You may think buying a beach towel is as simple as choosing one in your favorite color. Yet, if you’re spending the day beside the water, you’d be better off choosing a towel that is also absorbent, dries quickly, feels soft, and is eco-friendly.
The best sustainable beach towels can meet all your requirements, including being sand-free, free from chemicals, ethically made, and gentle against your skin. We give you the rundown of what to look for when selecting sustainable beach blankets and towels.
Whether you’re spending the day at the beach, lake, or pool, you can have peace of mind that you’re caring for yourself and the planet.
What to Look for When Buying Eco-friendly Beach Towels
Choosing a sustainable and ethical beach towel is effortless when you know what to look for. We recommend selecting a towel made from organic cotton, natural fibers, or recycled fabrics.
You also want to ensure that it contains natural dyes rather than synthetic ones. Select sustainable towel brands with certifications such as OEKO-TEX, GOTS, GRS, and Made Safe, as these brands’ products are rigorously tested and meet high production standards.
Be sure to scope out the company’s ethics and values to gauge whether they abide by fair trade manufacturing standards. Making linen products is labor-intensive and time-consuming, so you want to ensure that workers at each process stage are treated fairly.
Finally, support brands that apply sustainable and eco-friendly practices throughout their entire company, such as recycling, using environmentally friendly packaging and creating minimal waste.
Finally, support brands that apply sustainable and eco-friendly practices throughout their entire company, such as recycling, using environmentally friendly packaging and creating minimal waste.
Weezie creates luxury terry beach towels made from long-staple organic cotton.
They work with a third-generation family-owned factory in Portugal to produce their Okeo-Tex-certified soft, fluffy, and absorbent organic cotton terry towel products.
For kids, they also make super cozy cover-ups, made from the same luxurious, eco-friendly materials.
Upcycled Cotton Turkish Towels
Hilana Upcycled Cotton is a women-owned B-Corp company.
They work with a collective of hand-weavers in Turkey to create sustainable towels made with 50% recycled cotton (recycled from clothing manufacturing waste) and 50% virgin cotton.
Their production processes result in chemical-free products, and they are zero-waste, while also using less energy, and less water than conventional cotton towels. Importantly, every worker is also paid a fair living wage.
Nomadix creates recycled plastic beach towels that will take you from your yoga class to the beach to your favorite camping spot.
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It is lightweight, absorbent, odor-resistant, sand-resistant, quick-drying, and the only towel you need for your vacation activities.
One towel is made with thirty plastic water bottles and certified post-consumer recycled materials.
It also folds small making it the perfect travel beach towel.
Absorbent, functional, versatile, and sustainable are features of Slowtide’s beach towels.
They are made from 100% sustainably-sourced cotton that exceeds Oeko-Tex standards.
Slowtide prioritizes sustainability across its entire brand, from sourcing materials to manufacturing and packaging.
These sustainable Turkish towels from Coyuchi are lightweight with a high/low weave making them highly absorbent.
They are made with 100% organic cotton and are GOTS and Made Safe certified, meaning they are free from harmful toxins.
Each towel is made according to the strictest ethical and environmental standards.
Buying a beach towel may seem as simple as picking your favorite color, but there’s more to consider if you want a towel that’s not only functional but also environmentally friendly. The best sustainable beach towels combine features like quick-drying, softness, sand-free designs, and chemical-free materials with eco-friendly and ethical production practices.
Summary
- Materials:
Opt for towels made from organic cotton, natural fibers, or recycled fabrics. These materials are not only sustainable but also gentle on the skin. - Dyes and Certifications:
Look for towels that use natural dyes instead of synthetic ones. Certifications like OEKO-TEX, GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), GRS (Global Recycled Standard), and Made Safe ensure that the towels meet rigorous production and safety standards. - Ethical Manufacturing:
Investigate the brand’s commitment to fair trade and ethical practices. Beach towels are labor-intensive to produce, so it’s essential to choose brands that ensure fair wages and safe working conditions for their workers. - Sustainable Practices:
Support brands that implement eco-friendly practices throughout their operations. This includes using sustainable packaging, recycling, and minimizing waste.
By carefully selecting an eco-friendly beach towel, you can enjoy your time at the beach, pool, or lake with the peace of mind that you’re making a positive impact on the planet. Choose towels that are not only functional but also align with values of sustainability and ethical production.