Graphic T-shirts are insanely popular. From funny sayings to religious quotes, t-shirts have a way of resonating with many. They are great conversation starters. In addition, they are the perfect way to make a statement without saying a word.
Today, we can not only find cute t-shirts that we like but also some that actually give back. When creating my line of sustainable tees, I knew being sustainable was not enough. Not only are these tees sustainable, they bring awareness to environmental and self care.
We give back in two ways. First, for every item sold, we plant a tree on your behalf. Know that your purchase is helping to fight climate change. Second, I make a donation to a local mental health crisis call center for each suicide awareness tee, sweatshirt, or hoodie that is sold.
What are the most eco-friendly materials for a t-shirt?
- GOTS certified organic cotton
- Recycled polyester – made from plastic bottles
- Hemp
- Bamboo
Sustainable T-Shirt Brands
For apparel, I researched some of the top t-shirt company vendors. It is important to not only know what the shirt is made of, but also how it is made. Are pesticides used to grow the cotton, are recycled materials used and how much? Knowing the complete supply chain led me to find some of the best shirts to offer my customers.
I now offer a great mix of shirts made with sustainable materials, Okeo Tex certified, made with nontoxic dyes, as well as some organic t-shirts, recycled t-shirts, and a mix of the two from other vendors. Here is a quick breakdown of the shirts used for my sustainable graphic tees.
Sustainable graphic tees made with recycled materials.
One of the first recycled t-shirts I fell in love with is from Next Level. They offer a line of short sleeve tees that are made from organic cotton and recycled polyester. Not only are these shirts recycled, they are super soft and comfortable.
They make each shirt with approximately 4 recycled plastic bottles. The great thing with this shirt is it is a heavier weight, durable, and is excellent quality. After washing the shirt, the color remains vibrant, and there is no shrinkage. These are available in a unisex fit, and come in limited colors.
Bella and Canvas is another great sustainable brand that offers recycled t-shirts. They offer an organic cotton shirt mixed with recycled polyester. Compared to Next Level tees, this shirt has a nice lightweight feel, and comes with a trendy heather finish.
They make each shirt with approximately 5 recycled plastic bottles. After several washings, there was no discoloration or shrinkage. This is another great unisex gender neutral shirt that anyone can wear.
100% Organic Cotton Sustainable Graphic Tees
Despite the demand for shirts made from 100% certified organic cotton, there are very few brands that offer organic t-shirts. After extensive research, I was able to find one brand that stood out. So when I came across Econscious organic t-shirts I had to test them out.
This shirt is a heavier quality shirt, with very rich vibrant colors. They made them from 100% certified organic cotton that is ring spun. The pros of this shirt is it is unisex, which provides a great gender neutral fit. The downside is because this is a new collection; it is only available in a few colors, most of them being neutral.
Softest Cotton Sustainable T-shirts
The company that impresses me the most is Bella and Canvas. Like I mentioned above, they have a line of cotton and recycled polyester blend t-shirts in a few colors. However, with their basic cotton shirts, they offer some of the most impressive colors overall. Trendy heather blends, endless cotton t-shirts, cropped hoodies, crewnecks, and more.
They are a well known sustainable company, which is popular for combed ring spun airlume cotton. To be honest, although their short sleeve tees are thinner than the others I mentioned, they really are some of the softest shirts I have worn. So if your preference is for a lighter weight tee, then Bella and Canvas are one of the best options for you.
The company states it combs out 2.5 times more impurities from its cotton than any other apparel brand in the industry. Their eco dye used 7 times less water than the average clothing manufacturer. They are estimating savings of 24 million gallons a week, with the water that they use being filtered for reuse. As a sustainable brand, this caught my attention.
If that isn’t convincing enough to support the brand, there is more. They are platinum WRAP certified. This means the company has proven to meet health and safety working conditions requirements, environment and eco friendly practices, operate safe and comfortable facilities, as well as stay in legal compliance with export and import customs. This is a company that is concerned with environmental impact and reducing their carbon footprint.
Social responsibility as a brand.
Whether you are looking for one t-shirt, or a set, rest assure that we are providing the highest quality sustainable graphic tees that are on the market. We offer graphic t-shirts come in sustainable materials, certified organic cotton, and recycled polyester. The minimalist designs are guaranteed to still make a statement.
However, our main goal is to make a louder statement to the world that sustainable fashion brands are stylish, affordable, ethical, and responsible. Our social responsibility is to give back. We are fighting climate change by planting a tree for every item sold. Our goal is to plant 1 million trees by 2027.
It is not enough to talk the talk. We can all play a small part. After all, there is no planet B!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are sustainable graphic tees?
T-Shirts that are sustainable are made from sustainable materials in a sustainable way, which includes fair wage conditions, where the workers are paid a fair wage and work in a good working environment.
What materials are used to make sustainable graphic tees?
Shirts that are made from materials that are less harmful to the environment, such as organic cotton or recycled polyester. In addition, they are produced in factories that use less water, energy, and chemicals.
How do sustainable graphic tees help the environment?
The production of conventional t-shirts is a major contributor to climate change and water pollution. Sustainable graphic tees help to reduce these impacts by using less water, energy, and chemicals.
What is the price range for sustainable graphic tees?
Sustainably produced shirts range from $25 – $100, which includes t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies.
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