Mother Erth || From Pollution to Purpose
Production of anything, no matter how ethical, requires the use of resources. Even organic, plant-based fabrics, while better for the environment, still emit pollutants and, most create some amount of waste. Buying or creating something new requires that resources be used up, in some way or another.
In an ideal world, creating something new wouldn't add to the already existing amounts of pollution or contribute to the endless piles of textile waste. In an ideal world, adding beauty to our lives would reduce waste and create good, instead of push the fashion industry further up the line of most harmful industries.
That ideal world can't be achieved overnight - and I'm not naive enough to think our world will ever be "ideal", but with the help of brands like Mother Erth, the waste from fashion and manufacturing gets a bit cleaner every day.
Mother Erth is a newly launched brand doing something quite revolutionary for the fashion industry. Instead of adding to the waste, Mother Erth creates their products from waste.
Zero-Waste
Each bag that the brand sells is made from repurposed plastic waste. Intercepted on the way to landfill from manufacturers in Asia, Mother Erth collects discarded plastic, cleans and cuts it and uses the bright colors and flexible yet sturdy material to weave something purposeful and beautiful.
Empowering
In addition to reducing waste, Mother Erth is on a mission to empower mothers through fair and safe employment. Their artisans are paid three times the average wage, allowing them to support their families and work in a safe, stable workplace.
Thanks to being made from the material that never dies or breaks down, Mother Erth's pieces are incredibly durable, waterproof, rip proof, and can hold their fair share of weight. They have an impressive range of bags from small credit card holders and clutches, to shoulder bags and totes.
I used my Mixed Weave Artisan Tote for a chilly day at the beach with AJ and the girls and loved how perfect it was to toss our essentials in and enjoy the day. There was ample room for our towels, changes of clothes, water bottles and snacks, and it cleaned up easily after being set in the sand for an afternoon.
Heart
Before I committed to this collaboration, I had the chance to speak to the owners of the brand over the phone and was immediately impressed by their genuine desire to connect their pieces to people who care. They took time to make sure that we'd be a good fit and that my readers (you!) would genuinely be interested in their mission. Their bags are unique, and fit a unique group of people (IE. they're not the minimal, tan, black and grey aesthetic I usually adhere to), but I can't get over how multi-faceted and all around beautiful their brand is. And their products are wonderfully functional to boot.
There are a lot of beautiful and ethical handbags out there, and I've written about and reviewed more than my fair share over the years, but it's hard to find a brand like Mother Erth, who so perfectly melds conservation, waste reduction, job creation, and high quality pieces into a single product.
Head to their website to shop their gorgeous and colorful collection and stay tuned to see how I use my tote throughout the Summer!
Sunnies: Feller Shades, Swimsuit: Azura Bay, Shoes: Sseko Designs, The rest: Thrifted
*This post was sponsored by Mother Erth as part of an ongoing partnership. All images and opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links which means I make a small commission off of any items purchased via these links*
