The Best Eco-Friendly Supplies for Winter

For many of us, winter begins with the celebration of holidays and gathering with family and friends. This beautiful cotton tablecloth is made and hand block-printed in India by artists with the Craft Resource Center (CRC), a Fair Trade organization that provides sustainable income opportunities for local marginalized communities. This tablecloth has beautiful matching cotton napkins here. Note that this tablecloth is cotton but not organic cotton..

For an elegant more formal tabletop, this white organic cotton tablecloth from Coyuchi is made of 100 percent organic GOTS-certified cotton, grown in India and woven in Portugal. It has a subtle textured weave and mitered corners It also comes in a dark tan and a muted marine blue.

This very stylish flannel cotton robe from Coyuchi is made with 100 percent organic GOTS-certified cotton grown in Turkey and woven in Portugal. Its smart tailored design includes details isuch as a tapered waist, shawl collar, dog-earned belt loops and on seam pockets.

Avocado's gender-neutral French terry cotton robe is made with 100 percent GOTS-certified organic cotton ethically grown in India. It’s thick, wrinkle-resistant, temperature-regulating and cozy. Organic cotton has about half the carbon footprint of conventional cotton (grown with pesticides) and uses around 70% less water.

Winter s a great time to travel. Terra Thread'‘s Bumi Eco Duffels are made from certified Fair Trade Organic cotton canvas. It’s a good middle sze for weekend getaways or longer vacations for light packers, this sturdy bag has a large main compartment and exterior and interior pockets. They are handmade in a Fair Trade factory in India.

Feeding birds — and other hungry wildlife — is a fun and rewarding winter pastime and a good way to help introduce children to wildlife. This natural wooden feeder from Eartheasy is made in the US of sustainably-grown eastern white pine from Robbins Lumber mill in Maine. Robbins Lumber is a leader in responsible forestry management practices. They replant where they harvest, secure the soil from erosion and preserve wildlife habitats.

This convertible rustic roost provides a safe winter shelter for backyard birds while also being a bird house in the summer months. This roost-to-nest box design is a great option for species like wrens, chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, bluebirds and more. It’s made in the US of eastern white pine sustainably grown in Maine by Robbins Lumber mill, a leader in responsible forestry management.

Winter can be chapped lips season without a good lip balm and it’s important to have a non-toxic one. Most balms are full of toxic ingredients and then housed in plastic. This vegan lip butter from Zero Waste Outlet is made with all plant-based non-toxic ingredients like candelilla wax, cocoa butter and nut oils. It comes in a biodegradable push-up cardboard tube. The butter offers long-standing moisturizing because it is absorbed into your skin rather than sitting on top. 

Sunscreen is just as important in winter. While most come in plastic, some of Badger's mineral options are packaged in handy plastic-free tins. Badger uses zinc oxide as its active ingredient and it's safe for marine life, unlike most chemical sunscreens. Its ingredients are all natural and it's  broad spectrum, meaning it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. It's cruelty-free and made in the U.S. in a solar-powered factory. Mineral sunscreens create a barrier to protect skin from the sun’s rays and are safer than chemical sunscreens.

This faux leather cork belt is a great accessory to a winter wardrobe. It has the classic look and feel of leather but entirely vegan and cruelty-free. It’s made by Corkor, a family-owned business in Portugal that makes a large line of cork products, including belts for men.

This stylish faux leather belt for men is made entirely of cork. Vegan and cruelty-free. It’s a great accessory for winter and comes in several shades. It’s made by Corkor, a family-owned business in Portugal.

This organic cotton garment bag from Coyuchi is a great way to store your warm weather clothes over the winter. It’s made of organic cotton grown and woven in India. It’s GOTS and Fair Trade Factory Certified, so you know it is not only organic and non-toxic but also ethically-made. It has a side zipper for easy access and doubles as a laundry bag.

Coyuchi’s softest throw is made with 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton grown and woven in Turkey. It’s available in several soft earthtones.

Soaring Heart's naturally soft organic cotton knit throw is made from 100 percent GOTS-certified organic cotton grown and woven in India. It has a fishbone stitch and ribbed hem.

These unique blankets from Morocco made with hand-dyed, natural cotton that softens over time, decorated with oversized pompoms and metallic flecks for added texture and sparkle. The weaving process is carried out on home looms by Moroccan artists, supporting local craftsmanship and minimizing industrial energy consumption.

Maggie’s organic cotton socks are 98% cotton and just 1 % each of nylon and spandex for stretch. The cotton is woven to wick away moisture and keep feet dry. They’re made in the US. .

Eartheasy’s cozy upcycled cotton socks are knit in the US with recycled cotton yarn and intentionally mismatched for a fun color scheme. The recycled yarn is created by recovering the scraps left over from the production of cotton t-shirts. It’s certified by Oeko-Tex to be free of harmful toxins. Using recycled cotton reduces the amount of cotton waste sent to landfills.

These darling cozy baby socks from Eartheasy are made in the US of recycled cotton yarn. They’re colorfully mismatched and come in sets of five — two pairs and a spare! The recycled cotton yarn is created by recovering the scraps left over from the production of cotton t-shirts. Using recycled cotton reduces the amount of cotton waste sent to landfills. The yarn is certified by Oeko-Tex to be free of harmful toxins.

Long winter nights are a great time to catch up on reading and stay informed. In this bestseller, Pulitzer Prize-winning environmental author Elizabeth Kolbert takes a look at some of the technologies being employed to combat climate change and save failing ecosystems. A New York Times review called it a “fascinating survey of novel attempts to manage natural systems of all sizes, from preserving tiny populations of desert fish to altering the entire atmosphere.”

Sometimes a non-fiction book is so descriptive and alive that it reads like a riveting novel you can’t wait to get back to. This is the case with another fantastic book by Elizabeth Kolbert, Field Notes from a Catastrophe. Though written 20 years ago it’s just as relevant today, as climate change sadly marches on unabated. It’s interesting to read about the many alarming signs that sounded warnings back then and then to wonder why so little has been done in the intervening years to fight this catastrophe.