Lauren Barnes is a defender for OL Reign of the NWSL. A two-time NWSL Best XI selection and the 2016 NWSL Defender of the Year, Lauren is also a proud sustainability activist. During the 2020 Challenge Cup, she led an effort to make the bubble experience plastic-free, and she will be continuing this work in the 2021 NWSL regular season with a player-led sustainability initiative.
Below, she walks us through the eco-friendly brands she’ll be shopping this holiday season.
JAS IT UP
One of my favorite people and OL Reign’s very own Jasmyne Spencer is behind this great company. Jas It Up is a sustainable lifestyle brand offering a range of clothes and accessories, all made from eco-friendly and recycled materials. The focus is on “designs that emphasize versatility and longevity for long-lasting clothes that never go out of style.”
NORDIC OIL
I recently started working with this great company and am so excited to include them on this list. Nordic Oil has a great line of CBD products, and this winter they made the decision to invest a portion of their profits into cleaning our oceans. They’ve teamed up with the ReSea Project, a Danish organization committed to cleaning up the oceans and reducing the negative impact of human activity on the natural environment. For any of your friends or family who are fans of CBD, I highly recommend checking this company out 🙂
NUZEST
As an athlete, my nutritional intake is always top of mind. With Nuzest, the nutritional value is clear and the company prioritizes sustainable methods. They are a plant-based nutritional supplement company that works exclusively with a supplier that uses no chemicals in the production process of their supplements. Plus, all waste from production is turned into biofuel and animal food, and all of their products are packaged in HDPE, one of the world’s most recyclable plastics. You even have the option to make your order 100% carbon neutral when purchasing through their website.
JLAB
This company really sets the bar on ways that audio companies can be sustainable. They made a commitment to ditching plastic in their packaging and have done it through an eco-friendly case. Even the box the case arrives in is completely recyclable. They’ve also eliminated metal foil printing, switched to using durable paper pulp hang tag instead of plastic, and have even spearheaded a recycle program for recycling any electronics.
CRAZYCAP
Clean water shouldn’t be a luxury. That’s CrazyCap’s mantra and they follow through on it. Their water bottles eliminate the need for plastic water bottles completely and includes a water purification system within the cap that sanitizes unclean water to make it safe to drink. If you ask me, everyone should be drinking water from these bottles.
Tap water is unsafe in 25 countries. Globally, 200 billion plastic bottles are discarded each year. Make the change to a bottle like this one. You won’t regret it.
ALBATROSS
Albatross is on a mission to eliminate plastic from shaving with their high-polished stainless steel razors. And they take it one step further than that. With their Take Back program, you can mail your used razor back so that it can be recycled and turned into another useful, environmentally-friendly product, such as a stainless steel utensil set. Their Take Back program helps reduce stainless steel production energy by up to 67% and CO2 emissions by roughly 70%.
DENTAL LACE
Yes, even floss contributes to the plastic pollution disaster we’re all living in. But thanks to companies like Dental Lace, you can floss plastic-free. Their floss is a 99% zero waste, refillable and eco-friendly. You can choose from silk or plant-based vegan floss (both are biodegradable!). And it comes with refills all packaged in an eco-friendly way 🙂
LUNCHSKINS
I recently discovered this company and am so glad I did. For the past 12+ years, Lunchskins products have replaced 2.8 billion plastic bags with Lunchskins bags while helping to keep over 2.6 million plastic straws out of our landfills. They’re on a mission to eliminate single-used plastic and are making it easy and affordable for all of us to do it with them.
