Eco-Friendly Brands Making the World Go Round

Often the most difficult part about going green is starting and staying on track. With so many companies and products circulating it's hard to know which companies are truly eco-friendly and which are not. Thankfully I'm here to inform you on today's truly environmental safe companies. Also if you're a company looking to go environmentally friendly then this post can hopefully convince you that making your company go green is the way to go. 

In order for a company to be considered eco friendly it must, incorporate principles of sustainability when making decisions, supply environmental friendly products that can replace the use of non eco-friendly products and make a commitment to principles in their company that are beneficial to the environment. 

Throughout this post I broke down the top eco-friendly business's pertaining to their product category, using these eco-friendly companies will help promote and support the green lifestyle you are trying to live.  

Cleaning/Home Supplies: 

Nothing better than clean living and a clean home.

1. Seventh Generation: This company produces environmentally friendly laundry detergent, trash bags and diapers. Eco-friendly products include: biodegradable products, vegetable-based cleaning products, chlorine-free tampons and paper towels. Their factories use mainly clean energy in the production of these products. 
2. Method: Method is an environmental friendly company with cleaning and personal care products. This line includes just cleaning products, unlike Seventh Generation but has made a pact to make these products all eco-friendly. 

Method: Cleaning supplies.

3. Eco's: A family owned company that uses 100% clean energy in production of their products and has all natural cleaning supplies with carbon neutral plants in them.

Beauty: 

Look good, feel good, while saving the earth? I think yes.

1. Tarte: Many of Tarte's products feature natural products. It has vegan friendly products & is cruelty free, putting them as a top eco-chic beauty company.
2. Cargo: Cargo's has a PlantLove collection that is made 100% natural with organic ingredients, it avoids using harsh chemicals such as parabens, synthetic chemicals, and phthalates. They package these products in eco-friendly packaging, made out of corn. 
3. Lush: Determined to save the environment, Lush has set a Green Policy, this policy holds them to standards that they are not looking to break. Lush's packaging is 100% Post Consumer Recycled plastic. Their products are made from raw material and they are reducing their carbon footprint through their transportation of these products.

Food: 

As someone very passionate about eating, I am a big fan of these companies that can help keep me full and still support my passion for green living. Mother Earth Living broke down a list of the top sustainable food companies, check out the website for a longer list of companies.

1. Grounds for Change: A certified organic company, grown by farmers using clean renewable energy, uses 100% renewable energy, 100% Post Consumer Recycled paper and shade grown coffee which prevents clear cutting of forest.  
2. Frontier Natural Products: Certified organic company that is non-GMO and uses solar energy and wind to power business. 
3. Organic Valley: Organic Valley is USDA certified organic, promotes on-far renewable energy, sells products closer to farms so there is less transportation and practices humane treatment of animals.

Organic Valley Logo

Outdoor/Camping:

Go out and appreciate the beauty of the environment you're trying to preserve.

1. Patagonia: This company is very popular and values protecting the environment as much as making it's customers happy. As a company they have an Environmental Impact mission, they have made it so that their company uses materials and methods that reduces a negative impact on the environment and uses sustainable resources. 
2. EcoGear: EcoGear offers hiking bags that are made organic, chlorine free,and  conserve petroleum-based resources. They reduce energy consumption, pollution and support environmental non-profit organizations. 

Clothing:

Let's make fashion smart. 

1. Alternative Apparel: This company uses non toxic, low impact dyes on all its fabrics and over 80% of it's clothing is made from sustainable materials and a bonus is the clothes are fairly priced.  
2. Style Saint: Style Saint uses 99%less water than the industry standard as well as has 2000% higher wages. This company cares about the environment and their employees. 
3. United by Blue: United By Blue has a mission to clean up water pollution so for every product they sell they remove one pound of trash from a body of water: ocean, lakes, creeks or rivers. 

Cars:

Driving in style has never felt so good.

1. BMW: BMW uses sustainable energy in production of its products and is conscious of its environmental sustainability. Over the years it has decreased its use of energy and water. Check out their page on how as a company they are striving to be more eco-friendly. 
2. Toyota: Toyota strives to reach sustainability in biodiversity, carbon, water, and materials used. With 14 hybrid models, 10 of it's factories in North America earning Conservation Certificates, 96% of their waste recycled and saving 99.8 million gallons of water, Toyota is making an impact in the car industry for eco-friendly living. 

Below is the top 5 eco-friendly vehicles:

Beer!!

I saved the best for last..trying to live eco-friendly can be stressful at times, but it's well worth it. Here are some green beer companies to take the edge off. 

1. Full Sail Brewing Company's: Consumes less than three gallons of water per gallon of beer produced (an average brewery uses six to eight gallons of water). Full Sail also runs a water conservation program that benefits the entire Hood River community. In order to reduce waste the brewery gives pure yeast solids left over from the beer filtration process to farmers to use as animal feed. 
2. New Belgium Brewing: 99.9% of the company's waste is not sent to the landfill and in order to be environmentally efficient the brewery keeps track of greenhouse emissions and water usage.
3. Great Lakes Brewing Company: This brewery re purposes everything it can in order to reduce its waste, everything used will be turned into something else, an example of this is they use left over spent grain as compost on the brewery's farm.