the unwash review
Finding sustainable everyday home products can feel a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. Most organizing solutions whether it be for home organization or on-the-go are made of virgin plastic and aren’t built to last. Sort Joy saw the need to fill the lack of sustainable options for storage products and chose to take their own approach by leaning into intention-led design. Their products offer high-quality, design-driven storage solutions that are multifunctional for all areas of life, all at a reasonable price point. Organizers are often meant to be hidden but Sort Joy’s bins, trays, and bags are a beautiful accessory to any room in your home.
Founders Stefani and Alexa have organizing and interior design backgrounds, seeing firsthand the need for better organizing product options. Sort Joy is focused on function and gives a more elevated feel than traditional plastic alternatives. Their products are designed with every room of your home in mind. Whether you’re looking for storage for your closet, pantry, or even playroom, they’ve thought of it. Their storage solutions come in different shapes, sizes, and colors all made with durability at the forefront, including top-handle felt bins, sculpted recycled plastic bins, foldable felt bins, and trays. Their felt bins are made from recycled felt material and their sturdy plastic bins and trays are composed of recycled plastic materials. Instead of plastic or sticker labels, you can purchase stainless steel labels that are built to last and recyclable.
“Alexa, and I were certain that we wanted to bring to life a company that cared about the well-being of our clients as well as that of the earth. We are a purpose-forward and earth-friendly source for home goods, providing sustainable alternatives to our competitors.” – Stefani Herr, Sort Joy Co-Founder
All of Sort Joy’s products are made from recycled materials including PET plastics and stainless steel. All of their products are manufactured to minimize waste which includes creating smaller batches of material to rescue access waste creation. The brand is on the path towards being plastic-neutral and works in collaboration with CleanHub to fund the recovery of ocean-bound plastics and to create local jobs in the sustainability field. During the brand’s inception, founders Stefani and Alexa wanted their product to have an impact on their community by not only creating a brand that would have a positive impact on their customers’ lives and the environment but also going past that. This is engrained in the brand’s ethos of intentionality, joy, and mindfulness.
Organizing products is often overlooked when searching for sustainable alternatives, leaving people to opt for DIY solutions or the dreaded plastic bins. Sort Joy eliminates the need to reach for plastic bins and bags, offering elevated materials and design that prioritizes sustainability. All of the brand’s products have a multi-use aspect and don’t need to be confined solely to home organization, also adding to the product lifespan rather than tossing it when it seems like you may not need it anymore. Innovating daily-use products that we regularly use is a continued need in the sustainability space, making it more accessible especially for those just beginning to choose sustainable swaps. Sort Joy puts their focus on the consumer to ensure a positive experience that also gives back to the environment.
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Ries
Ries is a line of TSA-size approved refillable containers retailing at $18. The bottles are crafted from post-consumer recycled plastic and created with the purpose of consistent reuse. Graham saw the plastic problem in the beauty industry and wanted to innovate how we reuse plastics. Being a new brand, this is just the beginning for Ries. The brand continues to test different materials for use to be as conscious of its sustainability as possible. Ries puts value on the circularity of their product and hopes choices like using up-cycled materials will become more of a norm in the beauty industry.
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EcoBirdy
Belgium-based brand EcoBirdy is giving new life to tossed and unused plastic children’s toys. The brand repurposes plastic waste to create thoughtful design furniture, with a collection dedicated to kids. EcoBirdy is B-Corporation certified and has created its own system for sustainably recycling plastic toys. All of their furniture is completely made from recycled plastic which includes kids-sized pieces and artful lounge furniture
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Wilde House Paper
Wilde House Paper creates stationary with the mission of cultivating connection. We first came across the brand through their popular Cultivating Conversations card deck which offers a series of questions to play with others or reflect inward on topics of self-discovery, emotions, and goals. When it comes to buying things for our everyday life, such as the notepad we write our grocery list on or the yearly planner we buy, there’s typically not much thought that goes into it.
