Coast to Coast Sustainables

Packaging

The brand uses EcoEnclose kraft mailers made from 100% recycled paper fibers, which are plastic-free, curbside recyclable, and naturally biodegradable.

Material Sustainability

The materials in Coast to Coast Sustainables’ in-house products are predominantly renewable, responsibly sourced, and designed for longevity. The brand favors natural fibers like cotton, linen, hemp, and wool while largely avoiding virgin synthetics. For example, their reusable tea bags are made from a hemp and organic cotton blend (55% hemp, 45% certified organic cotton). Many products incorporate upcycled fabrics and scraps: each tea bag even has a unique tag made from repurposed fabric offcuts. Coast to Coast also chooses high-quality, OEKO-TEX® certified textiles for items like their food wraps. A minor area for improvement is expanding organic or recycled fiber use across all cotton fabrics (some printed cottons are not noted as organic).

Energy Use and Footprint

As a small-scale, locally made brand, Coast to Coast Sustainables inherently operates with a modest carbon and energy footprint. All products are handmade in Bellingham, Washington (USA). However, Coast to Coast has not published data on its facility energy sources or carbon accounting; there is no indication of renewable energy usage, carbon neutrality, or shipping emission offsets in its public materials.

Waste Management

Internally, the company strives for zero-waste production, evidenced by its partnership with Ridwell to upcycle all fabric scraps and threads generated during manufacturing. Externally, Coast to Coast’s product lineup is built entirely around reusability, which mitigates consumer waste at the source.

Business Model

Rather than encouraging frequent consumption of disposables, the brand’s revenue model is built on selling quality reusables that help customers live low-waste. This mission-driven approach means the company’s financial success is tied to positive environmental outcomes (less trash and lower resource use).

Because most items are made of natural fibers (cotton, linen, hemp, wool) and plant-based ingredients, they inherently avoid the toxic substances often found in plastics or chemically treated products. Where the brand does use manufactured materials, it opts for non-toxic versions: for example, its signature laminated cotton fabric is a water-based polyurethane laminate that contains no PVC, BPA, phthalates, or lead, and it meets the stringent OEKO-TEX Standard 100 requirements for safety. Additionally, the fabrics used in contact with food or skin are either organic or certified safe (the reusable tea bags use unbleached organic cotton/hemp, so no chlorine or pesticide residues).

Coast to Coast Sustainables is a small business that exemplifies fair labor practices through local production and ethical sourcing. The company’s products are primarily made by its two co-founders and any small team they oversee in Bellingham, WA, ensuring that all workers operate in safe conditions and are treated respectfully under U.S. labor standards. For those few goods or components not made in-house, Coast to Coast carefully chooses fair trade partners. A notable example is their “Smiling Sheep” wool dryer balls, which are hand-felted in Nepal by women and minorities who are paid a strong living wage.

The one notable animal material employed is wool (in their dryer balls), which is obtained from sheep. Here, the brand shows some attention to ethics by sourcing through a fair trade Nepalese collective.