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In parts of coastal North Carolina and Texas, homeowners who were paying one rate for property insurance in 2019 are now paying double, and that’s after adjusting for inflation.

A February 2026 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the most thorough federal analysis of homeowners insurance markets in years, confirms what many Americans in hurricane, wildfire, and tornado-prone areas already know: the cost and availability of home insurance now depends on climate risk. Nationally, premiums only slightly outpaced inflation from 2019 to 2024. But in high-risk areas, homeowners are seeing price jumps that are changing where people can afford to live, own property, and even stay insured.

The National Average Hides the Real Story

At first glance, the national data seems manageable. The GAO found that the average U.S. homeowners’ insurance premium, adjusted for inflation, rose only 3 percent between 2019 and 2024, going from $2,743 to $2,829 in 2024 dollars. The South reported higher premiums than other regions, but the national average stayed mostly steady.

But when you look at the data by ZIP Code, the story changes. In the same period, many coastal areas in North Carolina and Texas saw premium increases of more than 50 percent after adjusting for inflation. Some places in Palm Beach County, South Florida, also had big jumps. At least 10 ZIP Codes in North Carolina, Texas, Utah, Florida, and California saw increases over 25 percent above inflation in just the last five years.

‘Premiums (Inflation-Adjusted) for Homeowners Insurance Rose Sharply in Some Coastal Areas, 2019–2024.’ This color-coded national map shows premium changes by ZIP Code in different tiers (0–24%, 25–49%, 50–99%, 100%+). It clearly shows how insurance costs are splitting up by geography. Source: GAO.

Wind Costs Far More Than Wildfire — For Now

The GAO used statistical modeling to show how disaster risks raise premiums, and the results are clear. Homes in areas with severe or extreme wind risk pay about 58 percent more, or $1,294 extra per year, compared to similar homes with only major wind risk. Moving from major to severe wildfire risk adds about 8 percent, or $181 per year, to premiums.

This difference shows how much damage wind events like hurricanes can cause. According to GAO data, ZIP Codes with severe or extreme wind or wildfire risk saw premiums rise 6 to 10 percent each year since 2021. In comparison, areas with major risk saw increases of only 1 to 4 percent per year. Over six years, an 8 percent annual increase adds up to a total increase of 59 percent.

Increases in Wind Risk Raised Premiums More Than Increases in Wildfire Risk.’ This bar chart compares the dollar and percentage premium increases for wind and wildfire risk levels, making it easy for readers to understand the differences. Source: GAO.

State-level disaster costs also play a role. The GAO found that when a state’s average disaster-related costs rose from $25 billion to $35 billion between 2018 and 2023, premiums went up by about 8 percent, or $170 more per year. This happens because insurers update their loss estimates after big disasters. One insurer told the GAO it raised its wildfire risk assumptions for California after the major fire seasons in 2017 and 2018, even before the devastating 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

Affordability Is Worst Where Income Is Already Stretched

Premium burden, which is the cost of insurance compared to median household income, highlights how climate change is hitting low-income communities hardest. In 2023, Florida, Louisiana, and Oklahoma had the highest premiums relative to income, just as they did in 2019. According to the GAO, states where premiums take up more than 10.6 percent of median income are considered to have a “very high” burden. Florida falls into this category.

The people paying the most for insurance are often those who have the fewest options to move or insure themselves. High insurance costs in risky areas often go hand in hand with lower incomes, older homes, and less access to federal help. Researchers call this a climate-driven affordability crisis.

When Private Insurance Disappears

Rising premiums are just one issue. In some high-risk areas, private insurers are not only raising prices but also leaving the market. The GAO tracked the market share of state FAIR plans and beach plans, which are the “insurers of last resort” for homes that can’t get regular insurance, from 2019 to 2023. Nationally, their combined market share almost doubled, going from about 1.4 percent to 2.5 percent of homes.

California’s numbers tell the story. The state’s FAIR Plan, which covers wildfire risk, grew from about 200,000 residential policies in 2020 to around 450,000 by 2024. About 78 percent of this growth happened in ZIP Codes with major or severe wildfire risk. After the January 2025 Los Angeles fires, enrollment jumped another 43 percent between September 2024 and December 2025, according to Insurance Journal. Even low-risk urban properties are ending up on the FAIR plan as insurers withdraw from whole regions.

Florida and Louisiana have the highest FAIR plan market share among states with these programs. North Carolina’s beach plan, which covers coastal areas, leads all beach plans by market share. All three states face high Atlantic hurricane risk.

‘Market Share of State Insurance Plans of Last Resort, 2023.’ This dual-map figure shows FAIR plan and beach plan market share by state, making it clear where private insurance is most limited. Source: GAO.

Regulation Is Part of the Problem Too

Insurance policies are regulated by each state, and the GAO found that how long it takes to approve premium increases affects policy availability. States where regulators take longer to approve these requests often have more homeowners who can’t get private insurance. The GAO found that every extra 60 days in approval time was linked to about a 0.5 percentage point increase in the state’s FAIR plan market share.

Colorado’s median approval time from 2020 to 2024 was 331 days, the longest in the country. California’s was 305 days. When insurers can’t adjust rates quickly enough to reflect actual risk, some of them exit the market rather than underwrite policies at a loss. This is the dynamic that partly drove the California insurance exodus before the state’s Sustainable Insurance Strategy reforms announced in 2023, which allowed catastrophe modeling and reinsurance costs to be factored into rate-setting, practices already standard in most other states.

Insurers Are Losing Money — Just Not How You Think

Insurers lost money on homeowners insurance underwriting in 22 out of 30 years from 1995 to 2024, with an average annual loss of 4.2 percent. The worst years matched up with major disasters like Hurricanes Fran (1996), Sandy (2012), Harvey, Irma, Maria (2017), and the Maui wildfires (2023).

However, insurers offset underwriting losses with investment income, so the situation isn’t as bad as it seems—they are still highly profitable. In 2024, homeowners insurance had a $1.8 billion underwriting loss, but $8.8 billion in investment income turned it into a $6.9 billion profit overall. The industry is still profitable, even as rates rise and coverage becomes harder to obtain. Insurers say risk-based pricing is needed for long-term stability, but critics believe profitable insurers could do more to keep coverage available in high-risk areas.

Allianz SE board member Günther Thallinger told Capital&Main.com that climate change is a “systemic risk that threatens the very foundation of the financial sector,” and added that “a house that cannot be insured cannot be mortgaged.” The insurance crisis is a credit crisis in slow motion.

What States and the Federal Government Can Do

The GAO asked state regulators, insurance industry groups, and consumer advocates about eight possible federal policy options. Most agreed that the best approach is to focus on mitigation programs that help homeowners make their properties more disaster-resistant.

The GAO recommends Alabama’s Strengthen Alabama Homes program as a model. Since 2011, it has given grants to about 10,000 homeowners to upgrade their roofs to FORTIFIED standards, and another 45,000 have upgraded without grants. Alabama requires insurers to give premium discounts for FORTIFIED homes, making the upgrades a good investment. A 2025 study found that FORTIFIED roofs had fewer and less severe losses after Hurricane Sally, even with higher wind speeds. The National Institute of Building Sciences found benefit-cost ratios from 1.5 to 28, depending on wind speed.

As of now, at least 18 states have introduced bills in 2026 to reform insurance programs and include mitigation measures. These efforts build on a 2025 Colorado law (HB25-1182) that requires insurers to be open about their risk models and to discount premiums for homeowners who take mitigation steps.

The GAO listed eight federal policy options that Congress could consider, and your opinion matters. These options include tax deductions or credits for mitigation upgrades and insurance premiums, federal funding for infrastructure, a federal reinsurance program, community-based disaster insurance, and changes to how insurers’ reserves are taxed.

You can contact your U.S. senators and representative to share your views on where federal money should go. Mitigation incentives have wide support and are the most practical short-term step. Direct federal insurance programs are more debated, but if you think the private market has failed in your area, make that clear. The House Financial Services Committee and Senate Banking Committee are the main places for these discussions. You can find your members at congress.gov.

What You Can Do Now

  • Check your disaster risk. First Street Technology’s Risk Factor tool gives property-level wildfire, flood, and wind risk scores. This is the same data source the GAO used.
  • Look into the FORTIFIED standards. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) certifies FORTIFIED construction for roofs, homes, and commercial buildings. Some states offer grants or require insurers to give discounts for certified homes.
  • Learn about your state’s FAIR plan. If you can’t find private coverage, your state might have a FAIR plan or beach plan as a last resort. These plans usually offer less coverage and cost more than private insurance, but they provide insurance when no other options exist.
  • Review your current insurance coverage. Many homeowners don’t realize they are underinsured. Check your dwelling coverage limit and compare it to current replacement costs, which have gone up a lot since 2020 due to construction inflation.
  • Get involved with your state legislature. Insurance reform is happening in many states right now. Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii are working on bills that link insurance to mitigation in 2026. You can find your state insurance commissioner at naic.org.
  • Support federal funding for mitigation. FEMA runs several pre-disaster mitigation grant programs. Community investments in things like firebreaks, levees, and better building codes help lower the basic risk that affects everyone’s insurance premiums.

The post How Climate Disasters Are Breaking the Homeowners Insurance Market appeared first on Earth911.

https://earth911.com/home-garden/how-climate-disasters-are-breaking-the-homeowners-insurance-market/

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How to Stop Wasting Food (And Save Money)

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Each year, tons of food – literally 1.3 billion tons – end up in the trash, adding to the ever-growing greenhouse gas emissions and putting a strain on our planet’s resources.

In the US, we waste 40% of all our food – which hurts both our wallet and the planet. If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gasses behind the US and China.

How to Stop Wasting Food (And Save Money)

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links; for more information please see my disclosure policy.

So how do we prevent this? Learning how to store your food properly and meal plan is half the battle.

But there are even more ways to reduce food waste. Here’s a guide to stop wasting food (and save money in the process).

utilize your leftovers

Sometimes we make too much food or can’t finish the food we ordered. Here are a few tips for preventing having too many leftovers, on top of what to do with them when you have them anyway.

dine out mindfully

Try to only order what you know you’ll finish. Knowing your body and personal tastes helps a lot here. For example, I know I love pizza and Mexican dishes so I’ll try to stick with those.

Asking about portion sizes and being aware of side dishes with entrees is helpful too. For example, many Mexican restaurants will give you a side of beans and rice – if this is too much for you, simply tell them ahead of time.

If you’re at a buffet, remind yourself that your eyes are bigger than your stomach. Take only what you like and can finish. And if you want to try something new, opt for a small portion just in case it’s not for you.

When you absolutely cannot finish your plate, get it to go so you can eat it another day. Even better if you bring your own metal tiffin for storing it.

have a leftovers night

Dedicate one night of the week to finishing the leftovers in the fridge. You can mix and match to plate up something tasty. For example, make yourself a plate of mac and cheese from Monday night, broccoli from Tuesday, and chicken cutlets from Wednesday.

think ingredients, not leftovers

Most of my leftovers tend to be side dishes (think rice, cooked veggies, etc.). Which means I always have some ready-made ingredients on hand to whip up a new meal.

Some ideas include:

  • Turning extra pasta or cooked vegetables into a frittata
  • Creating burritos with leftover rice, beans, meat and vegetables.
  • Blending a can of tomato sauce up with leftover vegetables to create a veggie-packed sauce for pasta
  • Using fried rice as a base for your next stir fry.
  • Turning the last bits of roast chicken into chicken salad. Combine the chopped meat with mayonnaise, salt and pepper, celery, and chopped onions. You can put it between two slices of bread, or eat as is.
  • Using leftover rice to make rice pudding.

make soup

You can’t go wrong throwing together an impromptu soup. I like the idea of ‘use-it-up’ soup that cleans out leftover steamed, roasted or grilled vegetables. Throw it into a blender with 3 to 4 cups of vegetable broth, then add any extra seasonings. Serve hot!

add fresh food to canned soup

If you have some leftover spinach, swiss chard, or mushrooms sitting in your fridge, add them to some canned soup. Just empty your canned soup into a pot and add some greens you want to use up to it. Let it simmer and cook for a bit together until the greens wilt, then remove from heat and enjoy.

How to Stop Wasting Food (And Save Money)

use food scraps strategically

Say it with me: Food scraps are not trash. Your potato peels, strawberry tops, and carrot tops all have a place at your table – if you’re crafty enough.

I had a scrappy recipe series on my socials where I made all kinds of things like glazes from empty jam jars and wilted spinach icing. Cooking with food scraps is both rewarding and a money saver. 

Here are several ways to use up food scraps:

  • Use the odds, ends and peels of vegetables like carrot, celery, and onion to make veggie broth.
  • Carrot, radish, and beet tops can actually be eaten (make pesto or salad).
  • Strawberry tops can be used to make a delicious simple syrup for coffee, mocktails, or lemonades. Or add them right into smoothies for extra vitamins and fiber.
  • Make citrus powder from leftover lemon and lime skin. Bake citrus peels for 2-3 hours until crispy and dry. Blend with salt, if desires. Then store in an airtight container for ~3 months.
  • Save pumpkin seeds for roasting.
  • Use herb stems – like basil, cilantro, and parsley – to blend into an herbal sauce by combining with mayo, salt, pepper, lemon and garlic. Or chop them up and add them to soups and stews.
  • Watermelon rinds can be added to smoothies or chopped up and used in stews to bulk them out. I’ve even made watermelon rind and apple jam before!
  • Find ways to use up stale bread – like turning it into croutons.

I recently challenged myself to try saving and using every food scrap I had for a week. You can watch my journey below!

expiration dates decoded

Many products have a sticker labeled ‘sell-by, use-by, best-by’ on there. But you can pretty much ignore them, considering it’s impossible for the manufacture to know exactly when something goes bad.

The most ironic example of this is honey. Honey you find in stores typically has an expiration date on it – yet honey found from ancient Egypt, 1000s of years ago, is safe to eat.

Also, food is most sensitive to temperature, lighting, humidity, and proximity, which varies from home to home. Bananas may spoil faster in my house than in yours, simply based on one of these factors. No label can predict that! 

here’s what those labels actually mean:

  • Sell-by: Tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management. It is not a safety date.
  • Use-by: Is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. It is not a safety date except when used on infant formula.
  • Best-by: Indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.

The only time you should avoid eating a food is if it’s spoiled. Spoiled foods will develop an off-putting odor, flavor or texture due to naturally occurring spoilage bacteria (more on this later). Don’t eat it if it develops such characteristics.  

How to Stop Wasting Food (And Save Money)

utilize your freezer

The freezer is a powerful tool you’re probably underutilizing. Frozen foods last longer and are a great way to stop produce from going bad before you can get to it.

Consider blanching vegetables and some fruit before freezing them – Blanching stops destructive enzymes that can cause loss of flavor, color and texture during freezing. Blanching also loosens the skin on fruits like peaches and tomatoes, allowing you to peel them with ease.

Blanching is scalding produce in boiling water for a short time, then transferring them to an ice bath before freezing. Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, string beans, brussels sprouts and root veggies benefit most from blanching.

Blanching times will vary based on which vegetable or fruit you’re focusing on, but here’s a good guide to keep in mind. Don’t forget to label whatever you freeze with the date you froze it and what it is.

You can also freeze several unconventional items like:

  • Eggs (don’t freeze in their shells – instead, crack the eggs, whisk and pour into an ice cube tray, then freeze. Keeps for up to a year).
  • Pasta (Make sure to cook al dente, otherwise it may be mushy after defrosting. Keeps for ~2 months).
  • Hard cheeses (Best to grate first and store in an airtight container. Keeps ~6 months).
  • Nuts (Can be frozen in their shells or shelled. Keeps ~1-2 years).
  • Opened wine (Freeze in ice cube trays, then transfer to freezer bags like Stasher. Add to stews, sauces, or risottos. Keeps ~6 months).  
  • Cake (Avoid freezing cakes with icing, filling or decoration. Freeze whole or in slices. Keeps ~6 months).

Upcycled glass jars are a great way to store frozen food. However, if freezing a liquid, always be sure to leave room at the top for expansion. And never try to stack jars.

You can cook most vegetables, meats and bread straight from frozen. But if your food does need to thaw, be mindful thawing at room temperature invites microbes that spoil good food. 

Instead, try thawing in the fridge for 24 hours, or place the item in a bowl of cold water, making sure to change every 30 minutes (use the excess water to feed houseplants!).

You can also use the microwave as well. However, if you’re defrosting in a mason jar, the safest way is to let it thaw in the fridge under a plate to catch excess water. This will prevent cracking and leaks.

And of course – don’t forget about your frozen goods! Many people “lose” items in the back of the freezer so try to plan a freezer night to eat your frozen food every week or two. 

How to Stop Wasting Food (And Save Money)

one bad spot isn’t the end

If you see a brown spot on a banana or a potato, don’t toss the whole thing. I cut off the black spots and eat the rest!

However, if you notice multiple black spots or it starts to shrivel, you may need to cook it on high heat to help kill anything off. Always use your judgement – and certainly don’t chance anything if it smells rancid!

If your vegetables are a bit dry or limp, they can be rescued. But if they’re slimy, mushy, or discolored, they’re rotten.

Some veggies have tell-tale signs they’ve gone bad. For example, celery will become white and hollow, eggplants will toughen and asparagus tips will go soft and turn black.

For fruits, examine their skin. Fruits like grapes, plums and apricots should be smooth, not wrinkly. Melons shouldn’t have any squashy patches. And always avoid fruit that has mold or a bad odor.

To reduce waste, always try to compost what has gone rancid. Here’s how to compost in an apartment or backyard.

only buy what you’ll eat

Never go grocery shopping hungry – this leads to impulse buys. Instead, stick to your staples and don’t get too adventurous.

I’m not saying you can’t try new things or indulge in a treat every so often but let it be with reservation.

Some grocery stores will capitalize on trending items or seasonal products (pumpkin ice cream in the fall, anyone?). But I advise steering clear of these unless you know you like them.

Instead, allow yourself one or two snacks every week, and try to stick to things you already know you’ll enjoy (like chips and salsa or your favorite ice cream flavor).

Doing this will ensure everything gets eaten before the week is through.

For even more tips, be sure to check out my YouTube video below!

How are you saving food from going to waste? Let me know your tips in the comments!

The post How to Stop Wasting Food (And Save Money) appeared first on Going Zero Waste.

How to Stop Wasting Food (And Save Money)

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Earth911 Inspiration: Faithful Stewardship of the Earth

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Today’s inspiration comes from Pope John Paul II’s 1987 homily from his Mass for the Rural Workers: “The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.”

Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. Click to get a larger image.

"The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations." --Pope John Paul II

The post Earth911 Inspiration: Faithful Stewardship of the Earth appeared first on Earth911.

https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-faithful-stewardship-of-the-earth/

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5 Ethical and Sustainable Sandals Brands For Carefree Summer Days

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Slip into style this season with a pair of sustainable and ethical sandals from one of these conscious brands.

This sustainable sandal guide has any type of footwear you need for warmer weather! Think eco-friendly vegan sandals, recycled and natural rubber flip flops, fair trade slides, and ethical walking sandals.

What Are (More) Sustainable Sandals?

Oof. The word “sustainable” is a bit of a loaded term that comes with a lot of confusion and difference of opinions! I actually try to stay away from using the word sustainable when it comes to products, since pretty much no product is sustainable, even if it was made with some lower impact and eco-minded processes. But that’s the language most people use, and I want this content to be accessible and discoverable.

With that said, here are some sustainability criterion you’ll want to look for when it comes to footwear like sandals:

Quality and Materials

Footwear is probably the hardest category in fashion to find eco-friendly materials for, because shoes require considerable functionality and durability. Virtually no footwear right now is recyclable (with the exception of a few brands). So durability is even more important for shoes than clothing when it comes to sustainability.

Buying less (which usually requires buying more durable, longer-lasting goods) is a key part of sustainability. This is why I’ve included vegetable-tanned leather sandals, despite some very valid concerns about the sustainability of leather. Good quality leather is long-lasting, durable, and importantly, more repairable.

I have also included plant-based vegan leather alternatives. Most of these do still contain a percentage of synthetic materials. I am a vegetarian myself so buying leather doesn’t quite sit right with me, and I do like to see more alternatives coming to the market since “vegan leather” right now typically means pleather (i.e. plastic). In addition to being made with fossil fuels, many plastic vegan leather items I own haven’t lasted. They’ve simply shedded off after a year or two of wear! Disappointing to say the least.

Personally, I prioritize upcycled leather and secondhand leather so I can get the best of both worlds with durability, sustainability, and animal welfare. However, you might feel uncomfortable buying used shoes, and I totally understand that!

Ethical Production

Way too often, we see workers left out of the sustainability equation. But safe conditions and fair wages are absolutely necessary in a truly sustainable fashion future. People are part of the planet too! So you’ll see next to the Conscious Qualities section by each brand, I’ve added which brands are going above and beyond to ensure supply chain transparency and fair production.

Other Sustainable Practices

Some other sustainability-minded supply chain practices might include:

  • Use of renewable energy at manufacturing facilities and throughout the supply chain
  • Take-back and resale program
  • Repairability of products
  • Recycled and biodegradable packaging

Where to Find Sustainable and Ethical Sandals

Without further ado, let’s get onto the brand list! Each brand features a description, a breakdown of their sustainability highlights (called “Conscious Qualities), and a price range key, so you have an idea of which brands fit your budget for your ethical and eco-friendly sandals.

One note on the budget front: don’t forget to consider cost per wear! This is the total cost divided by the number of times you wear an item. If you’re buying a quality pair of sandals that’ll be your go-to shoes for many summers to come, you could be wearing them 300+ times!

Price Range Key: $ = Under $100 | $$ = $100 – $200 | $$$ = $200+

This article features affiliates and partners. As always, we only feature brands that meet high standards for sustainability that we love — and that we think you’ll love too!

1. Nisolo

Nisolo is a B-Corporation is an ethical shoe brand committed to paying living wages across their supply chain. The brand also launched a Sustainability Facts Label, modeled after the nutrition facts label for food products. And Nisolo has shoe reclamation + donation program. NIsolo’s shoes are made from high-quality Leather Working Group-certified leather.

Conscious Qualities: Pays Living Wages, Shoe Reclamation and Donations

Price Range: $ – $$

Check Out Nisolo

beige sustainable slip-on sandals from Nisolo

2. Rothy’s

The shoe brand that made waves with their ultra comfy recycled flats has a gorgeous selection of sandals, too.

Rothy’s uses recycled plastic bottles for their footwear. While I’m typically not a fan of using recycled plastic in fashion, it can make sense in footwear which necessitates durability (and shoes aren’t as prone to releasing microplastics compared with commonly washed textiles).

Conscious Qualities: Vegan, Recycled Materials, TRUE Platinum certified for zero waste practices

Price Range: $ – $$

Check Out Rothy’s

black knot vegan sandals made with recycled materials

3. Brother Vellies

Brother Vellies is a Black-owned sustainable accessories brand founded by Aurora James with the goal of celebrating and sustaining traditional African artisan techniques. The brand now sources from artisans around the world who create timeless, quality shoes from conscious materials like vegetable-tanned leathers, recycled tires, hand-carved wood, and natural dyes.

Conscious Qualities: Artisan-Made, Black Woman-Owned, Vegetable-Tanned Leather (not clear if all leather is veg-tanned)

Price Range: $$$ – $$$+

Check Out Brother Vellies

zebra print beige and black ethical sandals from Brother Vellies

4. Indosole

Indosole creates vegan flip flops from recycled tires, which helps reduce the 1.5 billion tires that end up in the landfill each year while also avoiding the production of new resources. For the uppers of the flip flops, Indosole uses organic canvas, banana leaves, and grass. The B-Corporation pretty much checks the box for every value: sustainable, ethically-made, and vegan! And compared to many other conscious shoe brands, the prices are affordable too.

Conscious Qualities: Ethical Production, Recycled Materials, Vegan

Price Range: $

Check Out Indosole

woman wearing purple sustainable recycled flip flops and man wearing sustainable slide sandals

5. NAE Vegan

Nae is a vegan shoe brand producing sustainable sandals from natural materials like cork and piñatex (faux leather made from discarded pineapple leaves) and recycled materials, such as rubber from car tires. When browsing their selections, note that there are also some synthetic materials used such as OEKO-TEX Certified microsuede which aren’t as ideal.

Conscious Qualities: Vegan, Plant-Based and Recycled Options

Price Range: $ – $$

Check Out Nae Vegan

model wearing black vegan sustainable sandals

Bonus: ThredUp (Secondhand)

ThredUp is the ultimate online destination for thrifted fashion — shoes included. You can sort by size, color, and price range among many other filters to find a pair that suits you. I know that not everyone feels comfortable wearing pre-worn sandals, but ThredUp also has some options with tags still on them so it may still be worth browsing through even if you would prefer a pair of sandals that haven’t been worn before.

Conscious Qualities: Sustainable

Price Range: $ – $$

Explore ThredUp’s Secondhand Sandals

You May Also Want to Check Out:

14 Ethical, Eco & Vegan Shoe Brands

Sustainably Handmade Sandals and Slides from Salt + Umber

7 Brands with Sustainable and Ethical Flats

The post 5 Ethical and Sustainable Sandals Brands For Carefree Summer Days appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.

5 Ethical and Sustainable Sandals Brands For Carefree Summer Days

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