Brown Sea Turtle. Photo by Wexor Tmg on Unsplash
With Earth Day 2021 coming in hot, what better time to highlight some of PaddleXaminer’s favorite environmentally-friendly brands. From sustainably made swimwear to ocean-friendly lunchware, these days there are so many environmentally-friendly options for consumers to select from that you almost have to go out of your way to not do your part to support our planet. Here are some of our favorites to get you started for your next spring outing on the water!
Blue Water Bento
Offering a colorful, fun, and highly functional range of plastic-free and leak-free containers, the Blue Water Bento collection makes going green super easy. No more shopping for cheap, single use plastic containers – the plastic-free silicone lids and stainless steel containers from Blue Water Bento are a fantastic way to pack a lunch on your next adventure!
Enjoying an after paddling meal from my Blue Water Bento containers.
Do your part to help reduce the amount of harmful plastics from being made and polluting our waterways. Not only are they reusable, but they nest together when not in use, and are significantly more durable than a cheap plastic container. Pack your meals in a reusable, ocean-friendly bento container from Blue Water Bento! All the parts are dishwasher safe, so you don’t even have to do the washing up. These little containers are great!!
Did you know – only 1% of plastics are recycled. The remaining 99% are discarded in landfills and frequently end up in the ocean in large trash patches known as gyres.
EcoVessel Boulder Bottle and WanderWare Utensil Set
EcoVessel is a fantastic fit for Earth Day and every other day of the year. Inspired by a thirst for adventure and driven by a respect for the planet – EcoVessel is a family-run business in Boulder, Colorado with an innovative range of premium drinkware and reusable products. The perfect blend of style and performance, each product from EcoVessel helps reduce the world’s dependency on single-use plastics.
The Boulder Bottle comes in a selection of sizes from 16oz – 32oz. Regardless of which size is the best fit for you, the EcoVessel Boulder comes with a stainless steel strainer, removable silicone base, and a soft silicone drinking spout. Made from top shelf 18/8 stainless steel, the Boulder features EcoVessel’s proprietary TriMax® Triple Insulation. Cold drinks will stay cold for up to 74 hours and hot drinks up to 14 hours. The bottles also feature a dual opening so you can easily fill yours with ice, fruit, or even loose tea and still drink from the narrow soft silicone opening. The 24oz EcoVessel Boulder is without exception my favorite reusable water bottle. I use mine daily!
Left: EcoVessel WanderWare Set, Middle: Enjoying a snack with my Blue Water Bento containers and EcoVessel Boulder and WanderWare set, Right: The EcoVessel Boulder.
The WanderWare utensil set is a premium food grade quality stainless steel kit that you can easily take with you whenever and wherever adventure calls. Nestled inside its own zipper-close carry case, the set includes a knife, spoon, fork, chopsticks, straw with a silicone tip, and a straw cleaning brush.
Pro Tip – The EcoVessel WanderWare utensil set pairs nicely with the reusable containers from Blue Water Bento.
Sensi Graves Swim
Embracing sustainable manufacturing practices and doing right by the environment is at the heart of everything made at Sensi Graves Swim. The brand goes out of its way to ensure transparency in its entire supply chain as they produce a stellar lineup from recycled plastic materials sourced from from Repreve® and ECONYL® fabric suppliers. Using recycled materials uses less water and creates less pollution than starting from scratch and helps prevent waste from ending up in the ocean.
A few highlights which demonstrate the depth and versatility of the Sensi Graves Swim range.
The environmentally-friendly practices at Sensi Graves Swim don’t stop with the manufacturing of their swimwear – they extend to the entire life cycle of the business. Sensi Graves uses recycled hand tags, labels and packaging. What’s more, each suit is packed in a compostable bag along with compostable hygienic liners. To top it off, they have partnered with Climate Neutral to offset the carbon generated during the routine manufacturing process. The swimwear is produced on the West Coast in Sensi’s home state of Oregon and our hometown right here in Los Angeles.
I bought my wife a pair of the Laura surf leggings earlier this year and she absolutely loves them!
Selk’bag – Rainforest
The Selk’bag Rainforest model was inspired by Selk’bag’s partnership with Parque Oncol. Parque Oncol is located in northern Chilean Patagonia and is the largest reserve of biodiversity in South America. Known for its extensive reserves of plant and animal life, the Rainforest suit is just as unique as the majestic forests from which it is inspired.
Selk’bag is a wearable sleeping bag that originated in Chile and is designed to allow adventurers the luxury of freedom of movement while maintaining complete warmth, no matter what the conditions. Indoors working from home or outdoors immersed in rugged terrain, the Selk’bag is ideally suited for the minimalist adventurer and weekends at the beach.
The Rainforest model is intended as a spring/summer garment whose ideal temperature range is between 48F/9C – 55F/13C. The insulation, fabric and zipper are each made from recycled materials: 54 plastic bottles = one Selk’bag. Made from one layer hollow-fiber insulation, the entire bag is machine washable.
Features include:
- Adjustable insulated hood
- Easy-access hand openings
- Double slider
- Kangaroo pocket
- Removable booties
- DWR-water repellent
- Stuff sack
- Polyester shell and lining
I just received mine yesterday and considering the temperature was in excess of 80F today in Los Angeles, I understandably have not spent a lot of time wearing it. Nevertheless, the Rainforest Selk’bag looks like a perfect fit for a kayak camping trip along the coast of Catalina Island when minimalist packing is a must and overnight warmth is essential.
