Wanna feel less guilty on your next midnight shopping spree? Check out these awesome companies that follow the BOPO (buy one, plant one) business model with every purchase you make! Supporting these companies is a great way to help the environment and feel slightly better about those late night splurges.
From clothing, to accessories, and even outdoor gear- there are a growing number of companies engaging in eco-conscious business models. Take a look at some brands practicing the buy one, plant one model below!
Quick Look
Paper Project
WoodChuck USA
Küat
Dyrad Rings
Tentree
Paper Culture
Oakywood
How Do You Know if the Companies Actually Plant Trees?
Seeing a blurb that says, "you just planted a tree!" after an online purchase might make you feel better about a splurge... but, you might find yourself thinking, "how do I know if the company really plants a tree with my purchase"? Fair question to have.
Millennials and Gen Z have increased the demand for companies with missions based in sustainability. Consumer research company, First Insight, reported that Gen Z shoppers are even willing to spend an additional 10% more for eco-friendly products. In fact, 3 of every 4 Gen Zers prioritize sustainability over brand names when it comes to making a purchase!
On the flip side, this has also caused a rise in greenwashing. If you're unfamiliar with the term, greenwashing, it's when companies mislead customers into thinking their company is eco-conscious just to increase their sells. Not cool.
The only way to guarantee a company is being honest, is to research the companies first. You'll want to keep an eye out for authentic, trustworthy, and transparent companies.
There are a ton of legit buy one, plant one companies out there, but it takes time to vet them all properly. Not to worry, I've done the research for you on this list (no greenwashing here)!
PAPER PROJECT
Features | Clothing
Best For | Socks & Underwear
Reforestation Partners | NFF
Paper Project stands out from the crowd due to the fact that their clothing is made out of paper yarn. Paper yarn is composed of Manila hemp (a native plant in the Philippines), thin Japanese crafted paper, and recycled polyester or organic cotton. This process creates a unique fabric that is anti-odor, moisture-wicking, anti-bacterial, and dries significantly faster than traditional cotton fabric.
The first product Paper Project launched was a sock collection in 2019 and has since expanded to sell underwear, t-shirts, and more. The company commits to donating one tree per pair of socks sold through its partnership with the National Forest Foundation (NFF). To date, they’ve planted 4,016 trees!
WOODCHUCK USA
Features | Giftable & Customizable Wooden Products
Best For | Stationery, Decor, Handy Accessories
Reforestation Partners | NFF
One click on the Woodchuck USA site and it’s nearly impossible not to find something you’ll love! Woodchuck seems to do it all- coasters, bottle openers, planners, candles, picture frames, and lots more. Their best sellers include wooden journals, phone cases, and bottle openers; all of which are customizable! Woodchuck’s motto is centered around connecting customers with nature. They pledge to plant one tree per item purchased on their site. The company partners with many planting partners, including the NFF. It’s fun to note that they have a “tree locator” system in place for customers. This type of transparency speaks to Woodchuck’s authenticity and commitment to environmental stewardship.
KÜAT
Features | Travel Gear Solution
Best For | Bike Racks
Reforestation Partners | NFF
Küat designs car solutions for adventurers transporting recreational equipment. A car rack is definitely one of those things you don’t realize you need until you really need it. By then, it’s usually too late… there’s no way you could possibly pick out your rack, order it, and have it arrive before your road trip. I highly recommend you purchase a rack from Küat to avoid this situation. If you own a bicycle, surfboard, kayak, snowboard, or skis, chances are you’ll need a method for transporting your gear at some point, so you may as well invest in one now! When you make any purchase through Küat, the company makes a donation to support the future of our forests.
DYRAD RINGS
Features | Accessories
Best For | Rings
Reforestation Partners | NFF
Dyrad Rings is a bit different than the other retailers on this list since it happens to be an Etsy shop. It’s worth pointing out that it doesn’t matter if a business is a chain retailer or a small company with an Esty shop, any and every business can get involved in helping our planet!
Enough of my soapbox- Dyrad makes the most beautiful and dynamic wooden rings! You can choose from a wide selection of wood options, including white oak, tent bentwood, walnut, maple, and many more. The rings that Joe, the shop owner, creates, are very well-designed and eye catching!
Each ring sold funds the planting of five trees. The company has sold 457 rings since 2020.
In June of 2021, Dyrad rings' Instagram post shared that the company was able to plant 1,750 new trees with the National Forest Foundation. That's a lot of tree planting in less than two years!
Unfortunately, the shop is taking a break right now. But, you can signup to be notified when the owner is ready to take orders again!
TENTREE
Features | Men, Women, & Kid's Clothing
Best For | Neutral Color Clothing
Reforestation Partners | Eden Reforestation Projects; Trees for the Future
Tentree is a Canadian clothing brand that has been part of the BOPO model for over ten years and has impressively planted over 81 million trees since it's founding!
The company uses recycled or organic materials in their clothing to help reduce the amount of water and emissions that are produced in standard clothing production. Some of these materials include TENCEL™ lyocell, organic cotton, REPREVE® recycled polyester, and recycled nylon.
The company is very transparent about the details of their tree planting. Tentree recently released a new tool called the Impact Wallet, which allows customers to keep track of how many trees they've planted and where they are located around the world. If you need another reason to trust Tentree, they're also Certified B and Climate Neutral certified.
Paper Culture
Features | Cards, Stationary, Photo Books
Best For | Holiday Cards & Invitations
Reforestation Partners | Arbor Day Foundation; Friends of the Urban Forest; Our City Forest; Trees for the Future
Paper Culture specializes in holiday cards and wedding invitations (think: eco-friendly version of Minted or Shutterfly). Unlike most standard holiday card companies, Paper Culture prints all cards on 100% recycled paper. They use either 100% post-consumer recycled paper or alternative non-tree fibers.
With every order placed, a tree is planted where reforestation is most needed. At checkout, customers are given the option to write a special tree dedication. I dedicate mine to my dad each year, who planted a tree before passing away- but the tree continues to thrive today.
Paper Culture has planted over 1 million trees so far and as an added bonus to it's credibility, they are a Certified B corporation!
Oakywood
Features | Home Office Essentials
Best For | Airpod case, Vertical Laptop Dock
Partners | One Tree Planted; Forever Forest
While I've recommended Oakywood in the past, now you have another reason to check out their products! Oakywood practices the BOPO model in the U.S. and Poland.
When you buy an item from Oakywood, the company uses a portion of the profit to plant a tree.
Through One Tree Planted, the company has planted 79,334 trees. This comes out to be 1,983,350 kg of CO2 saved.
So, there you have it, seven awesome companies to go checkout! Do you buy from any companies that give back through BOPO initiatives? Is this list missing any great companies? Leave a comment to let us all know!
Sincerely, Briesh
P.S. Stay Conscious + Curious!
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