In recent times consumers have changed the way they buy, and the market is increasingly adapting to their requests. Climate change, pollution, exploitation of natural resources have been known to everyone for decades. While before, people's reaction was a mix of concern and the believe to not being able to do anything to change the situation, now there is the awareness of being themselves an active part of a positive change. 

What has changed? The way the message is conveyed certainly affects the attitude of consumers. Social media, websites, interviews, discussions, documentary, activists, are trying to make it clear that there is a concrete way to really change the dramatic situation of the planet we live in, through the actions we take on a daily basis.

It’s interesting how Companies are changing their working method in relation to sustainability, having a balance between economy, social well-being, environment.

And because fashion industry produces 8% to 10% of all global CO2 emissions, and it means between 4 and 5 billion tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere each year according to a United Nations research about climate change the Company Ecosia in 2021 decided to take action using creativity.

Ecosia is a search engine based in Berlin and foundend in 2009 by Christian Kroll, and it’s a Certified B-Corporation working toward social and environmental purposes, with reforestation and humanitarian projects all around the world, especially where they are most needed like Nigeria, Guatemala, Uganda and so on. 

What’s special in this search engine? They have already 15 million users and every 45 times a user uses Ecosia search engine and click on an advertisement, they plant a tree. And all the profits coming from the advertings are used to carry out their projects. That’s the reason users are choosing to use this search engine, because just with their daily online researches they can contribute and be an active part of these projects.

Knowing that, in 2021 Ecosia launched its first T-shirt Fashion Collection called Tees4Trees, with height visual artists who designed these T-shirts inspired by their relationship with nature. 

For this project Ecosia worked with the platform Teemill, and for every 20 T-shirts sold on Teemill 20 trees will be planted. Hannah Wickes, Chief Marketing Officer at Ecosia explained well why every step they are taking in their Company is toward sustainability “every action in our lives can impact the climate crisis and contribute to the health or destruction of the planet”. 

Choosing to have the partnership with Teemill was certainly not accidental, in fact this platform enables anyone to start for free a sustainable brand on a circular mode. It’s a sustainable UK print- on-demand supplier clothing and they produce just what people need, and because of that there is any waist. Customers can buy, wear and return back their items to the UK factory, and in this way other items could be produced again. Teemill is using organic cotton, renewable energy, sustainable packaging, saving and reusing materials. how T-shirts are made 

It’s a sustainable Company in every aspect, and this is the strength of Ecosia, working in trasparency and collaborating with partners that shares its values.

Living in a world where with a click on an advertisement a tree can be planted in Guatemala, and buying a T-shirt that can be worn and sent back to become a new garment, could be for sure and ideal environment. Also in luxury it’s possible to see some changes, like brands giving their unused fabrics to other resellers, promoting the circular economy.

Starting to see concrete actions in consumers and Companies is something that will lead to a real change for a sustainable planet, and because everything is changing fast, for sure there will be someone else with a new idea that could be used in a Company to promote other projects, having sustainability as the main value.

Valeria Boi, London

16/01/2023