The Oliver Charles Guide to Shopping Sustainably
You're going to be giving gifts this Holiday Season. Why not give them responsibly?
November 28, 2022
By Oliver Charles
There are a lot of brands that we admire and look up to for a variety of different reasons. The one attribute we admire most is a brand's commitment to mother earth. Throughout the year, we take note of all the brands that we think are tackling the real problems facing the planet.
Some brands are like us and approach sustainable practices by trying to change a broken system. Others, however, are inventing entirely new markets to change how we think about everything from coffee to gardening.
Since we know that many of the folks within the Oliver Charles Community share the same values, we thought it would be fun to highlight some of the brands we admire for their work to protect the planet.
Oliver Charles
Whether you're juggling big life decisions, powering through zoom calls, exploring the mountains, or going out to dinner, your Oliver Charles sweater will always be there for you. They are the most versatile pieces in your closet and let you quickly and elegantly shift between work and life, which is increasingly important as we blur the lines between the two.
We make Oliver Charles sweaters in Brooklyn on advanced 3D-knitting machines that "print" with 0 seams and 0 waste. Our sweaters are knit from the soft down wool of high elevation yak, called khullu, and a seaweed-based fiber called SeaCell.
Why We Love Our Sweaters
I think it goes without saying.
Lianna San Francisco
Lianna's soap is handmade using a traditional Bastille cold processing technique in which olive oil, coconut oil, sodium hydroxide (lye), and water are mixed and set in molds to saponify (the literal term for oils and butter turning into soap).
In true Bastille style, their recipe is made with 70%+ olive oil and cures for 4-6 weeks. It does not require additional cooking or heat, which helps to preserve the essential, skin-loving properties of the raw ingredients we use and makes the process more environmentally friendly!
Why We Love Lianna
Lianna is deeply committed to creating the most sustainable products. They don't take shortcuts and weave sustainable practices into every aspect of their business. Starting from locally sourced ingredients to making sure the paper they use for their inserts is reclaimed and biodegradable.
Most of all, their soaps and home goods products are genuinely amazing. Don't believe us? Swing by the Oliver Charles store and see for yourself.
Rothy's
If you're among the many fashionistas who believe that flats can be the perfect accompaniment to any casual or formal outfit, then you needn't look any further than Rothy's.
While flats occasionally lack the requisite cushioning to keep their customers' feet feeling cozy throughout the day, Rothy's flats provide them with the comfort and support they've been missing through their plush removable insoles.
Rothy's permits its customers to feel good while doing good as its shoes are machine washable, and its handbags are made from planet-friendly materials spun from repurposed plastic water bottles.
Why We Love Rothy's
Rothy's shoes bring new life to plastics that would otherwise likely end up in the ocean. While we tend to avoid all synthetics, we happily make an exception for Rothy's because of their approach to repurposing the materials.
Like us, they use a 3D-knitting technique to construct an exceptionally durable shoe that will last a very long time.
Santos by Mónica
Each piece is impeccably hand-crafted using innovative natural textiles. The cactus-based biomaterial Santos uses has the feel and look of traditional leather but is much more environmentally friendly, using 1/5 of the amount of water needed to produce animal leather. It is partially biodegradable and long-lasting, ensuring you will enjoy your bags for years.
They use a eucalyptus lyocell & cotton blend to make their clothing. Eucalyptus trees are fast-growing and do not need irrigation or pesticides. The Lyocell fiber that comes from them is produced in a closed-loop system that recycles almost all of its solvents with minimal waste.
Why We Love Santos
Santos shares our love of unique and sustainable materials that are as good for the customer as they are for the environment. We admire that they've woven sustainability into their business without making it their entire identity.
Lomi
With just 1 button, there is no easier way to compost your food waste. With Lomi, you simply press a button. Lomi's internal sensors simulate and accelerate the composting process and produce nutrient-rich soil output in as little as 4 hours. Lomi was designed to fit on your kitchen counter. It is about the same size as a bread maker.
When organic waste (i.e., food) goes to landfills, this is one of the leading causes of greenhouse gas emissions globally. The dirt Lomi makes can go into your indoor plants, your garden, or your green bin, depending on the mode you select.
Why We Love Lomi
Nothing is more fun than a Lomi. It's like magic watching the weeks refuse magically turn into usable dirt. Composting in an apartment or without a large backyard has never been pleasant. Lomi is odorless, easy to use, and genuinely fun to use.
Cometeer Coffee
Cometeer developed a proprietary extraction system that optimizes all the variables that lead to great coffee — so all you have to do is melt and enjoy. Their proprietary technology allows flavor and aroma compounds to be extracted with unprecedented precision.
Cometeer coffee consistently achieves optimal total dissolved solids count (aka amazing flavor) and extraction levels. Basically, it's a level of brewing perfection great baristas aspire to. Cometeer achieve's it consistently in every cup.
The Cometeer process for making coffee is uniquely suited to reducing waste at every step. Cometeer eliminates waste from beans or ground coffee going stale on-shelf, optimizes the yield of each bean (nothing is wasted from poor brewing), composts its grounds, and has created a recyclable aluminum capsule.
Why We Love Cometeer
If you love coffee, you'll love Cometeer. Full Stop. It could be said that Cometeer is the fuel that powers Oliver Charles. It's delicious, easy to make, and packs a healthy dose of caffeine. Most importantly, it allows us to feel good about enjoying single-use coffee.
Lettuce Grow
It is no secret that America's food supply has been compromised. With the current supply chain, 52% of produce is wasted. Lettuce Grow solves this problem by bringing fresh harvests to any home. Grow up to 36 veggies, fruits, and leafy greens at once. Save water. Reduce carbon emissions. Eliminate food waste. Grow delicious produce that's healthier for you and the planet.
Why We Love Lettuce
Maybe you have a large garden and a green thumb, but if you don't, then Lettuce Grow is the product for you. They make it super easy to grow your own food in a limited indoor space. For busy entrepreneurs like us, it's perfect because it means less wasted produce, more healthy food, and fewer trips to the grocery store.
Indosoles
There is a massive amount of tire waste in the world. Waste tires sit in stockyards, illegal dumping sites, and even rivers. In tropical countries, tires can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which lead to nasty diseases.
Due to their structure, tires take thousands of years to decompose. So technically, the first tire ever made is still out there somewhere.
Indosoles recycles these indestructible tires into the soles of some of the most durable footwear in the world. Each shoe is proudly made in Indonesia.
Why We Love Indosoles
Like Rothy's, Indosoles does a masterful job of reclaiming waste and turning it into a durable product that'll last a long time. We've worn our flip-flops from indosoles on hikes, around the house, to the beach, and even to our 3D-knitting factory in Brooklyn, NY.