specifications”, Schoolhouse’s mirrors are designed to last a lifetime (and beyond). Their industrial accent mirrors can be used in living spaces, bedrooms, and even high-humidity environments like bathrooms.
Best for: Modern, industrial aesthetic
Price range: $249 – $999
7. West Elm – Natural Fiber Mirrors
Furniture retailer West Elm has several accent mirrors made with natural rattan. The natural mirrors blend contemporary shapes with a textured frame for a beautiful modern on the boho interior aesthetic.
Best for: Contemporary mirrors with natural fiber frames
Price range: $229 – $439
More Sustainable Home Decor Guides:
21 Ethical Home Decor Brands to Curate a Conscious Space
Sustainable Throw Pillows for Every Aesthetic
Fair Trade Baskets & Hampers to Store Everything and Anything
The post 7 Sustainable Mirrors That Make for Stunning Wall Decor appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
Thoreau wrote in Walden that “Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in,” which reminds us that life is short and nature fills it beautifully. What are you looking for that can’t be found during an afternoon in nature?
Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. Click the poster to get a larger image.
The post Earth911 Inspiration: Time Is but the Stream appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-time-is-but-the-stream/
Green Living
Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute’s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action
Turn back the clock with this classic interview that will get you ready for Spring yard care planning. A lawn may be beautiful but it can take a heavy toll on the environment, accounting for between 30% and 60% of residential water use in the United States. Rob Moir, Ph.D., is president and executive director of the Ocean River Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ORI works with residential lawn owners to heal damaged ecosystems by restoring coastal areas to lessen the destructive impacts of climate change. The benefits of a natural lawn reach far beyond reduced local water pollution, eliminating chemicals that can contribute to cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and other cellular diseases. Natural lawns are also better for local pollinators and store much more carbon than heavily fertilized lawns. If you considered removing your lawn to play a part in the battle against climate change, this interview may change your mind — a healthy lawn is a powerful carbon sink.
The Ocean River Institute is recruiting Massachusetts communities, town by town, to take a pledge to follow natural lawn practices in the Healthy Soils for Climate Restoration Challenge. You don’t need to live in Massachusetts to participate and learn about the alternatives to the traditional, chemical-intensive lawn practices that use Roundup, a source of glyphosates that kills soil-dwelling fungi and local pollinators, and fast-acting nitrogen fertilizers. You can learn more about the Ocean River Institute at www.oceanriver.org.
Rob has contributed many articles about climate change and the history of environmental change since this interview, including:
- Finding a Northwest Passage to the Sea
- Turning the Tide—How Land and Water Shape Our Climate Future
- Learning from Captain Scoresby’s Ten-gallon Fir-Cask
- Earth Savvy?
- Let the Ground Keep Falling Rainwater
- The Sultans of Swag Versus Looking at Clouds from Both Sides Now
- Subscribe to Sustainability in Your Ear on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.
- Follow Sustainability in Your Ear on Spreaker, iHeartRadio, or YouTube
Editor’s Note: This episode originally aired on May 30, 2022.
The post Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute’s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/podcast/earth911-podcast-the-ocean-river-institutes-natural-lawn-challenge-for-climate-action/
Choosing your perfect gown can be one of the most exciting decisions for your special day, but for the eco fashionista, it can be a challenge to find a dress that fits your values and style — but these brands have exceptional sustainable wedding dresses you’ll swoon over!
Using earth-minded materials like hemp, cruelty-free peace silk, deadstock recycled fabrics and vintage lace, and producing consciously, either in small batches or handcrafting each individual piece made-to-order, the brands below meet high standards for transparency, ecological sustainability, and fair labor.
[For more sustainable wedding dresses, check out this guide to secondhand wedding dress sites!]
Note that the guide contains affiliate links. As always, we only feature brands that meet strict criteria for sustainability we love, that we think you’ll love too!
1. Christy Dawn
Dreamy dress brand Christy Dawn does not disappoint with their romantic bridal collection! Each piece is more swoon-worthy than the next.
Their three sustainable bridal gowns are made from regenerative silk charmeuse —sourced through BOMBYX, an innovative silk producer using best practices — and colored in a beautiful pearl silk with non-toxic dyes. Each dress is ethically cut and sewn by makers in Los Angeles earning living wages, as with the rest of Christy Dawn’s collections.
The Britta Dress and Fitzgerald Dress are 1920s inspired while the Athena Dress is a more modern (but equally romantic) option. All of these dresses are made-to-order with an estimated timeline of 4 weeks.
Conscious Qualities: Regenerative silk and organic non-toxic dyes, ethically made-to-order in Los Angeles
Price Range: $2,500 – $3,000
Size Range: XS – XL
2. Pure Magnolia
Blending the traditional with the modern, Pure Magnolia designs classic-inspired sustainable wedding dresses with contemporary touches. And each dress is made in their Canadian studio by seamstresses earning fair wages from eco-fabrics, such as organic cotton and hemp silk.
The brand sources recycled fabrics whenever possible as well, and recycles their scrap fabric through FABCYCLE.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, locally and fairly made, recycles scrap fabrics
Price Range: $845 – $3,300 CAD
Size Range: 0 – 28
3. Lost in Paris
Lost in Paris crafts each of their creatively designed bohemian-inspired gowns ethically in their Sydney, Australia studio. Unconventional yet undeniably striking, Lost in Paris’ dresses are made from vintage lace and cotton.
Investing in a dress from Lost in Paris is seamless — the brand offers at-home sample try-ons, offers train and sleeve adjustments on several styles, ships their dresses worldwide for free, and even accepts returns. Oh, and, if one of their ready-made sizes doesn’t work for you, you can get a dress designed to your measurements.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, uses vintage lace, locally made
Price Range: $950 – $3900 AUD
Size Range: XXS – XXL + custom sizing options
For More Slow Fashion Content:
4. Wear Your Love
Wear Your Love creates feminine, effortless dresses in their Northern California studio that are — in contrast to the majority of wedding dresses on the market — actually comfortable! The brand’s free-spirited designs are made with soft, earth-minded fabrics like organic cotton and each dress is made to order for each bride to their exact measurements.
There are also customizations available for each eco-friendly wedding dress such as train or no train, skirt or sleeve linings, back coverage, skirt style, and more.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, made-to-order model, locally and transparently made
Price Range: $680 – $1,700
Size Range: N/A; dresses are made to your measurements
5. Larimeloom
Based in Reggio Emilia, Italy, Larimeloom crafts exceptional custom-made dresses by hand in their atelier. The brand creates comfortable minimalist dresses from durable natural fabrics and colors them with natural or non-toxic dyes.
Larimeloom has also implemented zero waste design techniques, cutting their patterns strategically in order to minimize fabric waste.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, zero-waste designs, natural fabrics and dyes
Price Range: 650€ – 2,650€
Size Range: XS – XL
6. Sister Organics
Sourcing quality earth-friendly natural fabrics like organic hemp and cotton, Sister Organics creates classic, eco-friendly wedding dresses for UK-based brides.
Each dress is made to order in England, so you can select a pre-defined size, customize the length of a size, or get an entirely different dress made for your measurements.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, made-to-order model
Price Range: £125 – £390
Size Range: XXS – XXL + custom sizing
7. Indiebride London
Indiebride’s vintage-inspired sustainable wedding dresses are delicate and romantic yet free-spirited, offering a unique collection for the bride that wants to skip the conventional wedding gown and choose a piece that fits their individual style.
The brand’s conscious wedding dresses are handmade in London using majority natural fibers and can be altered or customized to your specifications.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, uses many natural fabrics, locally made
Price Range: £1,200 – £1,700
Size Range: 8 – 16 (UK sizes)
More Resources For Your Eco Wedding:
10 Secondhand Wedding Dress Sites for the Eco Bride
7 Ethical Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement and Wedding Rings
17 Brands with Conscious Dresses (great options for bridesmaid dresses in here!)
The post 7 Best Sustainable Wedding Dresses for Your Special Day appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
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