The truth about the apparel industry is that it is one of the worst offenders in creating more problems for our environment. This begins with pesticides used in growing plants that are used in the making of clothing and ends in the waste and treating of clothing with chemicals which are then contaminating waterways. This is why more and more brands are becoming eco friendly and sustainable in order to reverse this trend and create a better future for our planet and the people living on it.

Let us start with what makes clothing eco friendly. This begins with the materials that a brand uses to create their clothing. These materials need to be sustainable materials and the harvesting of them should also not use chemicals or other means to harm the environment.

Some of these materials include: Organic Cotton, Hemp, Recycled Polyester, and TENCEL™.

• Organic Cotton

Cotton is a popular, soft, and comfortable, but it is also grown using pesticides and chemicals. Not only is this not good for the environment, but also for the farmers that are handling these substances. However, organic cotton is not. It is made sustainably and responsibly in order to sustain the world we live in.

• Hemp

Hemp is durable, it uses less to make more, and can restore fertile soil. With so many positives, it is obvious that this material is becoming increasingly popular in the textile industry. Hemp uses up less space to produce more fibers, uses less water, and requires less pesticides to grow.

• Recycled Polyester

What is better than using recycled materials to make clothing? Recycled polyester takes the discarded plastic bottles to create fibers that are comfortable and long-lasting.

• TENCEL™

This product is made of wood pulp and produced in a process that keeps the chemicals being reused without having them contaminate the environment. This keeps everything sustainable and keeps the waste out of our waters and being reused in the process.

• Lenzing Modal®

This product creates soft, long-lasting, and water-absorbent material. Not only this but it is also sustainable and reuses the solvents used in the process to create non-toxic cleaning products. The product comes from beech trees that grow quickly and produce more on their own.

In addition to using materials and a process in creating the final product that reuses instead of wasting and contaminating the environment, eco-friendly brands are also using their profits to give back to the world in order to minimize their impact on it.

There are many examples of this in many brands including planting trees, giving to charities, participating in and organizing cleanup events, and so much more. It is brands like these that we can use our money to vote for. Supporting brands with these initiatives will also put increasing pressure on other brands to follow this trend in the future.

We thought we would provide a few of our favorite brands that are working to create eco friendly clothing. These are brands that we believe are leading the way in creating clothing from sustainable materials and working to clean up the environment.

1. tentree

Tentree was featured in a previous post of ours we wrote about our favorite eco friendly backpacks. Well they made the list for our favorite eco friendly clothing brands as well.

Their mission:

At tentree, our goal is to become the most environmentally progressive brand on the planet. We don’t want to just reduce the negative impact of the apparel industry, we want to use it as a vehicle for change. Our purpose is to revitalize our environment and inspire a generation to believe that they can do the same.

Our goal is to plant 1 billion trees by 2030.





Tentree uses hemp, organic cotton, recycled polyester, and TENCEL™ among other sustainable materials to produce their products. With ten trees planted for every item purchased, the company has a running total on their website counting more than 30 million trees planted. In addition to your purchase, you are able to register your purchase and see where your trees are being planted in the world.

2. Toad&Co

This company began in 1991 as a hat company named Horny Toad and evolved into a full apparel company that it is today named Toad&Co. Over twenty years, the company has helped fund 120 environmental protection organizations and employed 400 adults with disabilities among other great things they have done for this world.

Their mission:

Inspire people to live their fullest lives through socially and environmentally committed clothes, that look and fit as well as they function, from the trail to the tavern and everywhere in between. Look good, do good, and remember, every day is an adventure.





Not only that, but they also use all of the materials listed above to produce their product. They are working hard to teach people how they can use sustainable products to make the world a better place. They are also making sure that they inspire people to be socially responsible. There is not enough great things to say about a company like this.

As we said before, using your money to stand behind a brand that is working to create a positive impact in our world. It is these companies that show that they respect the environment and want to leave a better world for the next generation to enjoy.

Using your money to support these brands will also show the other companies that have yet to follow suit that this is something that matters to consumers and they will eventually follow along in creating a better world by working to become more eco-friendly.

This is important to us as travelers that we are supporting the brands that hope to plant more trees, organize more cleanups, and want to make the world a better place for the next generation of travelers.