Around two years ago, during the isolation of the pandemic, Go Wakimoto, like many others, found himself re-evaluating his life priorities. The ex-Nike executive had been in the corporate rat race for ten years and wondered if that was how he wanted to continue the next twenty to thirty years of his life. He concluded that he wanted to figure out how to leave the world a bit better than how he found it.
At the time, his son turned one, and he and his wife were finding themselves neck-deep in clothes, either in the form of hand-me-downs from friends, or new clothes, both of which his son quickly outgrew.
Go Wakimoto with son Jackson. Loop Apparel
Wakimoto said the clothes he outgrew ended up in buckets to give to friends who might have kids in the future, second-hand stores, and Goodwill. However, the more research he did, the more he realized how many of those clothes usually end up in third-world marketplaces or polluting the environment in landfills.
“[I thought] why isn’t there a simpler, more sustainable solution for parents where we can give back whatever clothes no longer fit?” he said. Then he thought, “Why don’t I do that?”
He proceeded to found Loop Apparel, a Denver-based sustainable circular kids’ clothing brand. Launched in December 2023 and delivering nationwide, the company currently carries T-shirts in several sizes, made with ethically sourced organic cotton and dyes. Parents can buy one of these shirts, and when their kid outgrows it, return and exchange it for a size up for a cheaper price.
What they return will either be cleaned and resold to a new family, also at a discount, or recycled with one of its partners to avoid ending up in the landfill if it’s too damaged or soiled for re-use.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, each year around 85% of all textiles thrown away in the U.S. end up in a landfill or incinerated. Globally, an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is created each year, with more than 3 billion articles of children’s clothing included in that number.
As clothing decomposes in landfills, it releases methane into the air, and the toxic chemicals and dyes in the fabric can leach into the soil and contaminate groundwater. Synthetic clothing also sheds microplastics into the environment, and toxic additives like PFAS, both of which have now become ubiquitous.
When synthetic clothing is incinerated, it also produces toxic emissions and ash that can affect nearby communities.
Fashion waste is also exported to several developing countries, like the Global South — especially in parts of Africa, particularly Ghana, where it is causing tons of pollution and injustice in communities that are building their houses on mounds of unsanctioned trash, much of it textiles.
Fashion on the whole is also one of the world’s largest polluting industries, with its production responsible for 10% of total global carbon emissions.
Wakimoto said that while he didn’t think much about fashion’s impact on the environment while working as a marketing director at Nike, he did learn a lot about supply chains, how to design apparel, and how to find the right manufacturers.
When he initially came up with the idea, he reached out to a friend in Amsterdam who works at the B Lab, which is a global nonprofit that certifies B Corps, or Benefit Corporations that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. He asked if she knew anybody in the B Corps network who could help make kids’ T-shirts.
One of the contacts he was given was To the Market, a woman-owned platform that connects to ethical supply chains and sustainable sourcing, which has a network of suppliers around the world. They also helped design the T-shirt from the tech side, before providing a supplier in Dhaka, Bangladesh that is WRAP Certified (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production), meaning that it is made with ethical fair trade labor. The clothing is also certified for being 100% organic cotton.
Using organic cotton was important to Wakimoto not just for kids’ health, but also for environmental health.
While textile production itself is extremely water-intensive, using around 93 billion cubic meters of water annually, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, conventionally farmed cotton is also especially water-intensive. It takes 2700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt, which is enough water for a single person to drink over three years.
To increase production to fulfill demand, synthetic pesticides and fertilizers are also often used to increase inputs, which damages soil and pollutes the groundwater, while also creating risky conditions for farmers.
Wakimoto outlines some of these details in the company’s blog alongside the benefits of organic cotton, such as how it produces 46 percent less carbon dioxide, and utilizes 91 percent less water, while safeguarding waterways from pollution.
He’s also written about microplastics and why choosing circular fashion helps eliminate waste and pollution, allows products longer lifespans, and is less extractive.
Writing the blog, he said, is important because he felt that in order for people to be interested in the brand, they needed to be made aware of the negative impacts clothing has on the planet, and how Loop can provide a potential affordable solution.
Though Loop carries only T-shirts right now, Wakimoto hopes to eventually expand into more kids’ essentials like sweatshirts and sweatpants. The expansion of the company, however, will also need to come with more awareness, and Wakimoto said he feels there are still many people lacking knowledge of the impact the fashion industry has on the planet.
He added, however, that when illuminating these issues he hopes to strike a delicate balance between educating and making sure people don’t feel guilty or overwhelmed — he just hopes to inspire others to be more kind to the planet.
He also said he doesn’t want to presume to have all the answers. “You know, we’re just trying to do something 1% better every day.”
The post New Kids’ Fashion Brand Aims to Keep Outgrown Clothes Out of Landfills appeared first on EcoWatch.
https://www.ecowatch.com/loop-apparel-sustainable-fashion-ecowatch.html
Just like fashion has been overrun by fast fashion, home goods and furniture have similarly seen a rapid decline in quality. Rugs are no exception.
And similar to fashion, these cheap goods come at a high cost — namely, to the planet and to people. In fact carpet and rug production is rampant with exploitation.
On the other hand, fair trade rugs present the best of what a rug can bring to your home: artistry, craftsmanship, and heritage.
The brands featured in this guide are partnering with (and fairly paying!) skilled artisans who are using generations-old — and sometimes even centuries-old — techniques. These artisans are sustaining long lines of crafts, preserving their cultural diversity, and celebrating the richness of their time-honored crafts.
There’s simply no replacement for a timeless, quality artisan-made rug — they’re like pieces of art you can lay out on your floor or hang on your walls.
So, enjoy browsing through this guide to sustainable rug brands listed out below and best of luck on your search for the right fair trade rug!
Where to Find Ethical and Fair Trade Rugs
Note that this guide includes affiliates and partners. As always, brands must meet high standards for ethics and sustainability to be featured and all opinions are my own.
1. Obakki
Best for: warm-hued handwoven wool rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Runners, Accent Rugs
Obakki partners with artisan weavers primarily in Oaxaca, Mexico — including individual makers like José — who hand-dyes and weaves rugs on a traditional pedal loom using locally sourced sheep’s wool and natural dyes derived from native plants. The brand also works with Rrres Design Studio, a Latin American studio dedicated to preserving traditional Oaxacan weaving techniques, and sources handwoven textiles from artisan communities beyond Mexico as well, including Morocco.
Each rug is made from 100% wool with no synthetic dyes or backing. Most pieces are made-to-order with a 4-8 week production window, shipped directly from the artisan partners.
Price Range: $460 – $4,159
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, Natural Dyes, Craft Preservation
2. Kiliim
Best for: modern wool kilim rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs
If you’re well-versed in rug terminology, you may recognize that this brand’s name looks similar to the word kilim.
Kiliim’s rug are made using authentic kilim rug craftsmanship by artisans in Egypt coming from generations of kilim artisans. To ensure ethical production and to support the preservation of this heritage craft, Kiliim pays living wages to all artisans.
Price Range: $95 – $4,812
Conscious Qualities: Ethical Production, Heritage Craft Preservation, Natural Fibers
3. Urban Natural
Best for: browsing fair trade rugs in lots of styles and sizes
Categories: Outdoor, Area Rugs, and Accent Rugs
This natural home and lifestyle retailer has a beautifully curated selection of sustainably-made rugs crafted with materials like jute, sisal, wool, and cotton.
Several brands on Urban Natural are also ethically hand-loomed or hand-knotted, such as Loloi — a GoodWeave partner — and Jaipur Living — a brand that partners with thousands of local artisans to sustain heritage crafts.
Price Range: $259 – $9,755
Conscious Qualities: Eco-Conscious Materials
4. LOOMY
Best for: pet-friendly and performance rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs, Runners, Outdoor Rugs
Founded by a weaver, LOOMY is dedicated to crafting beautiful artisan-made rugs that will last for decades to come.
LOOMY partners with highly-skilled artisan weavers who craft quality rugs made from eco-minded materials like banana silk, jute, and recycled cotton, plus performance options made from 100% recycled polyester built to withstand whatever life brings you.
Price Range: $298 – $8,298
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, Craft Preservation, Vintage Options
5. West Elm
Best for: fair trade rugs in on-trend mainstream styles
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs
West Elm is bringing ethical rugs to a broader market with their collection of Fair Trade Certified
wool and cotton rugs. While I recommend browsing the smaller shops listed above first, West Elm is supporting the movement to responsibly-made, fair trade rugs.
Price Range: $$$
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade production, Majority Natural Materials
6. Jubi
Best for: Modern rugs in vibrant prints
Categories: Accent Rugs, Circle Rugs, Runners
Jubi is a Brooklyn studio founded by textile designer Cassie Dagostino. Every rug is handmade from New Zealand wool by fourth-generation weaving families in Bhadohi, India using traditional techniques. Each rug is made-to-order, meaning no excess stock. Since everything is made to order, expect between 3 and 7 weeks for your rug, depending on the technique used.
Conscious Qualities: Pays Above Market Rates, 100% Wool, Made-to-Order
Price Range: $228 – $668
Shipping: Free worldwide shipping
7. Rejuvenation
Best for: Classic rug styles made in Fair Trade factories
Categories: Accent Rugs, Runners, Area Rugs
Home retailer Rejuvenation has a selection of rugs made in Fair Trade Certified factories. Their collection includes undyed hand-loomed rugs to geometric flatwoven wool rugs. And while I’d typically avoid synthetics, it tends to be unavoidable for outdoor rugs — so Rejuvenation’s Fair Trade 100% recycled poly rug is a good option.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Certified, Mostly Natural Materials
Price Range: $79 – $1,649
Shipping: Contiguous U.S. shipping for 10% of product price (add $20 for HI, AK, and US. territorries)
Liked this guide to ethical rugs? You might also enjoy:
Ethical Home Decor Brands to Curate a Beautiful, Conscious Space
Eco-Friendly Furniture to Furnish Your Home Sustainably
Fair Trade and Eco-Friendly Blankets to Cozy Up With
The post 5 Best Ethical Fair Trade Rugs to Elevate Your Space appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
As a longtime book lover, I may be biased, but I think a full bookshelf is one of the most beautiful additions to a space. There’s nothing better than seeing a showcase of your favorite reads alongside a TBR list.
A bookcase, though, can of course be used for all sorts of purposes from placing your favorite photos of family and friends to showcasing treasured vintage finds.
Whatever the case, this guide will help you find the right sustainable bookshelf for your living room, office, or wherever you like to cozy up with a good read!
So what make a bookcase more sustainable? What makes a bookshelf non-toxic?
First of all: sustainable and non-toxic are two overlapping — but distinct — criteria. And both of those terms can come with a lot of opinions and varying definitions.
When it comes to sustainable bookcases, I look for:
- Responsibly Sourced Materials: most bookshelves are made primarily with wood. While natural, unsustainable wood sourcing can be a cause of deforestation, so we want to see that the wood was from responsibly managed forests or made from reclaimed or repurposed wood. Some bookshelves may feature metal, in which case recycled materials here are important.
- High Quality Construction: sustainability includes longevity — how long will you be able to use that furniture piece before it goes to the landfill and gets replaced? Look for transparency around craftsmanship and woodworking processes. Another sign of quality is the length of warranty a company has for its products.
- Ethically Made: this one is straightforward in theory — were the people making it paid fairly and working in safe conditions? — but is unfortunately not always easy to find information. In this category, I look for transparency in practices, what relationship the brand has with the manufacturer (some produce in-house which is the best case scenario for transparency!), where it was made, and how well the makers were paid.
Ideally a sustainable bookshelf would also be non-toxic — as toxic chemical fumes aren’t exactly sustainable! But this isn’t always the case. For example, if a company prioritizes upcycled materials, they don’t necessarily have control over what inputs were part of the original materials. And sometimes a company focuses more on ethical artisan partnerships and sustainable wood sourcing, more than, say, using non-toxic finishes.
But when it comes to non-toxic bookshelves, this is what I look for. (Note that non-toxic doesn’t necessarily mean safe for all chemical sensitivities. Nor does it mean zero potentially irritating chemicals.)
- Solid Wood (where possible): MDF or pressed wood contains glue to stick the various wood pieces together, which can contain added formaldehyde. I prefer solid wood, or if it is engineered wood, I’d make sure the company is transparent around the type of glue used and/or they at least have a product certification like GREENGUARD. (More on that in a second.)
- Low or Zero VOC Finishes: most wood furniture is completed with some sort of finish to provide a protection against scratches or moisture. Many of these finishes are synthetic, and some can contain high levels of toxic chemicals. Look for a natural finish like linseed oil or beeswax or a low VOC synthetic finish.
Relevant Certifications
You’ll see a few certifications referenced throughout this guide. Here’s what each one covers:
- FSC Certified = the wood sourcing was responsibly managed; this is not a finish, foam, or textile guarantee.
- GREENGUARD / GREENGUARD Gold Certified = the finished product was tested for low chemical emissions, including VOCs, with Gold representing the stricter tier.
- Fair Trade Certified
= verifies that a factory meets standards for fair wages, safe working conditions, and ethical labor practices. - Cradle to Cradle Certified (Gold) = evaluates a product or material across material health, circularity, clean air/climate, water/soil stewardship, and social fairness.
Where to Find Sustainable Bookcases and Shelving
I’m always a secondhand first proponent, and that goes for furniture, too. While your local thrift store might not have used bookshelves, check for dedicated furniture resale shops near you or estate sales. (I use EstateSales.net to find ones near me.) You can also find gently used pieces on online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp or AptDeco.
If you can’t find something you love secondhand, and you don’t want to DIY your own bookshelf, then the next best choice is to shop from one of the sustainable furniture companies below. (If you’re simply looking for a bookstand, I’d suggest browsing Etsy for a collection of solid wood, bamboo, and reclaimed wood book stands and cookbook stands!)
Note that this guide includes affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links which helps us continue to run this website and create resources like these. As always all brands meet strict sustainability criteria and are brands we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
1. Medley
Best for: low VOC wood bookcases
Medley’s bookshelves are elegant and elevated, perfect for a living room. Each piece is made with 100% solid FSC-certified hardwood for the tops and sides, though low-VOC CARB 2 compliant plywood is used for the shelves.
Every eco-friendly bookcase is handcrafted in the US (California or North Carolina) and completed with a low-VOC wood finish.
Price: $2,395 – $2,995
Materials: White Maple, American Walnut Wood
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-Order, US-Made, FSC-Certified Wood, Natural Finish
2. Thuma
Best for: non-toxic modular bookshelf
Thuma’s eco-friendly bookshelf is made from upcycled wood sourced from rubberwood tree