3 Ways To Reduce Waste With Your Colored Organics Order

At Colored Organics, sustainability is at the forefront of what we do. From the organic cotton we use, to our clothing production, to our packaging, we believe that the sustainable choice will always be the better choice, especially for the little ones we are raising. We started with a mission to make a difference in the clothing industry and we depend on our #lifechangingclothes family to keep that impact going. In the spirit of Earth Day, we’ve come up with three ways you can reduce your own environmental impact after purchasing from us.

When you receive your order

In your excitement to open your brand new Colored Organics package, don’t forget to save your poly mailer! With two tear and seal strips, our poly mailers from EcoEnclose can be reused for future returns or shipments. Reusing and repurposing will always be the most sustainable way to reduce your impact, as opposed to throwing away or buying new materials.

When you can’t reuse, recycle! The EcoEnclose mailers can be recycled anywhere that accepts thin film. Check with your cities curbside recycling guidelines to see if they recycle thin film plastics, or use a resource like Earth911 to find a drop off location near you. If thin film recycling isn’t available in your city, EcoEnclose offers a Plastic Film Take Back Program. You can fill your poly mailer with other #2 or #4 plastics and mail it to them to recycle. You can find more information on the program here.

Learn more about EcoEnclose here.

When you wash

As mothers and parents, I’m sure the last thing we want to think about is doing laundry. However, what you may not know is that washing textiles is one of the biggest contributors to the release of microplastics in our environment. Synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon that are made of plastics shed these microfibers each time they are washed, which ultimately end up in our surface water and aquatic ecosystems. Even textiles made up of natural fibers, like organic cotton, still release fibers during your wash cycle, although they are typically less harmful to our ecosystems due to their ability to biodegrade. When these microfibers enter our lakes, rivers, and oceans, they not only harm the organisms that ingest them, but also end up in our food and bodies through the food chain.

One way you can reduce microplastic pollution in your own home is by opting to use a wash bag for your clothing that helps to filter out harmful microfibers and protect your clothing in the process. A brand we love is Guppyfriend. Additionally, since higher quality fabrics like organic cotton produce fewer and less harmful microfibers through washing and wearing, when you choose CO you reduce the amount of microplastics produced in your home. You can also opt to air dry your clothing to reduce carbon emissions from dryers and prevent additional wear and tear.

Shop the Guppyfriend Wash Bag here.

When it's time for a bigger size

With little ones growing out of their clothing every few months, it’s not surprising to learn that millions of tons of children’s clothing ends up in our landfills each year. Textile waste continues to pose a major waste issue across the world. It’s estimated that Americans produce nearly 16 million tons of textile waste each year, despite efforts to donate used clothing. Dropping off that Goodwill bag makes our homes feel less cluttered, but that is nowhere near the end of the line for those pieces of clothing. Textiles can take upwards of 200 years to decompose in landfills.

So rather than tossing your little ones old clothes, no matter how worn out they may be, try to find ways to give those pieces a new life. At Colored Organics, we pride ourselves on the durability of our organic cotton clothing, which ultimately means our items can be used a lot longer before ending up in a landfill. Once your child grows out of their CO, try selling it to a buy back program like Upchoose. Here, you can earn credits to spend on new clothing, while your outgrown organic items get a second life with a new family. For pieces that are stained or ripped, see if your community offers textile recycling. Here in Minneapolis and several other cities in the US, you can sign up for a service like Ridwell, which allows you to have your old clothing and fabric scraps picked up from your front porch to be recycled.

Learn more about Ridwell here.

Each of these tips are small steps you can take to minimize your environmental impact and be more conscious of the ways that our actions affect the planet. As we work to build a bright future for our little ones, it is imperative that we take action to make that future a sustainable one, so that our children may continue to enjoy the Earth as we have.

Learn more about why we choose organic cotton for you and the planet here.