Top 21+ Eco-Friendly Shopify Stores for a better World

A lot is going on in the world right now, and it can be hard to care about the environment when a global pandemic is still dominating people’s minds. But still, we should remind ourselves of being thoughtful about how we affect the planet Earth. A plastic widget’s life expectancy is roughly hundreds of years; that is not something to forget about. Now is the time to support businesses hit by COVID-19 but still pursue to make the world a better place.

Through months of lockdown, global pollution has seen a decrease, with emissions-reducing in many big cities. This won’t last long, though, since many are getting back into the business and pumping emissions even more than before. Consumption of online shopping is also contributing to an increase in more packaging waste.

We can make changes to our shopping habits by switching to eco-friendlier materials - and help minimize waste. With some extra time at home, you can even pick up a shovel and start creating your garden. Let’s take a baby step first by getting used to buying good-for-the-earth products.

To help you shop more sustainably, I’ve handpicked a list of the top eco-friendly Shopify stores with all kinds of products, from loungewear to clean foods. Let’s check these stores out!

What is an eco-friendly store?

First, let’s learn a bit about history. The recycling movement started way back in the 1970s and 1980s, after a few decades of a booming economy that led to tons of waste and little resources left. In the late 90s and 20s, eco-friendly became more fashionable with consumers’ demands, companies started packaging with green marketing claims that drew in well-meaning but misinformed buyers. Today, we have been wiser to buy products, and legalization around eco claims is tightening. Green innovations surge on, but we still have a long way to go.

More and more businesses are joining in the battle to help make a better planet. We have a circular economy, carbon recycling, microgrids, green infrastructure, B2B sharing economies, and a blue economy - which focuses on cleaning the ocean and turning waste into a product. These lead to the birth of many environmentally driven stores or eco-friendly stores for short.

These stores are mindful of avoiding excessive plastic packaging whenever possible and sourcing only consciously made materials, tried, and tested. The result is a new line of products that focus on having the highest profit margin and educating consumers on protecting the environment and nurturing the Earth for future generations.

Read more:

• How to Start a Successful Shopify Store
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• Starting a Shopify Store with No Money

How to be an eco-friendly Shopify store?

New technologies have brought many new ways to be environmentally friendly. Simply updating your store’s lighting can have a massive impact on energy consumption. But, not everyone is motivated enough to preserve the planet. Some say it is too costly, some claim it to take too much time. I promise you this: Having a green strategy for your business can actually help you save money in energy costs, and even qualify you for government funding programs. That is undoubtedly a sweet deal for any business.

Interested? Then, let’s see what you need to do to become an eco-friendly Shopify store:

1. Materials

When choosing a product for your eco-friendly business, there are other questions to ask besides the current market fit and trends: can it be made using sustainable or recycled materials? Can you source organic or cruelty-free materials?

Where you can start:

• Connect with local farmers to find organic farmers nearby.
• Find sustainable suppliers and raw materials in your area.
• Be responsible and honest - understand green laws and apply for certification.

You can then find the sources that suit your products the best, which can provide sustainable materials, organic ingredients, and animal-friendliness. It is even better if you can find reused and recycled materials. There should be no harm to the environment from the beginning of your business’s products’ making process.

2. Manufacturing

Manufacturing locally or at least inside your country is not always cost-effective for every business model, but not all overseas manufacturers create products in an equal manner for the workers. Consider working directly with manufacturing factories to stay connected to terms and wages, empowering communities by working with fair-trade cooperatives, and supporting family businesses.

Where you can start:

• Search for country-based manufacturers and manufacturers
• Learn how your business can support fair trade programs and practices
• Team up with other businesses in your industry - participate in team initiatives towards sustainability
• Rethink your shipping strategy

3. Operations

This area has many low-effort wins for small businesses looking to make green products quickly and cheaply. Some of them can even cut your costs down. How do you light or heat your office, store, and warehouse? Can you switch from wasteful packaging materials to PCW alternatives?

Where you can start:

• Get an energy audit to evaluate areas for improvement and calculate the business’s carbon footprint
• Consider green alternatives to packaging and office supplies
• Take responsibility for your product’s entire lifecycle - create a refill or return program for customers.
• Make upgrades to your office, warehouse, or store by: replacing light bulbs, cleaning products, and water bottles with responsible alternatives

4. Social responsibility

There is a large number of businesses that use plastic widgets from China because they are cheap. Or many have production and shipping methods that are not good for the planet and humans. Consider giving back to causes that you truly believe in or buying a carbon offset. Connecting your business to philanthropy isn’t just good for the heart, but also your image in consumers’ eyes.

Where you can start:

• Install Shopify apps like Seo Suite, Order Printer or Abandoned Cart Recovery Email.
• Buy a carbon offset to balance your impact.
• Connect to a charity partner or use any app that helps donate your revenue to a good cause.

There are many ideas for a brand to show social responsibility. You can give back to the areas in need, create jobs for nearby communities, and partnering with a charity organization to name a few. It is a good start for you to know what your company stands for, and a well-received attitude that consumers appreciate.

Top eco-friendly Shopify stores for inspiration

Here is a list of my handpicked eco-friendly Shopify stores that have a good responsibility for the future with their environmental-friendly business process decisions. Take a look and find the inspiration for your own Shopify business.

1. 100% Pure

Speaking of organic ingredients, everyone can vouch for the products made by 100% Pure. The Coffee Bean Eye cream of them is pure plant-based and is even good enough to eat. The company claims that its commitment is to produce the healthiest and purest beauty products. They source garments from tea, vegetables, cocoa, and fruits to avoid using chemicals. 100% Pure also supports the community through a philanthropic program that gives one bowl of dog food for every successful order. Donated dog food is a vitamin-vegan diet, which gives optimal health while reducing inflammation and is more sustainable than animal-based food.

2. EcoFlow

Energy consumption is one of the human activities that affect the environment the most. To help us have electricity and reduce the world’s impact, EcoFlow designed power stations, solar panels, and accessories that can be taken with users anywhere. The company was founded in 2017 and continues to equip consumers with quiet, renewable, and clean energy for work, home backup power, and adventures to the wild.

Another thing that you can learn from EcoFlow is their sales strategy. By creating products of many price ranges, the consumers have more options for different occasions, making the company more profitable and not entitled to any specific group of users.

3. Oakywood

An eco-friendly Shopify store doesn’t look any better than this, and Oakywood proves that safe-for-environment products can have a very high-quality look too. Take their Wooden laptop stand as an example - the product is handcrafted from solid wood, finished with ecological oil, and plants one more tree for every product purchased. So far, the company has planted more than 5100 trees in partnership with One Tree Planted. Classy and timeless, the products are sure to stay with a positive impact on the environment.

4. Yoloha Yoga

If you want to find an eco-friendly Shopify store that uses sustainable materials, look no further than Yoloha Yoga. Their yoga mats are made from cork: a natural, recyclable, and renewable material that is obtained through an environmental-friendly harvesting method. Not a single tree is cut down, though, because they only use the bark which is striped by hand every 9 years. No bark is wasted during the production process, and cork harvesting provides over 100,000 jobs.

All of Yoloha Yoga’s products are shipped using 100% recycled and recyclable materials such as kraft paper and cardboard. Not one single plastic is in use. The mats also have good prices, starting from only $59/each.

5. Helm Boots

Helm Boots is a shoe company, proudly made in the US. They started in 2009 and are often referred to as one of the best Shopify stores, not just for the product but also for the website design. Their goal has always been to create timeless and functional boots that are perfect for men. As a bonus, the company will re-sold your boots, making them lasting for life. If consumers want to reduce waste in the environment, Helm Boots is an amazing option to choose from.

6. Ethnotek Bags

Ethnotek Bags has been around for almost 10 years and is famous for high-quality bags for travel and laptops that feature traditional handmade textiles that are ethically sourced. They sustain their employees by partnering with artisan villages located in Ghana, India, Vietnam, Guatemala, Indonesia for hand printing, embroidery, and weaving - creating thousands of jobs. Also, most Ethnotek bags are customizable with a removable front panel called the Thread, increasing the lifespan of the product.

7. Orta Kitchen Gardens

With the cost of living increasing every year, many people have tried to grow their own gardens - saving money and satisfying their inner farmers as well. The Large Microgreen Kit from Orta Kitchen Gardens can self-water and produce zero waste, keeping your plants healthy with just one filling per week. All of the company’s products are 100% paper, compostable and recyclable. The website’s blog is cool too, providing all customers need to know about gardening responsibly.

8. Dick Moby

Right at the front page, you can see that Dick Moby loves the planet, they claim to use recycled and biodegradable materials to make beautiful eyewear. That is what you call a sustainable lifestyle. The microfibre cleaning cloths are also made of recycled PET bottles, making the whole package even cooler for the Earth. There is even a catchy song to sing with when you shop, what is not to love!

9. From The Earth

From The Earth is a proud member of the Fair Trade Federation and they partner with small workplaces all over the world. The company promises a safe working environment and fair wages for all artisans. They have committed to improving the life quality for Middle Eastern artisans, many of whom are suffering in war-torn countries. The items are a beautiful handmade kitchen and home items made from olive wood, and even a jewelry line.

10. Radiate

If you’ve ever camped before, you know that starting a fire in the middle of the wood is actually quite dangerous and can start a jungle fire. To keep camping safe and warm, Radiate created a line of portable campfires to minimize the negative impact on the environment. The products are made with recycled and sustainable materials, so you can easily roast your marshmallows without worrying about a thing. When you don’t need the fire anymore, just slide the lid on the campfire and take it away, no trash behind.

11. Nice Laundry

If your product is reclaimable, you can create a reclamation program to help customers send back their used items for recycling. Nice Laundry not only sells awesome clothes, but they also partner with 2ReWear Inc. to repurpose old socks. The used socks will undergo a grading process: top-tier items get sanitized and go to areas of need, while the others are repurposed as textile or shredded into new fibers to create home insulation. So far, the company has recycled over 400 thousand items, saving over 60 million gallons of water and 370 thousand lbs of CO2.

12. Rescue Chocolate

The sweetest way to save a life - Rescue Chocolate is great with both products and the cause for animals. Each vegan flavor of the company’s product has packaging that sheds light on different aspects of the current pet assumption. For example, The Peanut Butter Pit Bull is sweet and crispy, countering the negative image of the pit bull dogs in the public eyes. All the products are ograin, fairly traded, and 100% vegan. Also, all the company’s net profit is donated to animal rescue organizations in the US.

13. Steam Whistle Brewing

The amount of fresh and usable water in the world has been alarming for decades now, but little has been done by governments. So Steam Whistle Brewing wants to help and commit to protecting the natural resources, by implementing water-conservation equipment. They also educate staff, have a green office space, án support many sustainable organizations of the green community. You can read all about their green initiatives on this page.

14. Norm

Norm is a green sneakers brand that focuses around three key factors: transparency, modernity, and sustainability. All the sneakers are designed to reduce, recycle, and reuse. They take their norms seriously by sharing every detail about their product, even the cost, and the carbon footprint. All the products are created by using cutting edge technology and recycled materials, making a pair of durable shoes that can pass through thousands of kilometers. They also plant trees to help rebuild the ecosystem, so far, 1489 trees have been planted.

15. Five12

Saving the planet is a fun adventure and you can pick your own journey with Five12. You can choose up to three options of products made from recycled materials that are collected on landfill, ocean, and also conserve water. The key element of their technology is the coffee ground fabric that helps apparels control odor, moisture, and UV. They also recycle from water bottles, windshields, fishing nets, ocean plastics, etc.

16. Rebel Nell

Begun in 2013, Rebel Nell is a special jewelry company that creates wearable arts from layers of fallen graffiti, while helping Detroit’s local women on self-sufficiency. The company’s main purpose is to employ, enducate, and empower women with disadvantages, who are staying in homeless shelters. By working with the T.E.A organization, Rebel Nell can provide a safe space for employees to learn the necessary skills and live a life of independence. So far, the company has provided more than $400k in wages for 25 women.

17. Tsuno

Every woman should have access to feminine hygiene products, and that is why Tsuno exists. The founder, Roz Campbell, wanted to create a better product for women periods and use it as a vehicle for change in the process. The company sells sustainable and disposable bamboo fibre sanitary pads, as well as organic cotton tampons. 50% of the business’s profits are sent to charities that empower women on education and menstrual support. In 2019, the company planned to send 100 girls to school, mostly in Sierra Leone and Uganda.

18. Project 7

Little gum can still have a big impact. Project 7 partners with many non-profit organizations to support seven areas of needs (trees, emals, education, shelters, water, anti-bullying programs, malaria) with each sale of a pack of gum. They not only support America but also other countries in the world. The company has contributed to over 15 million acts of kindness so far.

19. WWF

The World Wild Fund For Nature has a creative way of letting people help conserve wildlife on the planet. They created a program called Wildlife Adoptions - which let users symbolically adopt a species and donate to the organization. There are over 40 species to choose from and buyers can receive many cute fights for their donation. Buyers can also send the package as a gif or in the memorial of someone else.

20. Recycled Firefighter

Featured as one of the best successful eco-friendly Shopify stores, Recycled Firefighter was created by a retired firefighter and soon turned into a six-figure business. All the products are handmade with the best military quality spec, recycled from a firehose, and made to last for a lifetime. The company has saved over 20 tons of fire hoses and built an impressive community on Instagram. You can follow the account to have inspiration on how to market your products!

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Ready to be an eco-friendly fighter?

And that is our list of 20+ best eco-friendly Shopify stores. Are you ready to fight for a better planet? And remember that, having a good environmental strategy can actually save your money, create a community of loyal customers, and bring more revenue to your business. All the stores above are proof, with some even selling for over 10 years now.

Share your thoughts in the comment section below, I look forward to hearing an eco-friendly store idea from you!

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