Is Allbirds Sustainable or is it Greenwashing?
This article was last updated May 2024.
Welcome to the series where I see if brands and products are actually what they say they are.
Is Allbirds sustainable or is it greenwashing? 👟
Allbirds was cofounded by famous soccer player Tim Brown who wanted to incorporate merino wool into sustainable shoes. It’s since moved into athletic wear as well, but we’re gonna stick with the shoes for this video.
Allbirds is a B Corp, Certified Climate Neutral, and FSC-certified for fiber, rubber, & paper. They are not certified cruelty free, but ZQ Merino Label certifies the wool it sources.
Allbirds shoes are made with a variety of natural and sustainable materials like merino wool, Sweetfoam (a sugarcane-based EVA used in Allbirds shoe soles), Tencel Lyocell (a sustainable alternative to viscose), and the shoelaces are made from recycled plastic bottles.
I like that they have a 10 step sustainability commitment called the “Allbirds Flight Plan” which has steps to cut the brand’s emission in half by 2025. They’re already 60% if their way through the plan, so that’s definitely a good sign.
They audit their manufacturing sites to ensure ethical manufacturing practices & as for labor it looks like they pay livable wages but it’s hard to confirm since they do source from some areas where there IS risk of labor abuse.
So is Allbirds sustainable or is it greenwashing?
Overall though, Allbirds shoes seem sustainable to me - but what do you think? 👩🏼💻
XOXO,
Krys Gier
Sources:
https://ir.allbirds.com/esg-overview#:~:text=We rely on a carefully,responsible sourcing of our materials.
