The official calendar date for Earth Day is right around the corner, but here at Vantage, we
believe in making Earth Day a priority 365 days a year. Not only do we take corporate social
responsibility seriously but take the extra step to hold ourselves personally accountable and take
action. There is only one Mother Earth, and as a whole it is our duty to take care of her. Here are
ways you can make Earth Day every day.
#1 Shop Brands with a Give Back Component
2020 was a year that brought along more than its fair share of climate challenges. Because of
this, consumers became even more aware of their purchases and developed higher expectations from
brands to do better. One of the best first steps one can take is to make an effort to shop more
ethically and consciously with brands that have our back.
Let’s take into account 1% for The Planet whose mission is to “bring dollars and doers together
to accelerate smart giving”. An unstoppable global movement, 1% for The Planet allows businesses to
partner up with a non-profit partner that aligns with their values and give back 1% of their sales
to those organizations. All in all, considering brands that include charitable components and making
adjustments to your typical purchase decision buying process will not only allow you to make a
difference, but also feel good about your purchase.
Learn more about One Percent for The Planet
#2 Look for Products Made with Sustainable Fabrics and Fibers
One word: Recycling. One of the biggest impacts any business can make is reducing waste from
entering landfills and oceans, utilizing less materials, and utilizing extra materials to create
something new. According to the World Resources Institute, 20% of the average amount of global
industrial water pollution can be tied to garment manufacturing. So, what can you do as a
consumer?
The answer is pretty simple and effective, look for products made with sustainable fabrics. At
Vantage, we utilized Repreve recycled polyester (made completely out of recycled water bottles) to
create our eco-friendly Earthwise Collection. (P.S. This collection gives back 1% of sales to
non-profit organizations) Unifi, which makes the Repreve recycled polyester, has recycled over 20
billion water bottles conserving energy, water, and emits fewer greenhouse gases. Repreve has worked
with a variety of well-known brands that consumers love, so make sure you’re on the lookout to shop
with these brands that use Repreve and be part of the change.
Learn more about our Earthwise Collection
#3 Volunteer with Organizations Committed to Positive Environmental Change
Volunteering is one of the best ways you can actively partake in making positive impact within
your local communities. Environmental conservation, however, should be at the top of your list when
you consider organizations to contribute your time to. Volunteering comes with the benefit of not
only preserving our planet, but also taking the time to educate yourself on the challenges Mother
Earth is facing.
Depending on where you are geographically, you can easily locate a volunteer organization within
your area. This may involve cleaning up your local parks, planting trees, growing a community
garden, and much more. Vantage chose Clean Ocean Action as our non-profit to donate to and actively
volunteer in. Clean Ocean Action is dedicated to protecting our waterways and reducing the plastic
that pollutes our beautiful oceans. Our team feels empowered to be part of an organization as
dedicated as COA, and we are devoted as individuals to continue to participate and clean up our
community.
Learn more about Clean Ocean Action
#4 Use Less Wasteful Packaging
By now, many people are aware of how much material goes into packaging products. We’ve seen
plastic bans occur throughout many states in the U.S in hopes that consumers utilize reusable bags
for their goods. In addition, we’ve also seen the shift to recyclable straws in many of our favorite
eateries. Plastic overall takes centuries to decay, so finding substitutable materials in order to
lessen the carbon footprint has been a priority.
A few general tips geared towards businesses across a multitude of industries would be to find
cost-effective alternatives to plastic. This means looking into biodegradable packaging materials,
utilizing eco-friendly shipping supplies, and eliminating unnecessary packaging. At Vantage, we
partnered with EcoEnclose, a leader in eco-friendly packaging supplies to replace virgin polybags
with 100 percent recycled polybags made from post-industrial scrap. We’ve made it part of our
mission to address the use of recycled materials in garment manufacturing and provide more
environmental solutions.
Learn more about EcoEnclose
#5 Eliminate Extra Shipping and Transit
When it comes to shipping, transportation pollution is one of the major greenhouse gas emitters.
Just imagine the impact and carbon footprint your order holds after it travels miles on miles to get
to your location. A suggestion to reduce this and introduce sustainability within these practices
would be using supply chains that have less transit as well and using less energy when sourcing
product.
Now, think about this and apply it to your personal life. When transporting yourself from place
to place, how exactly do you do it? Our vehicles are one of the biggest causes of global warming
because of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and hydrocarbons released from the car exhaust. It’s a no
brainer why this accounts for a major cause of air pollution, when so many people utilize their
vehicles for both short and long-distance traveling. Instead, consider walking or biking when
possible, utilizing public transportation, or carpooling with friends or family.
You can check out our eco-friendly Earthwise
Collection or read stories from some of the most
pro-earth people we work
with.