Sustainable Apparel and Accessories Buyers Guide

People around the world are realizing that we need to take better care of our planet by making environmentally responsible, sustainable choices. While individuals doing their part does help, businesses choosing to operate more sustainably makes the biggest difference. That's why we created our Sustainability Collection to give you eco-friendly alternative options to corporate apparel and custom logo gifts. Click on the image below to start shopping, or keep reading for more info on buying sustainable clothing and promotional items for your business.

What Are Some Sustainable Brands?

What is it that makes a retail brand sustainable? The brands you see below are deemed sustainable brands for a few different reasons. S'well and YETI are working to cut back on plastic bottle consumption by providing high quality reusable drinkware, while Zusa and RuMe are using recycled plastic bottles to make their products. Then you have brands like Patagonia that not only use recycled fabrics, but also donate a portion of their profits to environmental causes every year! There's really no bad choices here if you're looking for products that are good for the planet.

What Are Some Popular Sustainable Apparel Options?

Good news, we've got eco-friendly clothing options for just about every type of garment you can imagine! Recycled polyester fleece sweaters, organic cotton hats, t-shirts made from plastic bottles... you name it, we've got it! Be sure to check out our complete collections of Men's Sustainable Apparel and Women's Sustainable Apparel for our complete offerings, but here are some of our most popular options!

Patagonia Better Sweater Jackets

These awesome custom Better Sweaters from Patagonia aren't only our top selling sustainable sweatshirt, they're our top selling sweatshirts for both men and women PERIOD. These cozy personalized sweaters are made from super-soft recycled polyester fleece that's Fair Trade Certified and perfect for your embroidered company logo.

 

Zusa Custom Everyday Pique Polo Shirts

Fun fact about these men's and women's custom polo shirts... each polo is made from 100% recycled plastic water bottles! Not only does Zusa use sustainable and recycled materials, they're also cleaning up waste at the same time. We can't think of a better sustainable brand for your company logo.

  

The North Face Tech Stretch Soft Shell Jackets

Made from recycled polyester with a durable water repellent finish, these men's and women's eco-friendly jackets from The North Face are the perfect way to stay warm and dry on a dreary day. Just add your embroidered company logo for the ultimate outdoor work uniform jackets.

Men’s Custom Nike Dri-FIT Polo Shirts

That's right, Nike's signature Dri-FIT Polos are sustainably made! To be more specific, these custom polos are made from 96% recycled polyester and 4% cotton fabric. Plus, they're breathable and moisture-wicking to keep you cool under the collar on the golf course or in the office.

Alternative Apparel Eco-Fleece Custom Sweatshirts & Hoodies

These personalized men's and women's Eco-Fleece sweatshirts from Alternative Apparel are made from a buttery soft blend of recycled polyester and organic cotton. Not only are they eco-friendly, they're so comfortable you'll never want to take them off.

Under Armour Threadborne Match Jersey

Here's another fantastic product made from recycled polyester. These men's and women's UA Threadborne Match Jerseys are made using Under Armour's HeatGear® fabric that's moisture-wicking, quick-drying, and stretches as you move. They make great workout shirts or team uniforms!

Custom Logo Patagonia Better Sweater Vests & Nano Puff Vests

The corporate Patagonia Better Sweater Vest has quickly become one of the most popular corporate apparel items in the country, and the Nano Puff Vest is not far behind. We think it's pretty cool that large financial firms and tech companies are supporting sustainable brands like Patagonia. Is your company next?

 

What Are Some Popular Sustainable Promotional Products?

We don't need to tell you this, but sustainability goes beyond what you put on your body. You can make sustainable choices in everything from how you drink your water to how you carry around your essentials. Here are some of our favorite products that can promote your brand while benefiting the environment at the same time.

S’well Reusable Water Bottles and Drinkware

One of S'well's goals as a company was to make an easy choice to switch from plastic bottles to reusable drinkware by offering stylish and customizable water bottles and drinkware that consumers want to show off. It just so happens that they're great for showing off your company logo too.

Woodchuck Custom Engraved Wood Bottle Openers

Did you know that every time you buy a custom logo product from Woodchuck USA they plant a tree? You might think that creating products from wood might result in deforestation, but in Woodchuck's case it's quite the opposite. Plus, these custom bottle openers make awesome promotional giveaways or corporate gifts!

Parkland Custom Embroidered Vintage Backpacks

The Vintage Backpack from Parkland seamlessly combines style and sustainability for a custom backpack that's perfect for any occasion. The exterior of the bag is made from 100% recycled polyester, while the inside of the bag features a built-in laptop sleeve.

Custom YETI Tumbler Cups

Want a promotional product with dual benefits? These custom printed or engraved YETI cups cut down on plastic bottle consumption and are a gift that your colleagues will use every single day. That means a whole lot of impressions of your company logo.

Wilson Eco Core Custom Logo Golf Balls

These custom logo golf balls are hiding something... devulcanized rubber extracted from recycled car tires! Don't worry, you won't lose any yards off of your drive in the name of sustainability. These golf balls use Wilson's patented Eco-Core technology to increase distances off the tee.

Econscious 6.8 Ounce Hemp Promotional Tote Bags

These personalized tote bags from Econscious are made from a hemp and recycled cotton blend for one of the most eco-friendly bags around. They make fantastic reusable grocery totes or just everyday bags.

Customization Options for Your Sustainable Merch

The product decoration pros at Merchology are able to expertly add your company logo or custom design to a wide range of apparel and accessories using more than 10 different customization methods! Each method comes with certain advantages and disadvantages and some are more sustainable than others.

Embroidery

Custom embroidery is our most popular customization method here at Merchology! Commercial embroidery is especially ideal for custom polos, hats, quarter zips, and jackets. It's also one of the most sustainable decoration methods when you used recycled embroidery thread.

Screen Printing

Custom screen printing is another great way of customizing t-shirts, sweatshirts and more with your corporate logo or custom design. The downside with silk screen printing is that there is some waste associated with the process, so it's not the most eco-friendly customization technique.

Heat Transfer

Custom heat transfer printing is the perfect sustainable alternative to traditional screen printing. There is very little waste associated with heat transfer and you are able to create a design with more color and detail than screen printing.

Pad Printing

Custom pad printing is the go-to decoration method for hard good and promotional products like personalized notebooks, drinkware, golf balls, and electronics. Because you don't have to burn screens, pad printing is actually a fairly sustainable decoration method. The main alternative decoration method for hard goods is laser engraving.

Next Steps

See, you don't have to sacrifice quality or brand familiarity to make sustainable, eco-friendly choices when it comes to your custom apparel and corporate gift collections. Now that you've got some ideas, start shopping for your sustainable goods now! Also, be sure to check out our other product buyers guides if you found this one helpful!