Just over half the country is officially in drought, and about 155.7 million Americans—almost seven million more than last week—are now affected. The U.S. Drought Monitor’s April 23 report shows that 52.46% of the United States and Puerto Rico, and 62.78% of the Lower 48, are experiencing moderate drought or worse. According to NOAA, this is the worst spring drought on record for the continental United States.
This drought is not limited to one region. The Southeast just had its driest September-through-March since records began in 1895. The Colorado River system is only 36% full. Texas is 77% in drought, and Corpus Christi’s reservoirs have dropped to nearly 9%. Nebraska experienced its largest wildfire ever, fueled by dry grasslands. Oregon’s snowpack reached zero on April 1. In California, Tahoe City Cross melted completely by March 8, 40 days earlier than usual, after a record-breaking March heat wave caused rapid melting of an already low snowpack across most of the West.
The common factor is that from January through March, precipitation was below 70% of average across the lower 48 states, setting a new record. As a result, water restrictions are now broader and, in many places, more severe than usual.
The National Picture
The headline numbers come from the U.S. Drought Monitor, which is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, and NOAA. As of April 21, drought conditions had worsened across the South, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, High Plains, and West, with a 2.9% increase in coverage over the past week and an 11.7% increase over the past month. The Northeast and parts of Texas and the eastern Plains saw modest improvement; everywhere else trended drier.
Two main climate factors have caused this record drought. First, La Niña led to less rainfall from January to March, with totals below 70% of average—the lowest since records began in 1895, just surpassing the previous low in 1910. Second, spring temperatures in the Central Plains, Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic were 5 to 10 degrees above normal, which sped up soil moisture loss and increased evaporation. This drought is not just about low rainfall; high temperatures are also drying out what little moisture remains.
The effects of the drought are already clear in the number of wildfires. By mid-April, over 1.7 million acres had burned across the country, nearly double the 10-year average. Nebraska’s Morrill Fire, which burned more than 640,000 acres in March, was the largest in the state’s history. In southeastern Georgia, the Highway 82 Fire destroyed at least 54 structures in Brantley County, which was the first county in the Southeast to reach exceptional drought (“D4”).
Southwest: The Colorado River Approaches a Threshold
The Colorado River Basin is facing water shortages not seen in modern times. The Bureau of Reclamation says the system is at about 36% of capacity. Lake Powell is only 23% full, and Lake Mead is about one-third full. Spring runoff into Lake Powell is expected to be just 22% of average. If this continues, 2026 could be one of the driest years in over sixty years, possibly even drier than 2002, which was the previous record.
In response, the Bureau of Reclamation announced in April that it plans to cut Lake Powell releases to 6 million acre-feet, the lowest in decades. They will also move water from Flaming Gorge to keep Lake Powell high enough for Glen Canyon Dam to generate hydropower. The dam provides electricity to about five million people, but water levels could drop too low by December if things do not improve. The seven states that share the Colorado River have not agreed on new rules for after 2026, when current guidelines expire. The Interior Department has said it may set new rules on its own if no agreement is reached this summer. Western states could be heading toward a conflict over water.
Local water restrictions are getting stricter. In March 2026, Erie, Colorado, moved to a Level 4 Emergency, the highest stage, which bans all residential sprinkler use. Aurora has completely banned new turf lawns. Denver Water started Stage 1 restrictions, asking residents to cut both indoor and outdoor water use by 20% until October 1. Along the Rio Grande, Elephant Butte is at 12.6% capacity, Falcon at 19.2%, and Amistad at 31.4%.
California: Permanent Rules Meet a Fourth Dry Year
California’s situation is more complex than just being in drought or not. In January 2026, the Drought Monitor showed no part of California in drought for the first time in 25 years. By April, Southern California was facing its fourth straight year of below-average rainfall. The statewide snowpack was only 18% of normal, and the State Water Project will limit water releases to 30% of normal.
What’s notable is that California’s restrictions no longer depend on whether a drought is officially declared. After the 2012-2017 drought, the state moved to a permanent year-round conservation framework codified by state law AB 1572 and the State Water Resources Control Board’s “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” rules.
Statewide baseline rules apply every year, regardless of conditions: no hosing down driveways or hardscape; no irrigation within 48 hours of rainfall; no irrigation runoff into streets or storm drains; mandatory shutoff nozzles on hoses; and recirculation requirements for fountains and decorative water features.
On top of these restrictions, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which serves 19 million people, issued a Level 1 conservation notice in March 2026 to all 26 city and county agency members. State enforcement of the new water-budget rules is paused until 2027 to give utilities time to adjust.
California is in for a dry summer this year.
Southeast: A Recharge Season That Failed
The Southeast, usually a humid region, is now facing a record drought. Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina all had their driest September-through-March since 1895. Normally, the region relies on December through March to restore soil moisture, streamflows, and groundwater, but this year, that recharge mostly did not occur.
The result, as of April: 100% of North Carolina, 99.95% of Virginia, 99.34% of South Carolina, 98.99% of Florida, 98.13% of Georgia, 93.65% of Tennessee, and 88.66% of Alabama are in drought. In Georgia, extreme drought now covers 71% of the state, the highest reading since 2012. Some monitoring stations with 75 or more years of data are recording their driest six-month periods on record. Drought watches are active across Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama, with mandatory rules likely if late-spring rainfall doesn’t materialize.
Texas and the Southern Plains: Cities at the Edge
Texas is 77% in drought as of mid-April. The Coastal Bend story is the one to watch closely. Combined storage at Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi has fallen to 8.7% as of April 2026 — among the lowest levels ever recorded. Corpus Christi has been under Stage 3 mandatory restrictions since December 2024, the most severe stage in the city’s standard drought contingency plan, which is triggered when combined reservoir storage drops below 20% capacity. Stage 3 bans all outdoor irrigation, home vehicle washing, and most non-essential outdoor water use; second and subsequent violations carry fines up to $2,000 each.
The bigger concern is what happens next. City models now predict a Level 1 Water Emergency by September 2026, when the water supply could be just 180 days from running out. On April 28, 2026, the City Council postponed a vote on a proposal that would require everyone—residents, businesses, and industry—to cut water use by 25% if Level 1 is declared. Many residents at the meeting said this cut would be impossible unless industrial users reduce even more.
If Corpus Christi runs out of water—a scenario city officials now consider possible—it would be the first modern American city to face this. There is no guidebook for what to do. In the worst case, the city could see rolling water shutoffs by district, water delivered by tanker trucks, and even managed evacuations. The largest industrial users, such as petrochemical refineries, would likely lose access to water first, potentially leading to lawsuits.
In other parts of Texas, Dallas has had a permanent rule since 2001 that only allows watering lawns two days a week, and no irrigation is allowed between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. from April to October. In Oklahoma and Kansas, the Ranger Road Fire—the largest U.S. wildfire of 2026 so far—burned 283,283 acres in February, killed hundreds of livestock, and led to burn bans across central and eastern Oklahoma.
High Plains: Dust, Fire, and Lake Beds
Nebraska is experiencing conditions that one state climatologist said are unlike anything seen before. Fifty-six percent of the state is in extreme drought, similar to 2012 but with warmer temperatures. The Morrill Fire started in March and quickly spread through dry grasslands, burning over 640,000 acres—the largest wildfire in Nebraska’s history. In Sheridan County, some landowners say their private lakes have dried up completely for the first time since 2012.
The Black Hills in South Dakota are now in extreme drought. In southern Nebraska, southwest Kansas, and southeast Colorado, low rainfall combined with high temperatures and evaporation have made spring planting difficult in many areas. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that streamflows are below or much below normal across southwestern South Dakota, southern Nebraska, and central and western Kansas.
Mandatory urban restrictions in this region are still relatively rare, but burn bans are widespread, and ranchers are culling cattle herds rather than feeding them on pastures with no grass.
Pacific Northwest: A Snow Drought, Not a Rain Drought
The Pacific Northwest had more precipitation this winter than the Southwest, but most of it fell as rain instead of snow because of record-warm temperatures. This has caused a snow drought rather than a rain drought. Since the region relies on snowpack for summer water, this is a serious problem.
Across the broader Columbia River Basin, snowpack ranks in the second percentile. On April 8, Washington’s Department of Ecology declared a statewide Drought Emergency, citing snowpack at just 53% of the median and projected summer water supply below 75% of normal in many basins, including the Yakima. Junior water-rights holders in the Yakima Basin are projected to receive only 44% of their allotment. Idaho is facing what could be its fourth consecutive drought year in its northern basins.
For the Northwest, the effects go beyond just this summer. New research from Oregon State University predicts that by the end of the century, water will move from precipitation to streamflow about 18% faster on average. This happens because there is less snow and more rain, so water moves through the system more quickly instead of slowly melting from snowpack. As a result, there could be about 50% less water in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs during the summer growing season.
The shift toward earlier runoff seen in 2026 is not a one-time event. It is a preview of the more severe impacts that climate change could bring.
Where Restrictions Are Active
This is a partial snapshot as of April 27, 2026. Local utilities update stages weekly. Verify before relying on these figures.
| Region | Location | Stage / Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest | Erie, CO | Level 4 Emergency | All residential sprinklers banned; most severe Front Range stage |
| Southwest | Aurora, CO | Stage 1 + turf ban | New turf lawn installations prohibited |
| Southwest | Denver, CO | Stage 1 (through Oct. 1) | Watering schedule by address |
| California | MWD Southern Calif. region | Level 1 conservation notice | Issued March 2026; covers 19M residents |
| California | San Francisco (SFPUC) | Level 2 | Tied to Hetch Hetchy levels |
| California | Sacramento | Stage 2 | Folsom Lake at 48% |
| Southeast | SW Florida (SWFWMD) | Phase III (Apr 3 – Jul 1) | Possible extension if summer rains fail |
| Southeast | Raleigh, NC | Mandatory Stage 1 (from Apr 20) | Odd/even address watering schedule |
| Southeast | Valdosta, GA | Mandatory 1-day/week (from Apr 15) | First Georgia city to move to mandatory rules |
| Texas | Corpus Christi | Stage 3 — Reservoir Crisis | Reservoirs at 8.7%; 25% cut planned for September |
| Texas | Dallas | Permanent 2-day/week | Ordinance since 2001; no irrigation 10am–6pm Apr–Oct |
| Pacific NW | Washington (statewide) | Drought Emergency (Apr 8) | Snowpack at 53% of median; Yakima Basin junior rights cut to 44% |
| Pacific NW | Oregon (snow drought) | No statewide order yet | Snow water equivalent at zero percentile on April 1 |
What You Can Do
Households use about 10% of all water in the U.S. Agriculture is still the biggest user, but in cities with restrictions, saving water at home can help prevent stricter rules, fines, or limits on businesses. The EPA’s WaterSense program says the average American family uses about 300 gallons a day, and simple upgrades can cut indoor use by 35%.
Indoor (immediate, no cost):
- Check your home for leaks. On average, American homes waste over 11,000 gallons a year from running toilets and dripping faucets. A single toilet leak can waste 200 gallons a day. To test for leaks, put food coloring in the tank—if it shows up in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak.
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving. This can save 8 to 10 gallons per person each day.
- Only run your dishwasher and washing machine when they are full. You can also skip pre-rinsing dishes.
- Take shorter showers. Reducing your shower by two minutes with a standard showerhead can save about 5 gallons of water.
Indoor (small investment):
- Install WaterSense-labeled fixtures. Faucet aerators and showerheads use at least 20% less water and are inexpensive. The average family can save about 3,500 gallons of water and 410 kWh of energy each year just by using these.
- Replace any toilet made before 1992. Older toilets use 4 gallons per flush, while WaterSense models use 1.28 gallons or less.
Outdoor (where most savings can happen):
- Outdoor irrigation uses nearly 9 billion gallons of water a day nationwide. It makes up about 30% of household water use, and up to 70% in dry areas. Water your yard before sunrise or after sunset to reduce evaporation.
- Consider replacing your lawn with drought-tolerant plants that are suited to your region. This type of landscaping uses less than half the water of a traditional lawn. Many cities, such as Aurora, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, offer rebates for replacing turf.
- Install a smart irrigation controller with a rain shutoff or soil moisture sensor. These devices adjust watering based on real conditions instead of following a set schedule.
- Add 2 to 3 inches of wood chips as mulch to your flower beds and vegetable gardens. This helps reduce evaporation and keeps weeds down.
Community and policy:
- Find out your utility’s current drought stage and the rules that apply. Most utilities post this information online and let you report water waste, like irrigation during banned hours or broken sprinklers spraying onto pavement.
- If you’re in an HOA, know your rights. California’s AB 1572 and Texas Property Code §202.007 prohibit HOAs from fining residents for brown lawns during active water restrictions. Other states are following this example.
- Pay attention to how agriculture and industry use water in your area. While homes use only about 10% of water, decisions about the other 90%—used by farms and businesses—will shape whether household conservation efforts make a lasting difference.
The Big Climate Picture
Some may see the 2026 drought as just a mix of La Niña, a warm winter, and early snowmelt, with rain expected to return as conditions change and an El Niño watch begins for late summer. While this is partly true, the bigger pattern—record warmth, snow falling as rain, earlier and faster runoff, and reservoirs unable to keep up as demand rises during hotter, longer summers—is what climate science has predicted for nearly twenty years.
Lake Powell is at 23%. Oregon’s snowpack is gone. North Carolina is completely in drought. Corpus Christi is preparing for the chance of running out of water. These are not separate stories. They are all part of the same story, showing what aridification looks like when it becomes a daily reality instead of just a forecast.
Editor’s note: Drought conditions are evolving weekly. Statistics in this piece are current as of the U.S. Drought Monitor release dated April 21–23, 2026. Local water restrictions change frequently — verify with your utility before relying on the figures cited here.
The post The 2026 Drought, Region by Region appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/earth-watch/the-2026-drought-region-by-region/
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.
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.
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.
- Onion and garlic skins can be ground up into onion/garlic powder.
- 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.
- Add celery leaves to soup for extra flavor.
- 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.
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.
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.
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 post Earth911 Inspiration: Faithful Stewardship of the Earth appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-faithful-stewardship-of-the-earth/
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: $ – $$
2. Rothy’s
The shoe brand that made waves with their ultra comfy recycled flats has a gorgeous selection of sandals, too.
Rothy’s uses recycled plastic bottles for their footwear. While I’m typically not a fan of using recycled plastic in fashion, it can make sense in footwear which necessitates durability (and shoes aren’t as prone to releasing microplastics compared with commonly washed textiles).
Conscious Qualities: Vegan, Recycled Materials, TRUE Platinum certified for zero waste practices
Price Range: $ – $$
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: $$$ – $$$+
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: $
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: $ – $$
Bonus: ThredUp (Secondhand)
ThredUp is the ultimate online destination for thrifted fashion — shoes included. You can sort by size, color, and price range among many other filters to find a pair that suits you. I know that not everyone feels comfortable wearing pre-worn sandals, but ThredUp also has some options with tags still on them so it may still be worth browsing through even if you would prefer a pair of sandals that haven’t been worn before.
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable
Price Range: $ – $$
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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