Are houseplants really green?

In 2020, when the pandemic hit, the demand for houseplants hit a record high. More than ever before, people wanted to bring a bit of nature and wilderness into their homes while they were stuck inside for a few weeks.

It is not surprising that the houseplant industry was booming during such a tough period. Plants make any room look calm and alive, and they help ease anxiety. Having a houseplant also means that you have something to care for. You get excited to see it evolve and grow new leaves.

There is no doubt that houseplants are nice to have around in our living spaces! But as plants remind us of the beauty of the natural world, we usually only see the positive aspects of them.

But how sustainable are they, really? How is this houseplant craze impacting our planet? You'll be surprised by the truth!

How bad are houseplants for the environment?

Mass-production in unsustainable greenhouses

The main issue with growing and purchasing houseplants is that most plants we buy in nurseries or stores are mass-produced in a handful of industrial farms that are extremely resource-intensive and have a huge environmental impact and carbon footprint.

For instance, plants are grown under strict heat and lighting conditions, meaning that a lot of energy is needed to produce them.

When we look at the whole production chain of houseplants, we can actually see that the biggest source of carbon emissions comes from heating those greenhouses.

Greenhouses need to be heated to always be at the correct temperature for optimal plant growth. Some of them can be as big as 160 acres, so imagine how much energy is needed to heat them!

And guess how all this energy is made? Those massive greenhouses often run on fossil fuels, thus contributing to climate change and pollution.

Counterintuitively, due to economies of scale, big farms are more fuel-efficient than smaller ones. Yet, we should not forget that they are still extremely unsustainable.

Those large-scale greenhouses also take up massive portions of land that would otherwise be home to trees and other carbon sinks. For example, Costa Farms uses about 4,000 acres of land to grow its plants, which is the size of more than 3,000 football fields!

Plus, growing thousands and thousands of plants on such a huge surface means that enormous quantities of fertilizer and water are used. Metrolina, the largest single-site heated greenhouse in the United States, uses a total of 1.5 million gallons of water each day!

This number is terrifying when we know that, around the world, 1.1 billion people lack access to water, and 2.7 billion suffer from water scarcity at least one month of the year.

Finally, it is important to note that not only are these huge greenhouses very unsustainable, but they are also making it harder for smaller ones to survive. Big producers grow plants at such a large scale that small farms cannot compete, and they struggle to make a profit.

"Plant miles"

Another major concern regarding the booming houseplant industry is that most plants are imported from faraway countries and travel hundreds, if not thousands of miles, before getting to our homes.

Transporting plants from where they are grown to the store shelf and then to their final destination, our homes, has a non-negligible environmental impact, and we need to take it into account.

That is how the concept of "plant miles" was invented. "Plant miles" refer to the total distance houseplants travel between the nursery and your home.

Generally, the higher the distance between the nursery, the store shelf, and your home, the more important the environmental footprint should be. Transporting plants over long distances, whether by air (especially by air!), water or road, generates a lot of carbon emissions. It is all the more true when transporting tropical plants that are imported and shipped from far away countries.

So, in general, buying native plants that are grown locally will be more eco-friendly than importing them. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that it is not always the case.

In some cases, producing plants in warmer climates (and then shipping them) eliminates the need for heated greenhouses, and thus, the carbon footprint can be lower than if the plants were grown locally in heated greenhouses.

For instance, growing plants outdoors in the Canary Islands and shipping them to the United Kingdom by boat usually generates fewer carbon emissions than if the plants were produced in heated greenhouses in the United Kingdom and delivered locally.

Another thing to remember is that sometimes, you may be geographically closer to a plant producer located abroad than a grower based in your own country. And if it is the case, it might be more sustainable to buy the foreign plant as opposed to the native one.

Let's illustrate it with the United Kingdom again. Most plants that are imported to the British Isles come from the Netherlands. However, many Brits geographically live closer to the Netherlands than many British producers. So it makes more sense for them to buy the Dutch plants if they want to lower the carbon emissions from shipping.

And here is a final thing we should be aware of regarding plant miles. Since indoor plants are shipped with thousands of other plants, getting a plant from a nursery to a garden center almost always generates fewer carbon emissions (per plant) than driving your car to the garden center and getting it to your home.

These are all important things to know whenever you wish to buy a plant to make the best decision and minimize the environmental impact of transportation.

We are running out of peat

The unsustainable production and transportation of houseplants are not the only issues we should all consider before our next visit to the garden center.

One thing we rarely think about is that most houseplants are grown in soil that contains peat, which also has an important environmental footprint.

Peat is an earthy substance formed by the partial decomposition of organic matter in waterlogged areas like bogs. It is regularly used in houseplants because it has the ability to retain oxygen and moisture, and it is sterile and cheap to produce.

However, harvesting peat is very unsustainable. The wetlands where peat is produced are carbon sinks, meaning that they store huge quantities of carbon: peatlands, as we call them, store a third of the world's soil carbon!

As a result, when we extract peat from the ground, we are not only destroying a carbon sink, but we are also releasing a lot of CO2 into the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change.

Another problem is that peat can take thousands of years to form and regenerate, and it is believed that commercial extraction can remove more than 500 years' worth of growth in a single year!

So the huge, growing demand for indoor plants we are observing now is depleting the world's supply of peat faster than it can be replenished.

To illustrate that, American greenhouse Metrolina alone uses 12 tractor-trailer loads of peat moss every single week. And it is only one single greenhouse. Imagine how much peat we are using to supply all the greenhouses and nurseries around the whole world?!

Plastic pots

Most houseplants are packaged in plastic, and more specifically, they often come in plastic pots. Sure, plastic pots are convenient, lightweight and easy to transport.

But, while some places accept them for curbside recycling, we usually cannot put plastic plant pots in our recycling bins. They are made from a range of different plastics, making it harder to sort and recycle them.

Many recycling centers do not accept them because they are considered contaminated or simply because they are made of black plastic. Black plastic pots cannot be detected by sorting machines, which means that they either get incinerated or thrown into a landfill, where they will take hundreds of years to break down.

In total, according to Marie Chieppo, Principal at EcoPlants Plans, 95 to 98% of all plastic plant pots end up in landfills!

We also need to remember that plastic pots are made using fossil fuels, which is one of the most polluting industries in the whole world.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to find houseplants that are not sold in plastic pots. Even though it might not be the most problematic issue you should consider when buying indoor plants, it is still something to keep in mind next time you visit your garden center.

Is it really that bad to purchase houseplants?

Now that we have analyzed the environmental impacts of the production and transportation of houseplants, you might probably think: does that mean I should stop buying indoor plants for my home?

We cannot say houseplants are sustainable, that is for sure! With what we saw, we can even state that buying houseplants is not eco-friendly at all.

But it is also fair to say that plants are well known for absorbing CO2 and emitting oxygen. However, the plant's ability to remove carbon from the air depends on the type of plant, how much water there is in the soil, and how light the room is. Plus, the more plants there are in the room, the more CO2 is absorbed.

According to environmental consultant Curtis Gubb, peace lilies and dracaena "Golden Coast" plants are the most efficient at reducing CO2 levels. But we would need to have many of them in a single room and even install additional lighting to observe a real difference.

Researchers found similar results when it comes to other types of air pollutants. For instance, some plants are able to remove higher amounts of volatile organic compounds and ozone from the air than other plants, but in total, the impact remains negligible. We would need a very high concentration of plants in one room, and even that would not make a huge difference.

So we cannot say that the plants' ability to sequester greenhouse gases plays a big role in reducing their overall environmental impact. Although the impact is positive, it is tiny and cannot offset the negative effects of houseplant production and transportation.

However, we can nuance some of the negative impacts: houseplants we buy at garden centers or nurseries are produced and shipped with thousands of other plants. Thus, each plant needs a tiny fraction of all the inputs, meaning that the environmental footprint of a single houseplant is limited in the grand scheme of things.

Like everything we buy, purchasing houseplants has a negative impact on the planet, but you do not have to completely stop buying them if they make you happy.

The key is to be aware of the fact that houseplants are not very sustainable (and why), but if we consume them mindfully and try to choose more eco-friendly options, we can still enjoy them without feeling guilty.

How to make your houseplant collection more sustainable?

If you still want to have indoor plants, here are a few tips that will help you be as sustainable as possible when it comes to your houseplant collection.

As with everything, the most eco-friendly plant is the one you already own. So if you already have some plants at home, make sure to take good care of them. Learn about how much water and light they need, and hopefully, they can live for many years to come.

If you want to add a few more plants to your collection, you can easily propagate them from cuttings or grow new plants from seeds.

You can also organize a plant swap with other plant lovers or look for beautiful plants second-hand on online selling platforms and local "Buy Nothing" groups. Getting a plant second-hand drastically reduces the environmental footprint of your "new" plant!

If you need to buy new houseplants, consider choosing peat-free plants or plants that don't need peat, like cacti or orchids. And do not forget to use a peat-free potting mix when you need to repot your plants. Also, why don't you ask your houseplant supplier to go peat-free? It will show him there is a demand for peat-free plants, and he might decide to make some changes!

Another thing to keep in mind is that some houseplants are made to die relatively quickly, such as sprayed cacti, chrysanthemums and poinsettias. So avoid buying those if you want more eco-friendly indoor plants or simply plants that will last for years.

Always try to support suppliers who grow their plants organically, without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Plus, to reduce "plant miles", go for native plants that are produced near you, and preferably some that are grown outdoors or in non-heated greenhouses.

You should also remember to pick plants that do not come in plastic pots if it is possible or available to you. But if it is unavoidable, consider reusing them or finding a place nearby that recycles them. Lowe's, The Home Depot and some nurseries take them back and offer to recycle them.

If you grow your own plants from seeds or cuttings, terracotta pots are a great alternative to plastic pots, and they look so much nicer!

A final tip to be more eco-friendly with houseplants is to collect rainwater to water your plants. Whether you have a rainwater collection system in your garden or if you simply put a bucket out on your balcony to collect rainwater, doing so will make you save a lot of water in the long run. Not to mention that rainwater is better for your plants, so it is a win-win situation!

Conclusion

Like most things we buy, houseplants are far from being sustainable. They are often grown in massive greenhouses that are very resource-intensive and that have a large carbon footprint.

Most indoor plants also travel over long distances before arriving in our homes, contributing even more to their environmental impact.

They are usually grown in soil that contains peat, which we are slowly but surely running out of. And finally, most houseplants are sold in plastic pots that are hard to recycle and that almost always end up in landfills.

All those issues are problematic, but it does not mean you should give up on houseplants entirely. By consuming them mindfully and applying a few simple tips to minimize their environmental footprint, you can continue enjoying them guilt-free. Every little bit helps!

About the Author:

Eva Astoul is a French freelance writer, specializing in content related to sustainability, simple living, and a growth-focused healthy lifestyle.

She runs her own blog, Green With Less, to inspire people to live a more minimalist and sustainable life.

MAKE SURE TO PIN THE PHOTO BELOW TO SAVE THIS POST FOR LATER!

WANT MORE SUSTAINABLE BRANDS? VISIT OUR BRAND DIRECTORY!

Our Brand Directory is home to hundreds of sustainable brands, from makeup to cleaning supplies, from underwear to shoes. We have broken everything down by category for easy shopping, along with discount codes unique to Sustainably Chic viewers.

Shop the Sustainable Brand Directory

A Guide to Clean Beauty

More people than ever are interested in personal care products that are better for them and the planet. Many now realize that what we put on our skin matters, and that traditional beauty products have long contained artificial and harmful chemicals. In the beauty industry today, we often see brands use terms like natural, conscious or clean to promote their products. But what is clean beauty and how do you know if a product is indeed better for you?

Below, we’ll break down what clean beauty means, what to look for before buying, and what to avoid.

What is Clean Beauty?

Clean beauty is a common umbrella term used to describe any cosmetic products that are made without synthetic chemicals. This includes products designed for the skin and body, from skincare to makeup to hair care.

Clean beauty doesn’t necessarily have one definition. A clean beauty brand might be vegan, organic, or biodegradable, or it may not be any of those things. The issue with not having clear criteria for clean beauty is that it opens the doors for brands to make hollow claims for marketing purposes i.e. greenwashing.

The beauty industry as a whole is largely unregulated, but If a brand uses the term clean or natural, that is not enough to verify them as a trustworthy brand. As more consumers begin to prioritize sustainable products, brands understand that they need to appear “clean and green” to sell. Brands also know that consumers often take terms at face value, and may not know how to research or verify these claims.

If you’re looking for sustainable beauty products that are healthier for both you and the planet, a good place to start is to know what you’re looking for. You can then understand whether or not a brand aligns with your values.

Common Terms Used for Clean Beauty and What They Mean:

There are numerous additional terms that clean beauty brands will use to verify that they are trustworthy brands. It’s a great sign that a brand is sustainable if they fit the criteria below.

However, as you’ll notice, many of these terms are widely unregulated. It’s important to always do your research when a brand claims any of the below labels as they could still be making false statements.

Third-party certifications are a great thing to look for because they help verify that a brand does what they say they do. It’s important to note that not every brand has access to these certifications, however. Not all certifications are globally available and many charge a significant fee to become certified. This makes it difficult for small businesses to obtain.

While third-party certifications are a good sign, if a brand doesn’t have one, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are making false claims. Always look for transparency from the company on their ingredients and manufacturing so you can do your research to verify their claims.

Organic:

Organic means that something was grown without any pesticides, chemicals, or artificial fertilizers. If a brand claims to be organic, look for organic certification or transparency on where and how their organic ingredients were sourced.

Non-GMO:

GMO stands for genetically modified organisms. If a brand states they are non-GMO they are claiming their product contains only natural ingredients. Look for Non-GMO verifications or organic certifications to back this up.

Non-Toxic:

This essentially means none of the ingredients included have been proven to cause harmful responses in humans. To verify this, check the ingredients list and research anything that you don’t recognize.

Chemical-Free:

Nothing can truly be chemical-free, but this term is meant to describe products that don’t contain any harmful chemicals. You’ll need to read and research their ingredient list to ensure this is a valid claim.

Vegan:

Vegan skincare products should not contain any ingredients that are animal-derived or from animal by-products. Look for certified vegan products and always double-check the ingredient list.

Cruelty-Free:

This means a product was manufactured in a way that doesn’t involve harm to animals or animal testing. Look for third-party certifications such as Leaping Bunny Certified.

Sustainable:

Sustainable products do not harm people or the environment. Sustainable brands will be as transparent about their ingredients are they are about how and who manufactures their products. They should disclose the working conditions of their employees, including the farmers who source their ingredients.

Eco-friendly:

Eco-friendly beauty products are products that do as little harm as possible to the environment. This means using primarily eco-friendly ingredients and manufacturing in a way that conserves resources. Look for brands that are transparent about their manufacturing process and how they reduce waste.

Zero-Waste:

Zero-waste means a product was made in a way that generates as little waste as possible. Zero-waste products should use recyclable or recycled packaging or none at all. Their ingredients should also be biodegradable. Examples of zero-waste products are natural lotion bars that use compostable packaging.

Biodegradable:

A biodegradable beauty product contains ingredients that will quickly break down and not harm the natural environment. Look for the biodegradable label and research the ingredient list to ensure there are no hidden artificial ingredients.

Plant-based:

Plant-based beauty products are made from ingredients that are derived from plants, such as plant oils and extracts. Brands may also use the term botanical to describe this. These products tend to be vegan, without harmful chemicals, but remember to research the ingredient list to confirm.

Common Toxic Ingredients to Avoid in Cosmetics:

Traditional beauty brands use numerous synthetic ingredients that are harmful to humans and the planet. Because the beauty industry is largely unregulated, there are thousands of harmful ingredients that companies have been allowed to use for years without any consequences.

Why does this matter? Because these ingredients have been linked to cancer, respiratory issues, hormone disruption, and numerous disorders. What we put on our skin is directly absorbed by our bodies, which is why it’s important to prioritize sustainable products.

While the above information will greatly help you vet sustainable beauty brands, it does require some research. The easiest way to ensure that a product is safe to use is to confirm that it doesn’t have any of the following chemicals:

Parabens:

Parabens are extremely common in beauty products and are used as preservatives. Unfortunately, parabens are endocrine disruptors that negatively impact both humans and animals.

Phthalates:

These chemicals are commonly used in beauty products that contain fragrance or nail polish. They are also linked to endocrine disruption. Phthalates can be labeled as DMP, DEP, DBP, and DEHP.

Artificial Fragrance:

Most fragrances found in beauty and household products are made up of numerous chemicals. Since you don’t know what it’s made of, you can’t research how it may affect you. Try to steer clear of any products that include fragrance on their ingredient list and look for non-toxic options instead.

Formaldehyde:

Formaldehyde is a commonly used gas that acts as a preservative. Unfortunately, despite how often it’s used, it is a known carcinogen at high levels of exposure and can act as a skin irritant.

Petrolatum:

Petrolatum, i.e. petroleum jelly, isn’t unsafe when it’s properly refined. Many petroleum-based products, particularly in the US, are not properly refined. If they aren’t, they may contain PAHs, which are toxic chemicals and suspected carcinogens. The only way to ensure petrolatum is safe for use is for brands to be transparent about their refinery history which isn’t required in the U.S.

BHA/BHT:

These are both common chemicals used as preservatives in food and beauty products. They are suspected carcinogens however as well as skin irritants and endocrine disruptors.

Ethanolamines:

These chemicals are often used in skincare products and act as preservatives and foaming agents (what makes your shampoo sudsy). They have been linked to cancer, however, so it’s best to avoid them.

What About Ethically and Sustainably Sourcing Ingredients?

Some natural ingredients are in high demand and sourcing these products has become exploitative. One of the most common examples of this is palm oil.

Palm oil is a natural vegetable oil that is extremely shelf-stable and versatile. As such, it’s found in almost every product you can think of - from beauty products to food products. Due to this high demand, it is now causing deforestation of crucial habitats and forests. Palm oil plantations are also notorious for using unethical labor, such as slave and child labor.

Palm oil is a great example of a plant-based, natural ingredient that has become largely unsustainable. This is why brands need to be transparent about their ingredient list and their sourcing. There are numerous commonly used natural ingredients whose value will only increase as the demand for sustainable products rises.

Ensuring that brands are sourcing their products in a way that doesn’t involve unethical labor, environmental damage, or hazardous production will help combat continuous exploitative sourcing.

What to Look For From Clean Beauty Brands Before Buying:

Overall, if you’re trying to avoid greenwashing, there are a few things you should look for before buying into a beauty brand's claims. Ask yourself (and the company) the following questions:

What claims do they make? Do they have any information available that backs up these claims?
What are the ingredients? Beauty products list the ingredients from most to least used. Take into consideration what the first ingredients are and how many ingredients there are in total.
How transparent are they? Do they provide information on how they manufacture their products, and where? Do you know who runs the company?
Do they have any relevant third-party certifications?
Do they include enough information to back up each green claim? Or are they only using vague, marketable statements?
If they use clean ingredients, are they also a sustainable company? Is their manufacturing process eco-friendly? Do they use sustainable packaging? Do they pay their staff a fair wage? Do they give back?
When you look them up, what comes up? Do any trustworthy organizations vouch for them?

Some of Our Favorite Clean Beauty & Skincare Brands:

ILIA
Zakiella
100% Pure
Elate (use code SUSTAINABLYCHIC for 10% off)
Izzy
Osea
Organic Skin Co.
Paume
Credo Beauty
Ather Beauty
Axiology
F. Miller

About the Author

Alicia Briggs is a writer & editor specializing in slow travel & sustainable living. She has been a full-time traveler since 2018 and runs her own blog, Learning the Local Way, where she covers responsible travel tips and guides.

MAKE SURE TO PIN THE PHOTO BELOW TO SAVE THIS POST FOR LATER!

WANT MORE SUSTAINABLE BRANDS? VISIT OUR BRAND DIRECTORY!

Shop Our Sustainable Brand Directory

The Impact Of Technology On People And The Planet

Nowadays, our society is so dependent on technology that it is hard to believe that the telephone was only invented in 1876. 146 years later, we spend most of our days using technology, and almost all of us can affirm that we could not live without it.

The crazy thing is that there are now more active mobile connections than people on the planet, and more than half of the world’s population is connected to the Internet!

All these high-tech devices, electric appliances and gadgets are making our lives easier and more convenient. They help us contact people, work, research, cook, clean, and entertain, among many other things.

Modern technology is even helping us combat climate change! But, does it mean it is sustainable?

In this article, you will learn all about the environmental and social footprint of our tech addiction, as well as how you, as a consumer, can mitigate it and make using technology more eco-friendly.

How technology is destroying our planet

All our high-tech gadgets have consequences on our planet at different stages in the supply chain.

Mining for rare minerals

Every device we own is made with plenty of rare components, including rare earth elements and tech metals, like cobalt, lithium and tantalum. Electronics also contain other materials such as plastic, which is derived from fossil fuels, iron, aluminum, zinc, lead, copper and tin to name just a few.

The main issue regarding all those materials is that to be extracted from the ground, they need to be mined, which causes severe threats to the environment.

Mining is a very water and energy-intensive activity that leads to deforestation as well as water, soil and air pollution. It releases huge quantities of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into the air, thus massively contributing to global warming.

To extract precious metals from the Earth, we need to use colossal machines that usually run on fossil fuels. Mining also comes with serious landscape degradation: the mines are often so big that we can see them from space!

Another thing we rarely think about regarding the dangers of extracting rare earth elements from the ground is that the mines and processing plants generate a lot of toxic and radioactive waste, which often ends up in the environment.

Plus, extracting so many metals and elements from the Earth contributes to the rapid depletion of natural resources. The situation is even more critical because some of those materials are rare, meaning that if we continue extracting them at such a rate, we will quickly run out of them at some point in the future.

It is also interesting to note that most of those materials are mined in developing countries where there is weak environmental regulation, like in China. Therefore, there are few to no incentives for companies to make the process less damaging to the environment.

There are many examples illustrating the disastrous effects mining for precious metals and elements has on the planet!

In the Atacama desert in Chile, lithium extraction has a huge impact on the water reserves in the region, which is already one of the driest on Earth. The groundwater table is sinking and drying out, and the mining process can contaminate drinking water.

And here is another striking example. In the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia, there is an artificial lake created because of our worldwide addiction to high-tech gadgets. With a diameter of 5.5 miles, this lake is extremely toxic and entirely made of dangerous chemicals and black sludge, which are waste byproducts of rare earth mining.

Those two examples are just the tip of the iceberg and illustrate only a few aspects of the environmental footprint of mining for metals and rare earth elements.

The unsustainable production of technology

The impact our tech gadgets have on our planet does not end with the extraction of rare resources. The process that turns raw materials into a finished product is very unsustainable too.

Suppliers all around the world use raw materials, like gold or cobalt, to create small components. The individual parts are then sent to factories where they are assembled into finished products, such as laptops or phones. After that, the brand new devices are shipped to warehouses in different countries, and finally, to retailers on all continents.

The supply chain of our electronics is complex: our devices are made with hundreds of components from all over the world. For example, to manufacture its iPhones, Apple works with suppliers in 43 countries on six continents.

The issue is that transporting all those products and components generates a lot of greenhouse gas emissions, and thus contributes to the climate crisis.

Producing the products itself is also very energy-intensive and a source of air and water pollution near the factories.

We should also mention that the Internet has an environmental footprint as well! The Internet is powered by a variety of physical infrastructures, such as data centers and transmission networks.

It means that transferring and storing our data online comes with its own impact on the planet. For instance, data centers consume an enormous amount of electricity, 80% of which is made using fossil fuels.

It is even estimated that browsing the Internet for less than 15 minutes generates as many CO2 emissions as driving a car over a distance of 1km. This is mind-blowing!

Electronic waste

Our appliances, high-tech devices and gadgets also cause significant environmental problems at the end of their lives. According to the United Nations, 53.6 million tons of electronic waste (or e-waste) were discarded worldwide in 2019, and this number should reach 74 million tons by 2030.

In fact, e-waste is the fastest-growing domestic waste stream, and it is mainly due to the world’s skyrocketing consumption of electronics as well as planned obsolescence.

Out of those 54 million tons of discarded electronics, only 17.4% were collected and recycled. When we think about it, it means that most metals and rare elements that went into the making of those products were burned or discarded in a landfill.

So a huge amount of precious natural resources, which by the way are worth billions of dollars, is going to waste even though they could be reused!

And what may be even worse is that e-waste contains hazardous chemicals and toxic substances, including heavy metals and flame retardants, that can leach into the soil when discarded in landfills.

As a result, the underlying groundwater and crops that may be planted in the soil can get contaminated. Not to mention that those pollutants usually remain there for a long time, and some might even become more toxic as time goes by!

Also, in 2019, between 3.75 and 10.72 million tons of e-waste were shipped to developing countries. So not only are the environmental issues exported there but transporting them far away also has a significant carbon footprint.

In those countries, electronic waste is usually dismantled, burned and shredded, which releases large amounts of dust and toxic particles into the environment. It leaves hazardous byproducts in the air, soil and water, and impacts entire ecosystems.

The impact of technology on people

The production of our electronics is also very dangerous to the people working in that industry as they are constantly risking their health and safety.

Workers mining for rare metals for our electronics work in extremely hard and unsafe conditions, and in a very hot environment. Mines pay them very poorly for very long days, and often do not provide them with any health and safety protections, like gloves or face masks.

Workers regularly suffer from respiratory problems and diseases such as tuberculosis, silicosis, bronchitis and lung cancer. Being in constant contact with toxic metals can also cause leukemia and several other types of cancer.

What’s more, human rights violations are far from uncommon, and child labor is regularly used in the mining sector. For instance, it is estimated that 40,000 children are working in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, often extracting the metal by hand.

Plus, the extraction of rare metals in the DRC, such as gold, tin, tungsten and tantalum, also known as "conflict minerals'', has been fueling war and benefiting armed groups in the country. Miners are often beaten by soldiers and forced to work in unstable mines, which have already killed hundreds of people when some of them collapsed.

Local populations living near the mines are also affected by the extraction of minerals from the Earth. Since mining for rare earth elements creates a lot of toxic and radioactive waste that often ends up in nature, workers and nearby residents are regularly exposed to harmful chemicals and radiation that are not without consequences for human health.

In the Chinese city of Baotou, in Inner Mongolia, rare earth mining poisoned several villages and farms, forcing thousands of people to leave the area!

People and workers are also affected by our modern technology at the other end of the supply chain. As we saw earlier, around one-fifth of e-waste generated worldwide gets recycled.

While some recycling facilities act responsibly and provide their workers with protection, many others do not, putting their workers’ lives and health at risk. Those workers are exposed to dangerous chemicals and toxins that are leaching out of discarded electronics, which can cause a wide range of health problems.

And as mentioned before, when e-waste is dismantled and burned, a significant amount of toxic particles is released into the air, soil and water. It means that the communities living nearby are also affected by how polluting e-waste is!

How planned obsolescence is making it all worse

All the negative impacts technology has on people and the environment make it one of the least sustainable things we can buy as consumers.

But as if that were not enough, almost all tech companies are using a powerful tool to make things even worse: planned obsolescence.

Planned obsolescence is a business strategy that consists in intentionally creating products that will become out of date or unusable after a certain time. For instance, companies can design products that will stop functioning properly after a given period, or launch a new, better model of the product to encourage people to choose the upgraded version.

In the tech industry, companies are purposefully producing their products using components that begin to wear down fairly quickly and are making it hard to repair them.

They also use new operating systems that quickly become less and less compatible with the device we already have. Not to mention that most tech brands launch new, better (as promised) models every single year!

This strategy promotes hyper-consumerism and guarantees that consumers will keep buying new replacements for their products, thus contributing to a high demand. And when the demand is high, companies make large profits.

Mainly because of planned (and perceived) obsolescence, people in the United States and Europe have been replacing their electronic devices like smartphones every two years on average.

It means that all those precious resources were mined, made into small parts, which were then assembled into brand new devices, that were finally shipped all across the world to be used for only two years!

When we are replacing our electronics that often, we are also contributing even more to the environmental damage and social impacts than if we bought new devices less frequently. We are creating a demand to extract even more resources and generating more e-waste.

Planned obsolescence is thus considerably increasing the environmental footprint and social costs of technology, making it even more unsustainable!

How can we make using tech more sustainable?

Now that you have learned about how harmful our modern technology can be to the planet and human beings, you probably want to help minimize its impact.

Fortunately, even as consumers, there are some easy things we can do in our everyday lives to mitigate the environmental and social footprint of electronics.

The first and maybe the most important thing you can do is to keep your tech gadgets and devices for as long as possible, and not upgrade them regularly if possible. Doing so will make sure that you are not creating a demand for new tech to be made and discarding fewer electronics, thus producing less e-waste.

To be able to keep your devices for a long time, try to take good care of them and be careful not to drop them. It may also be a great idea to invest in a sturdy phone case to protect your phone and to get yourself a good quality laptop sleeve for when you are on the go with your computer.

Whenever you need a new device, consider getting it second-hand instead of new. There are countless stores selling reconditioned tech, but you can also look for electronics on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or similar websites.

And then, when your electronics stop working, see if you can get them fixed before replacing them. But if nothing can be done, remember to never put them in the trash and always try to find places that recycle tech.

Manufacturers usually offer to take them back, but the easiest way to go is to check if a tech or hardware store nearby has a recycling bin for electronics. For instance, in the United States, Staples and Best Buy usually take back your broken gadgets to recycle them. Your local recycling center may also accept tech, but you can always find a recycler near you on this website.

To make tech more sustainable, you can also sell or donate any unused devices to give them a new life, and invest in rechargeable batteries to avoid having to constantly buy and discard single-use ones.

Finally, to reduce the environmental footprint of the Internet, delete unnecessary emails from your inbox or unused files on your cloud, unsubscribe from newsletters that you do not read, and avoid streaming videos mindlessly if you can do something else instead.

Final thoughts

At every stage of the supply chain, technology comes with a massive environmental and social footprint. The world’s hyperconsumption of gadgets and devices is slowly destroying our planet and harming many people.

Big tech companies are clearly the ones who should, before anyone else, strive to make things more sustainable, but we also lack solid governmental regulation that would oblige them to make some positive changes.

However, as consumers, it does not mean we should say “game over” and ignore those issues. There are many things we can do to mitigate the environmental and social impact of our devices, and applying these tips also usually makes us save a lot of money. Win-win!

About the Author:

Eva Astoul is a French freelance writer, specializing in content related to sustainability, simple living, and a growth-focused healthy lifestyle.

She runs her own blog, Green With Less, to inspire people to live a more minimalist and sustainable life.

MAKE SURE TO PIN THE PHOTO BELOW TO SAVE THIS POST FOR LATER!

WANT to find SUSTAINABLE BRANDS? VISIT OUR BRAND DIRECTORY!

Shop the Sustainable Brand Directory

what is Mirum and where to find it

As sustainability in fashion is further explored, the importance of alternatives to both animal-derived and fossil-fuel based leathers is becoming more commonly accepted. MIRUM is a new and innovative leather-like material that is entirely free from both animal and plastic inputs. So what’s it made of, and what brands are using it?

The importance of moving beyond animal leather

Before we can talk about leather alternatives, we need to look at why there’s such a need for these alternative materials to begin with. When it comes to animal-derived leather, there are a myriad of ethical and environmental consequences of production worth evolving beyond. Some of these include the exploitation and slaughter of animals, deforestation and inefficient land use, biodiversity destruction, significant greenhouse gas emissions, tannery pollution and worker’s rights issues across the supply chain.

Based on some industry data, calculations suggest a Brazilian leather handbag can result in as much as 1,000 square meters of once biodiverse land being kept clear for production, while other data shows a similarly sized cow skin leather bag to have a carbon equivalent footprint of over 100kg, and a water footprint of as much as over 17,100 liters.

While leather – a valuable co-product of meat and dairy production – has been used for centuries and been relied on by humans in that time to make sturdy shoes, bags and other clothes, fashion is now evolving.

The importance of moving beyond synthetic leather

While animal-derived leather isn’t a sustainable fashion solution, the replacement of leather by virgin synthetic materials isn’t ideal for the planet, either. While even polyurethane synthetic leather has a smaller carbon, water and land footprint, in some instances even requiring less chemistry and fossil fuel use, ‘more sustainable’ than leather doesn’t make for a ‘genuinely sustainable’ material. Synthetic leather is still a plastic product derived from fossil fuels. We can do far better than that.

Fossil fuel extraction is the leading cause of the climate crisis, and the synthetic materials produced from them can’t naturally biodegrade, spelling trouble when shoes and bags made from the material are no longer wanted.

It’s because of these problems that material innovation is so important. Material Innovation Initiative’s latest report found that since 2015, $2.3 billion has been invested in the next-gen material space, with the majority of this work going into replacing animal-derived and synthetic leather. In fact, 49 of the 74 companies in the next-gen material space are working on leather replacements.

Partly bio-based alternatives are stepping stones to further innovation

At the moment, a number of more sustainable alternatives to both animal-derived leather and synthetic leather are still actually partly synthetic. For example ‘cactus leather’, ‘pineapple leaf leather’, ‘apple leather’, ‘mango leather’ and other colloquially named materials are actually only partly plant-based. Many of these materials are blended with synthetics – the plant matter dried out and made into a powder which is mixed with polyurethane, or in the case of Piñatex made from pineapple plant leaves (a ~95% plant-based material), coated in a thin layer of bio-resin, made from plasticised plant starch.

These materials are more sustainable than both of the earlier mentioned materials, and also reduce fashion’s reliance on fossil fuels – even if not eliminating it entirely. Essentially, they’re a far better choice to pick from, move the needle in the right direction, but still have room to improve. They can be seen as stepping stones to the most ideal leather alternatives of the future. Materials, for example, like MIRUM.

What is Mirum made of?

MIRUM is an entirely new kind of leather-like material. Made entirely without plastic of any kind, MIRUM is certified to be made of 100% bio-content through the USDA’s biopreferred program. MIRUM only ever uses natural materials that ensure recyclability at the end of the materials life as a bag, shoe or belt.

Using abundant plant matter and ‘upcycled’ agricultural side streams rather than primary products (similar to how Piñatex uses pineapple plant leaves, rather than the fruits themselves), the material is efficient and renewable.

The question of what’s actually in MIRUM is complex, because it is so customisable. If a brand wants a slightly different texture, feel, thickness or color, MIRUM will be made accordingly, with slightly different inputs.

For example, a bag made by Melina Bucher features supple black MIRUM, and is made from a blend of Forest Stewardship Certified natural rubber, natural colorants like charcoal from pine, natural fillers like clays, plant-based oils and waxes. Other ‘ingredients’ used in different iterations of the material include coconut husk fiber, cork powder made as a by-product of wine-stopper making, and rice hull. Another brand, Bellroy, says their custom formulation of MIRUM also includes soybeans, and is backed with organic cotton.

These inputs are blended together during a mechanical process which forms a sheet, with the help of a patented plant-based curative. This is something MIRUM has over partly bio-based materials, which combine and set plant-based ingredients in a plastic-based or petrochemical substance.

How sustainable is MIRUM?

While everything that makes up MIRUM sounds great, how do we know if it’s really sustainable? Well, the company that makes the material, Natural Fiber Welding, recently released an intimate assessment of how the material impacts the climate when compared to animal-derived leather, synthetic leather and partly-bio-based leather. And the results are seriously attention-grabbing.

MIRUM’s first carbon footprint assessment found that producing one square meter of the material results in as little as 0.84kg of carbon equivalent emissions (CO2e), with the higher end of the estimate equating to 2.1kg of CO2e. That’s equal to roughly the same amount of greenhouse gasses required to wash and dry one load of laundry!

To compare this with other similarly used materials, the assessment also shows one square meter to have a CO2e impact that’s:

Nearly 14 times smaller than chrome-tanned leather from cradle to gate
Over 7.5 times smaller than synthetic leather’s impact
Almost 4 times smaller than that of partly-bio-based PU leathers

While sustainability isn’t only about carbon, and we need to consider water use, chemistry, land use, biodiversity and other impacts too, the climate impact of a material is extremely important, and these results have huge implications for the future of fashion.

Too, given that we know MIRUM’s inputs are natural, chemistry won’t be a major problem with MIRUM, and when it comes to land use, the plant-based materials that are used to produce it are considered to be pretty efficient – especially as compared to animal-derived materials.

When it comes to circularity – an important aspect of material sustainability which ensures reduced waste – MIRUM performs well too; the material is able to decompose into compost mulch.

What brands are working with MIRUM?

A handful of brands are working with MIRUM at the moment, with this number soon to expand, as the company has recently partnered with Veshin Factory, which ethically makes vegan bags for brands around the world. This partnership will allow greater accessibility to the material.

Here are some of the brands working with the material right now:

Melina Bucher

The Bailey bag from Melina Bucher features both black and sand-toned MIRUM, in a sleek, timeless style paired with golden toned hardware. Ethically handcrafted in Spain, the brand is entirely vegan and dedicated to female leadership.

Bellroy

Certified B-Corp Bellroy was the first brand to release MIRUM commercially. Today, the brand offers a simple wallet, a sling bag, and will soon release another bag. They’ve also previously released now sold out phone cases, laptop sleeves and other products using the material.

Looking more broadly, Bellroy works with the Centre for Effective Altruism to support some not-for-profit projects, is transparent about the efforts to improve their sustainability, and works hard to be a positive place to work. The brand is based in Melbourne, Australia.

Segan

An ethically made bag from a brand that participates in Fashion Revolution campaigns, Segan is working with MIRUM to create PETA certified vegan, fairly crafted and sustainable bags. The brand is also dedicated to genderless fashion and rejecting needless labels.

Right now, you can only sign up to get updates from the brand, which will ship to the US and Canada.

Modher

Another certified B Corp, Modher uses traditional techniques to craft fairly made bags. Having previously worked only with animal-derived leather, the Italian designed and made brand now offers a small crossbody bag made from MIRUM. It’s exciting to see brands moving forward with materials like this.

Camper

Camper is the first shoe brand to make sneakers with MIRUM, making the material more accessible. However, Good On You gives the brand a poor rating, citing their lack of commitment to ensuring living wages to their workers, and to reducing their overall environmental impact.

While it’s great to see Camper supporting this important material innovation, they need to do far more to ensure they’re living up to the promise of ‘ethical’ and ‘sustainable’ fashion which MIRUM aligns with.

Allbirds

Under the name ‘Plant Leather’, Allbirds is working on a collection of MIRUM sneakers and shoes. Allbirds previously has only used wool and wood-based fibers in their shoe collections, making MIRUM an exciting edition to the collection. Allbirds is another brand that doesn’t have a very good rating from Good On You, so check that out before making any decisions.

About the Author
Emma Håkansson is the founder and director of Collective Fashion Justice which seeks to create a total ethics fashion system that prioritizes the life and wellbeing of non-human & human animals, as well as the planet, before profit & production. She has written countless articles on ethics, sustainability, and fashion, and has two books due out over the next two years.

MAKE SURE TO PIN THE PHOTO BELOW TO SAVE THIS POST FOR LATER!

WANT MORE SUSTAINABLE BRANDS? VISIT OUR BRAND DIRECTORY!

Shop the Sustainable Brand Directory

What is Dopamine Dressing?

The image-sharing and social media platform Pinterest predicted that feel-good, electric outfits would characterize fashion in 2022. Given the massive offline and online popularity of Dopamine Dressing, with the homonymous hashtags getting almost 13 million views just on TikTok, it's safe to say that this has indeed been the year of bright and bold fits.

But let's take a step back and see what Dopamine Dressing actually is. In short, Dopamine Dressing is what happens when we start to dress for ourselves, expressing our mood and personality through fashion. We all know that wearing something that makes you feel good can do a lot for our spirit and confidence, and Dopamine Dressing is all about choosing outfits that are mood-boosting and fun to wear.

Unsurprisingly, vibrant colors, bold patterns, colorful clothing, and eclectic accessories tend to visually characterize this aesthetic that is all about celebrating happiness and using fashion to express ourselves boldly. Like all the lovely and pleasure-focused things in life, this approach triggers Dopamine, our brain's feel-good neurotransmitter, hence the name.

Can I do Dopamine Dressing sustainably?

To try Dopamine Dressing, you don't necessarily have to enact a massive change but rather a fun-oriented enhancement of some element of your own personal style. Finding fun colors, textures, and patterns to add to your wardrobe can be an easy way of engaging with Dopamine dressing.

To do this, you can take the thrifting route, swap clothes with your loved ones, or take this as an opportunity to support fantastic and conscious businesses.

To help you be as bold and unique as you want to be while being kind to the Earth and its people, we have selected a bunch of ethical and sustainable brands offering loads of fun and vibrant clothes and accessories for you. Happy dressing!

1) Back Beat Co.

Nothing does the trick for our mood like feeling comfortable and at ease while sporting an outfit we love, and at Back Beat Co., they know how to make clothes that hit that sweet spot.

This WOC-owned and California-born clothing brand makes low-impact, ethically made clothing for that laid-back life.

They prioritize ethical and social responsibility over profits and invest a lot of time in sourcing the fabrics used to make their creative, fun, and comfortable pieces.

The result is that their ethically made non-boring basics are made with great low-impact fabrics such as hemp, recycled cotton, GOTS certified organic cotton, deadstock fabrics, and Tencel.

They are known for their styles that mix fun and ease, with loads of Cali-vibes and hints at old-school surf 'n' skate culture. Their garments' beauty comes at the cost of neither the environments nor those manufacturing them, as BBCo is committed to raising the bar on working conditions for the people making their gorgeous pieces.

The spirit behind and the look of BackBeat Co. iconic, fun garments are perfect for Dopamine Dressing as they can give your wardrobe an always-needed hint of sunshine and good vibes.

Shop Back Beat Co.

2) Baggu

The Asian-owned brand Baggu offers simple, playful bags, accessories, and much more for fun everyday living. Founded in 2007 by its current CEO, Emily Sugihara, this company is famous for its eye-catching, iconic reusable shopping bags, which are made of recycled ripstop nylon and come in an array of fun, colorful patterns.

This brand uses eco-friendly materials such as recycled ripstop nylon, recycled heavyweight nylon, recycled PET polyfill, and organic cotton to manufacture its products.

They also have a deadstock line composed of patchwork pieces made from pieced-together leftover Baggu fabrics.

These funky, mood-boosting patterns aren't exclusive to Baggu's iconic reusable bags, as they can also be found on their pouches and cases, hat and accessories, home and travel goods, socks, and towels.

Given their impressive range of bold and vibrant goods, this sustainably-minded San Francisco-based brand is the perfect destination for those who want to bring the spirit of Dopamine Dressing even to other areas of their world, building an eccentric, vibrant home and everyday life. After all, what's better than some statement pillows to manifest colorful, fun dreams?

Shop Baggu

3) Thought

This UK-based sustainable brand has been in business since 1995, and it's on a mission to make sustainability a joy for all with its fresh, fun patterns and lively, breezy colors and cuts. This approach is reflected in their comfy clothes and gifting-friendly accessories.

At Thought, they are committed to responsible sourcing and selecting suppliers and materials that meet their standards. They support ethical factories, making their pieces increasingly Fairtrade and GOTS certified.

They use fabrics such as organic cotton, Lenzing Ecovero, hemp, and Tencel, as well as recycled materials.

Their pieces have a touch of timelessness, are comfortable, manufactured with a lot of attention to detail, and embellished with vibrant colors and artisanal hand-drawn prints. A lot of work goes into Thought's signature seasonal prints, which are inspired by art, textiles, the seasons, and nature, giving their garments their iconic joyful feel. With its focus on beauty and comfort, Thought's eco-friendly garments check all the Dopamine Dressing boxes!

Shop Thought

4) Damson Madder

Those who say that all eco-conscious fashion brands make only minimalist, boxy, and monochromatic pieces haven't checked out Damson Madder yet. This London-based brand starts from natural, organic, and recycled yarn and turns them into pieces that are bold as hell.

To adhere to a circular economy model, Damson Madder uses Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified recycled fabrics and is trying to increase the percentage of recycled content in its pieces.

They also use Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified organic cotton and deadstock fibers.

At Damson Madder, they use certified organic and recycled cotton to make their denim pieces, creating denim that can achieve a LOW IMPACT EIM score.

The brand is famous for its bright and bold co-ords, whimsical yet modern prairie dresses, and funky waistcoats and gilets. Damson Madder's youthful and fun pieces are perfect for building outfits that make you feel happy and confident, and that's what Dopamine Dressing is all about!

Shop Damson Madder

5) Ilk + Ernie

At Ilke + Ernie, they turn surplus fabric into fresh, sustainable, and transeasonal garments designed to empower and boost the confidence of those wearing them.

Their fun pieces are made with comfort in mind and sport bold prints and energizing colors, the perfect ingredients for a classic, mood-boosting Dopamine Dressing outfit.

To avoid overconsumption and excess production, Ilk + Ernie produces just two collections a year that consist of no more than 10-15 styles.

The surplus fabrics used at Ilke + Ernie are plant-based, and in addition, no animal products are employed in the production of their pieces.

Their collections are characterized by fun, versatile designs that encourage getting creative with your own wardrobe. These are designed in-house at the Ilk + Ernie studio in Brighton, England, by the company's founder Jess who launched Ilk + Ernie in 2018. The garments are then ethically manufactured in a SEDEX-certified factory by a team based in Deli, India.

Shop Ilk + Ernie

6) Progetto Quid

Based in the medieval Italian town of Verona, Progetto Quid has utilized 1200 km of re-purposed, high-quality leftover fabric to manufacture its vibrant, bold clothes since its founding.

Lively colors, fun patterns, and a preppy modern look characterize this Italian brand's style.

To make these garments, they re-purpose leftover fabrics that mostly come from the surrounding area within a radius of 250 km.

At Progetto Quid, much of the workforce has a past of long-term unemployment, and are part of protected categories or vulnerable categories. They focus on providing their workers with transversal employment models and training. Because of their commitment to social and environmental sustainability, they won the Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activities prize and the Green Carpet Responsible Disruption Fashion Award.

Shop Progetto Quid

By now, we know that Dopamine Dressing is about wearing something that makes you feel good and boosts your mood, like a good meal, a chat with a friend, or a fun workout. If you are a sustainably-minded individual, you probably want something that suits your values, as well as your taste. With this list's help, you can find something that will make you feel happier, more confident, and ultimately more like yourself without costing the Earth. Because fun, aesthetics, and ethics can most definitely get along!

About the Author:

Roberta Fabbrocino is a journalist specialized in climate change and sustainability-related topics. Her articles have been published in several international eco-publications. Roberta also works as a content writer for sustainable companies.