Living in Austin comes with serious responsibility. There are rules you must abide by, such as 1) eat breakfast tacos, 2) support musicians and 3) buy local everything. If you break the rules, you get kicked out. No exceptions.
If you’re up for the challenge of living in one of the greatest cities in America, you’ll be in like-minded company alongside businesses that are socially conscious. We want to celebrate 10 of these cause-oriented, socially responsible companies in Austin.
1/ Tredagain Shoes
Founded in 2015, Tredagain is literally leaving a better footprint. This sustainable footwear company upcycles scrap tires into flip flops and rain boots. For every five pairs of Tredagain shoes produced, one scrap tire stays out of a landfill.
Tredagain flip flops come in Austin-esque colors like Burnt Orange, Bat Black and Red River, with more colors coming out this summer.
2/ World Interiors
The owners of this eco-conscious furniture company travel the world to bring customers fine home furnishings that are unique and built to withstand the test of time. World Interiors offers solid, sustainable wood products that have low VOC (volatile organic compound) finishes and are allergen-free.
A portion of World Interior’s proceeds go toward Mango Foundation, an organization that plants trees in Central Texas. They believe in planting one tree for every dining table made.
3/ Clean Cause
Here’s a sobering fact: In the United States, someone dies from an overdose every 10 seconds. Clean Cause is so committed to bringing this number down that 50 percent of their proceeds go directly to helping recovering addicts and alcoholics.
To date, the company has employed 10 individuals who may not have been able to find employment otherwise, due to their backgrounds. The bigger the company grows, the more addicts they can help. Simple as that.
4/ ESPEROS SOHO
This Austin company creates high-quality backpacks and donates 10 percent of each sale to The Nobelity Project, a nonprofit that strives to bring education to all children. Currently, the organization is building classrooms, computer labs and clean water systems in underdeveloped countries.
According to Esperos’ website, “We believe that education is the key to overcoming the cycle of poverty and that it should be available to everyone.”
5/ Lofty Dog
This uniquely Austin pet store is celebrating Earth Day all month by teaming up with natural dog food company, Earthborn Holistic. Here’s the deal: If you have an Earthborn bag, bring it in (empty), and Lofty Dog will give $3-5 off your next bag of food (depending on size of bag).
Lofty Dog also hosts regular Adoption Days and Poochinis and Peticure events every first Thursday of the month. What’s a Poochini, you ask? It’s a Tito’s Vodka martini you can sip on while your best fur-friend gets his/her nails trimmed. All donations go to local rescue groups.
6/ Mitscoots
With a “Rough Edges, Smooth Soul” message on their t-shirts, Mitscoots is a local clothing company with a mission: help the homeless get back on their feet. For every item of clothing you buy from them, they’ll give a quality item (think socks, shirts and hats) to someone who has no means to purchase clothing for themselves.
7/ Give Realty
If every Austin Realtor donated 25% of their commissions like Laurie, $12+ million could have been donated in April! pic.twitter.com/tcaf2cCkSi
— Give Realty (@GiveRealty) May 16, 2014
A home is probably the largest purchase you’ll ever make. And when you use a realtor, they get a significant commission on your purchase. Well, Give Realty donates 25 percent of their commission to a charity of your choice.
To date, the company has given almost $530,000. Check out this cool charitable calculator to see how much of an impact your house sale could make.
8/ Rae Cosmetics
Always cruelty-free, Rae Cosmetics was developed for women on the go. As one herself, owner Rochelle Rae has generously supported organizations such as PETA, Hand to Hold, GirlStart and GoRed for Women.
But Rae’s dedication to rabbits might be the cause she’s most passionate about. Yes, rabbits. Her pet, Baby Rae, has become the brand’s mascot and will never sleep in a cage. Baby Rae is also the reason Rae supports House Rabbit Resource Network, an organization dedicated to giving the rabbits of Austin a second chance.
9/ Esperanza Market
Meaning “hope” in Spanish, Esperanza Market was founded by Austin native, Jennifer Simonson. Her mission, as a former teacher, is to bring light to children living without electricity, so they can read and complete their school work.
You can support this cause by purchasing purses and yoga bags handcrafted by impoverished Nicaraguan women. With each sale, you’re not only supporting women who otherwise wouldn’t have a job, but you’re also allowing Esperanza Market to give a solar-powered light to a child.
10/ Bravelets
Everyone has a cause near and dear to their heart. That’s why Bravelets, a local jewelry company, lets you choose which cause to support. For every item you purchase from them, $10 will be donated to your cause, whether it be alleviating illness, disaster relief or a fundraiser.
Delicate but powerful, jewelry choices include mostly bracelets and necklaces, but you can also purchase charms, earrings, head scarfs and watches. The company has already raised over $2.2 million! You can start your own fundraiser by setting up a BRAVE PAGE.
@ATX_Adrienne wants to know:
What are your favorite socially conscious companies in Austin? We need to know, so we can feature them, too!
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