Are you heading out on vacation? Stock up on a few essentials to keep you safe or even some new clothes and accessories that keep our planet in mind! Check out our list of eco-friendly, sustainably minded products to get started. Whether you’re heading to the power-dusted mountains or the shimmering sea, we’ve got you covered with products that support the forests and beaches you love.
Packing cubes made from plastic bottles
Sort your clothes quickly and keep track of your belongings knowing you're helping eliminate plastic waste. These packing cubes from Travel Dude are made from recycled PET-bottles. Multiple zippers and compartments help you save space and organize efficiently. Whether you're traveling for work or pleasure, these packing cubes make organizing your luggage easy!
Travel pouch made from recycled billboards
Rareform repurposes old billboards into bags and accessories. In the past seven years, they’ve saved three million pounds of billboard vinyl from landfills. While their backpacks and totes are the rage, we’re especially digging the Parker Pouch, a compact, packable pouch to hold your charging cables, toiletries and other travel essentials.
Biodegradable wet wipes
Wet wipes moved up the packing priority list in 2020 as the world looked for ways to sanitize while on the go. Surviveware’s camping wipes are 100% biodegradable and start to decompose after 28 days! While the entire decomposition process can take six months to a year, this is a much shorter time frame when compared to normal wet wipes, which can take more than 100 years to fully degrade.
Sustainable swimwear
If you’re heading to the beach and looking for a new swimsuit, check out Londre’s swimwear. Their swimsuits are made from recycled plastic bottles - and even the water from production is able to be reused since it’s free of harmful chemicals. And instead of throwing them out, they have a recycling program so that their swimsuits can be recycled into new materials. So far they’ve taken 90,000+ plastic bottles from streets and beaches of Taiwan to create their swimwear.
Reef-safe sunscreen
Whether you’re heading to the mountains or the sea, you’ll want to pack some sunscreen to protect your skin. But not just any sunscreen - make sure to choose one that’s ‘reef safe’ and doesn’t contain harmful environmental pollutants. Raw Element’s Ocean Ramsey sunscreen stick isn’t just reef safe, it’s also packaged in a compostable push up stick and 10% of the proceeds goes to Save the Turtles International.
Sustainable, portable, single-serve coffee
For your cup of joe on the go, sustainable, portable, single-serve coffee is a great tasty and sustainable option. We love Steeped Coffee, which makes single serve sachets (think tea bag, but with coffee) that hold enough ethically ground beans for one cup of coffee. The sachets are made from renewable, plant-based, non-GMO, certified commercially compostable material, and the outer packaging is also fully compostable. Simply drop the sachet into a mug of hot water for a warming boost for your day.
Reusable coffee mug
What better way to keep your tea, hot cocoa or coffee warm when you’re on-the-go than a reusable coffee mug? KeepCup was one of the first in the portable coffee mug movement, and their barista-friendly sizes make it easy to order your favorite latte - skipping the disposable cup. We love the impact calculator on their website that shows you how each cup of coffee you drink a week saves energy, plastic, CO2 and and more.
Sustainable hydration: Boxed Water™
We’re always an advocate for refillable water bottles first. But it’s not always the most convenient or available option. Instead of plastic or aluminum single-serve water bottles, pick up a Boxed Water™. It’s 100% recyclable, made from 92% plant-based packaging and BPA free. Plus, it's refillable for the short-term as long as you don’t dent it up too much in your travels.
Buy a hat, plant a tree
We couldn’t talk about eco-friendly products without talking about Tinlid Hat Co. Not only are their hats made for organic cotton - but also, for every hat you buy, they plant a tree in partnership with Trees For The Future. To date, they’ve planted more than 100,000 trees.
Recycled winter gear
Clothing and textile waste has become an overwhelming problem with “around 85% of all textiles thrown away in the U.S.,” according to the BBC. And that’s not to mention the greenhouse gases and water usage in the process. But one step you can take when buying new clothes is trying to purchase items made from recycled fabrics.
If cooler weather is on your itinerary, check out Patagonia’s Better Sweater™ Fleece Gloves paired with our Boxed Water Leather Patch Beanie. The gloves are made from “100% recycled polyester fleece and dyed with a low-impact process that significantly reduces the use of dyestuffs, energy and water compared to conventional dyeing methods.” The beanie is made of 100% hypoallergenic acrylic yarn to provide style and warmth.
To add another layer of warmth on the slopes, wrap yourself in this 100% recycled wool scarf from Organic Basics. It’s made from 100% recycled merino wool, and they offer free carbon-neutral shipping. The impact bar below the product shows how much CO2, water and waste you prevented by buying recycled instead of virgin wool.