Nowadays, it seems like everyone is out for your money. Pause. Make sure you have your wallet in your back pocket now. Good? Good.
There are gimmicks and ploys around every corner, just lurking to catch a couple of your green ones. It blows. You don’t know want to spend your hard-earned money on just anything because, well, it’s your hard-earned money. You can’t just give it away. Why not maximize your money by spending it at stores that make it their mission to give back?
One prime example of a company that does more than just make products is Patagonia. If you haven’t heard of this company yet, then, I am sorry, but you definitely live under a rock. You must have seen at least one University Towers resident sporting a classic Patagonia pullover.
Regardless, most people follow the trend without knowing Patagonia’s mission. Starting out as a small company that made gear for silent sports, it has grown to become a company dedicated to using business to aid the environmental crisis. Patagonia does this by donating its time and at least a percent of its sales to aiding working environmental groups around the world. According to “180° South,” a documentary on Jeff Johnson’s journey to the region that inspired the company, Patagonia bought land in the Peruvian area in order to protect it from deforestation. Three cheers for Patagonia. Hip-hip…
Once you get all your jackets, backpacks and climbing gear (optional) from Patagonia, you’re going to need some shoes. With the statement, “One for One,” TOMS makes it their mission to give water, medication and clothing for every pair that they sell. That is pretty amazing, considering that their company made bank when we were all in middle school. Fear not. Just because they were wildly popular in 2010 doesn’t mean that you can’t rock a pair now. It’s not like they’re Crocs or anything.
Last on the list for sporting a socially and environmentally aware outfit on the brick paths of NC State is a classic T-shirt. Being a college kid pretty much means rolling out in a T-shirt and jeans. No, leggings. Nope … I meant pajama pants. Regardless of the bottoms, it is always a tee on top. Serengetee is a company that will allow you to expand on your collection from Ocean Isle Comfort Colors tees to shirts that feature fabric from around the world. When shopping Serengetee, you choose the region of where the fabric is from and go from there. With a purchase of a T-shirt, you are helping Jeff and Ryan, the owners of Serengetee, donate 10 percent of their profits to helping grassroots organizations around the world.
Benefit corporations don’t start and end with clothing companies. Ben and Jerry’s, also casually known as the best ice cream in the world, is a benefit corporation. What? Did I just say that you could eat ice cream and help out? Yes, I did. Ben and Jerry’s works to aid the climate change issue by circulating a petition on its website to implement the Paris Agreement and is working to decrease its carbon footprint to 0 percent in 2020. Through Ben and Jerry’s transparency, it has shown a steady decrease in its carbon footprint in the Social and Environmental Assessment Report. Let’s hear a round of applause for Ben and Jerry.
Now, it probably feels good walking around in your granola get-up, knowing that you are helping grassroots everywhere. With that fresh wardrobe and pint of ice cream, I know I am not talking to the same reader as the one who started this article. Hello, customer for change.