Sustainable Startups To Watch
Happy belated Earth Day, news you can use + media opps in Forbes, Business Insider, Shape Magazine, and more!
Happy belated Earth Day, everyone! It’s Climate Week here in SF, and that’s got me thinking about how (or even if) I’m contributing to a more sustainable life. So, I did a little research and surprised myself.
Here are some imperfect, small things I’m already doing to live more sustainably and a list of ways to become greener from one of our sustainable startups below. Check it out. You may find out you’re already living a more sustainable life than you thought!
Currently, I’m…
Renting clothes/thrifting vs. buying new
Using public transportation/cutting down on flights
Eating less meat/shopping at my local farmer’s market
Hang drying (most of) my clothes
Boycotting plastic water bottles/opting for reusable bottles
Going paperless for bills and other forms of mail
Now I just need to kick my Amazon habit (guilty!)
Anyway, sustainability is more than a buzzword – it’s what consumers expect of brands in 2024. In 2023, Edelman found that “sustainability-marketed products are growing twice as fast as conventional…” and people are willing to buy planet-friendly products at a premium.
Shouting out a couple of our clients’ Earth Day collabs and sustainable practices below:
Docked Living – Did you know that when people reduce their individual space in exchange for larger communal spaces, it drastically lowers their carbon footprint?
Docked’s carbon footprint is two-thirds lower than that of the average development, with residents using 64% less water and 36% less electricity than the national average. The company also fosters environmentally conscious behavior among members through partnerships such as the 15th St Farm – an urban farm in downtown St. Pete that educates the community on farming, gardening, and sustainably grown food.
Women in Tech and Entrepreneurship – Nearly 4.4 million households with students don't have consistent access to a computer. Meanwhile, 70% of all toxic waste stems from discarded electronics, contributing to a staggering 40 million tons of electronic waste each year — often laden with hazardous substances like mercury and lead.
This year, WTE is partnering with eSmart Recycling for its April and May events, turning these challenges into opportunities for environmental sustainability and educational empowerment.
In February, we did our first Startups to Watch post so for our second iteration, we’re celebrating some sustainable brands we have our eye on this year.
STARTUPS TO WATCH
Commons
HQ: Oakland, CA | LinkedIn
Why we’re watching: Commons is an app that tracks and personalizes your carbon footprint. CEO & Founder Sanchali Seth Pal has been tracking her personal footprint for over a decade and was able to cut emissions by 30 percent. Today, Commons helps people make seamless, planet-friendly decisions with the goal of creating massive market shifts toward a more sustainable future. The app helps users discover 500+ vetted brands, find resources for sustainable living, and even rewards them in the form of cash or funding climate solutions.
ARETÉ
HQ: St. Petersburg, FL | LinkedIn
Why we’re watching: ARETÉ is an eco-conscious professional line of hair care products that launched in February to both salons and consumers on its e-commerce site. Translating to “excellence,” ARETÉ is dedicated to sustainability, integrity, and quality. They blend traditional botanical practices with modern innovation and ethical standards including eco-friendly packaging — custom olive green glass and matte black aluminum. Their formulas feature natural aromas, responsibly sourced plant butters, and high-performance alternatives to questionable ingredients, ushering in a new era of hair care excellence.
EcoRoots
HQ: San Francisco, CA | LinkedIn
Why we’re watching: EcoRoots makes low-waste everyday essentials that makes it easy to reduce your impact on the planet. From beauty and health to household products, EcoRoots features 50+ sustainable alternatives to everyday products made with 100% recyclable packaging and no animal testing. They’re also committed to plastic-free shipping and donate a portion of their annual sales to organizations that give back to the planet, including Ocean Conservancy.
Sunday
HQ: Boulder, CO | LinkedIn
Why we’re watching: Sunday is reinventing the lawn and garden space with data-driven, sustainable care that supports the whole ecosystem. Sunday helps you cultivate rich, living soil for a healthy lawn that's more self sustaining as opposed to antiquated, traditional lawn care that lays down 90,000,000 pounds of pesticides each year, making soil and grass dependent on chemical inputs. As a 1% for the Planet business, a portion of every Sunday sale helps goes to causes that connect people to nature, conserve resources, and preserve important ecosystems.
Galamaar
HQ: Los Angeles, CA | Instagram
Why we’re watching: Galamaar is a sustainable swim brand made in LA from environmentally sound materials – most notably their nylon created from discarded fishing nets that account for nearly 10% of all ocean pollution. In addition to carbon neutral shipping and eco-packaging, Galamaar is a small family-owned and operated fair-wage manufacturer, ensuring the sewers remain employed year-round.
Glotanicals
HQ: San Francisco Bay Area, CA | Instagram
Why we’re watching: Glotanicals creates the most sustainable skincare products on the market so you can enjoy the luxury of great skincare without sacrificing the health of the planet. Glotanicals uses both ingredients and packaging that are biodegradable, chemical-free and naturally-derived. Rest assured they will never supply you with containers that cannot be reused, refilled, or recycled. Additionally, Glotanicals is also 100% carbon netural, tracking and offsetting the emissions for all of their business operations and plant a tree with One Tree Planted for every product sold.
Which other sustainable startups should be on our radar? Comment below or email hello@hydeparkpr.com
News You Can Use
🤳Marketing & PR
Deepfakes are spreading, putting creator and brand safety at risk (Marketing Brew)
How the Ad Industry Is Making AI Images Look Less Like AI (WSJ)
How customer feedback is driving Béis’s marketing strategy (Marketing Brew)
🚀Startups & Tech
The Mixed State Of Startup Funding In 2024, In 11 Charts (Crunchbase News)
Startups significantly dialed back their hiring in 2023 (BizWomen)
☀️Good News
Earth Day 2024: A Look at 3 Places Adapting Quickly to Fight Climate Change (The New York Times)
Student debt relief unveiled as college prices soar (Morning Brew)
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Forbes
Deadline: ASAP
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Best vegan travel-friendly lotions
Best travel-sized perfumes
Best vegan nail polish for travelers
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Requirements: All products should be vegan and travel-friendly.