Personally, I love the idea of building a product catalog around genuinely sustainable options, and I’m not the only one. Studies have found that customers are willing to pay almost ten percent more for eco-friendly goods, according to PwC’s Voice of the Consumer survey.
But it’s easy to get lost when you start building your first catalog, particularly since a lot of suppliers in the print on demand space say their items are eco-friendly, but don’t give you many details about what that actually means.
For this list, I’ve been careful, checking the details behind every product I recommend for myself, to make sure you can keep the sustainability promises you make.
Key Takeaways:
- Don’t judge sustainable products based on an “eco” name alone. Check the actual material mix for yourself.
- Be careful with certifications. OEKO-TEX checks for harmful substances. GOTS covers organic textiles. GRS tracks recycled content.
- Aim for products people will actually use. Start with practical options like t-shirts, hoodies, or tote bags, rather than novel items.
- Review suppliers carefully, Printify might give you more supplier choices, for instance, but that also means quality in products can vary.
- Always order samples before you offer something new. It’s the best way to check that the product you’ve chosen will match customer expectations.
What Makes a Product Genuinely Eco-Friendly?
Suppliers don’t always define “sustainable” products the same way. That’s why it’s so important to do your own research. Check the material list on any catalog item first, and remember that sometimes the color of an item can affect its material mix.
When you’re checking the certifications, make sure you know what each one actually means. A GOTS certification, for instance, covers certified organic textiles along with the processing work behind them. The OEKO-TEX Standard 100 checks for possibly harmful substances in product components.
GRS tracks the use of recycled raw materials through a product’s supply chain, while OSC monitors certified organic material, and FSC checks if the paper products in an item came from responsibly managed forests.
Also, remember to check for durability. Just because a product is eco-friendly doesn’t mean the ink should fade, or the seams should fall apart.
The 20 Best Sustainable Products Worth Selling
I’ve grouped these suggestions into categories, starting with probably the most obvious product (sustainable t-shirts), and eventually covering more niche-specific items like aprons or candles.
Sustainable T-Shirts
Sustainable tees are one of the easiest products to recommend straight away, because they’re universally desirable, easy to find from a good selection of suppliers, plus they don’t cost as much as other apparel items to make.
1. Stanley/Stella Organic Cotton T-Shirt
Price: Starting at $14.50 on Fourthwall
This is probably the first t-shirt I’d stock, because it uses 100% organic ring-spun cotton, and it offers broad unisex sizing. It’s not the cheapest t-shirt option, but you could easily sell one of these shirts for around $30 and still retain about $15.50 in profit if the design is good. Plus, there’s no minimum order quantity, so you’re not left stuck with inventory to manage if you find out your shirts aren’t selling.
On Fourthwall, this product is available in a huge selection of colors, and you can choose between standard printing or embroidery. I’d definitely recommend exploring the embroidery option if you’re building a more “premium” catalog.
2. Bella+Canvas Unisex Staple Shirt
Pricing: Starts at $13.25 on Fourthwall
This one is a slightly more budget-friendly option. It’s still available in a great range of unisex sizes, and has a tear-away label (for extra comfort). The fabric is 65% recycled polyester mixed with 35% recycled Airlume cotton, so you get a good blend of softness, durability, plus sustainability.
I’d probably pick a slightly lower price for this one (maybe around $25) and check samples in advance. DTG artwork can sometimes come out darker than expected, particularly if you’re printing on darker colored fabric to begin with.
3. Organic Unisex Crewneck T-shirt
Pricing: Based on location from Gelato
Gelato gives sellers a brilliant range of organic and sustainable apparel options, including the popular unisex crew-neck shirt, made with 100% certified organic ring-spun cotton. Gelato’s fulfillment network also helps with keeping your brand sustainable too, since about 90% of orders are produced locally, and most arrive within five days.
You can also combine this shirt from Gelato with a similar option designed specifically for kids, so it’s a good choice if you want to expand your potential audience.
4. Circular Organic T-shirt
Pricing: Custom quote from Teemill
I like the range you get from Teemill’s circular organic collection. All of the shirts use 100% organic cotton and the printing uses water-based vegan inks. Plus, every label comes with a QR code customers can use to return worn products for recycling.
That means the model actually gives the customer a useful next step after they’ve worn the shirt out. Still, you’ll need to explain the return process carefully. Make sure you check eligible countries, postage requirements, plus what the buyer will get in return.
Hoodies and Sweatshirts
Hoodies and sweatshirts are the obvious next step up after you’re getting regular organic t-shirt sales. You can usually charge more for these than you would for a shirt, but keep in mind that your buyers will expect a brilliant combination of both softness and durability.
5. Stanley/Stella Essential Eco Hoodie
Pricing: Starts at $33.20 from Fourthwall
The Essential Eco Hoodie from Fourthwall is one of the more affordable options if you’re branching into the category with a small budget. The fabric mixes 85% organic cotton with 15% recycled polyester, and the design is clearly premium, especially if you decide to upgrade with embroidery.
I also like the fact that Fourthwall lets you print on the front, back, sleeves, wrists, or inside label, so you have plenty of opportunities to make the design stand out, and earn a higher price point.
6. SOL Eco Raglan Hoodie
Pricing: Starts at $35.70 on Fourthwall
Similar to the Stanley + Stella option, the SOL hoodie is available for both printing and embroidery, and it also gives you a few more color options to experiment with. Do be careful checking the materials though, because the mix changes depending on shade.
The Charcoal color, for instance is made of 60% cotton and 40% recycled polyester. The other colors give you 100% organic cotton on the outer layer, with 80% organic cotton mixed with 20% recycled polyester on the inside.
7. Gelato Organic Hoodies
Pricing: Localized pricing from Gelato
Gelato’s organic hoodies come in a range of different styles, including zip-up or pull-over options. The material mix is 55% cotton and 45% polyester for the pull-over option, or 55% pre-shrunk cotton plus 45% polyester for a classic zip hoodie.
Gelato also promises to use water-based inks for a more eco conscious result, and once again, you get the benefit that comes from shipping products from local suppliers.
8. Organic Stanley/Stella Oversized Sweatshirt
Pricing: Starts at $40.02 from Fourthwall
This option feels particularly trendy right now, particularly if you’re selling streetwear. A lot of other print-on-demand suppliers offer the same basic collection of standard crewneck t-shirts. Fourthwall’s oversized sweatshirt has a brushed interior, drop-shoulder volume, plus durable ribbing.
The fabric is made with a mix of 80% organic cotton and 20% recycled polyester, plus the product has both GOTS and OEKO-TEX certifications. The inks are also PETA-Approved vegan, plus there’s an option for embroidery, too.
9. Recycled Polyester Sweatshirt
Pricing: Gelato gives localized pricing
The recycled polyester sweatshirt from Gelato was one of the first products introduced by Gelato in its eco-conscious apparel collection in 2022. The fabric is made with recycled polyester yarn made from post-consumer PET bottles, and gives a good balance of durability and softness.
It’s worth saying, though, that color and printing options from Gelato can vary based on where you’re located. You’ll need to sign up for an account to see what’s available in your area.
Totes, Hats, and Practical Accessories
The thing I love about these products is they’re so easy to sell. You don’t have to worry about making sure your size range covers everyone, and you can experiment with a great mix of low-cost add-ons, and products that would make the perfect gift.
10. Econscious Organic Cotton Tote
Pricing: Starts at $18.31 on Fourthwall
The Econscious organic cotton tote from Fourthwall might seem a bit expensive at first, but it’s actually great value when you consider how practical it really is. The bag can hold six gallons, carry up to 30 pounds, plus it measures around 20 by 14 inches, so there’s plenty of room for books, groceries, or gym gear.
I’d choose this as a substantial collection piece, or an event-themed bag for the price, rather than picking it as a way to win over impulse buyers.
11. Printful Eco Tote Bag
Pricing: Localized pricing from Printful
Printful’s Eco Tote bag has almost the exact same credentials from a material perspective as the larger Fourthwall tote, it’s just smaller. This bag uses eight-ounce certified organic cotton twill, plus it can still support up to 30 pounds of weight.
You also get a range of design options, including DTG, the DTFlex printing option, or embroidery. GOTS and OCS cover its organic cotton content, while OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 addresses harmful-substance testing.
12. Econscious Organic Dad Hat
Pricing: Starting at $15.85 on Fourthwall
Hats are popular additions to a sustainable print on demand catalog, because they’re reasonably affordable, and don’t make you battle with a complicated apparel size menu. This one from Fourthwall is made with eight-ounce organic cotton twill, and costs a little over $15, so there’s plenty of profit left over if you price it at around $30.
I’d probably combine this product with a few other hat styles (like the beanie I’ll mention below), since the “dad hat” style might not appeal to everyone.
13. Atlantis B50 Organic Ribbed Beanie
Pricing: Starting at $18.59 on Fourthwall
This is a great eco-friendly hat choice if you’re selling to an audience that lives in a colder climate. The 100% organic knit is about 8.26 inches long (so it’ll fit most heads easily), and it’s available for embroidery on demand.
Based on the reviews I checked, customers say this particular hat is warm, snug, plus the embroidery quality is excellent. I’d probably still order a sample though, and consider offering this product during a defined autumn or winter merch drop.
14. SOL’S 03569 Organic Cotton Apron
Pricing: Starts at $24.75 on Fourthwall
This Fourthwall apron is a slightly more unique sustainable product option than most of the alternatives on this list, and it’s ideal if you’re already building a brand around food, cooking, or even pottery or art.
The 7.08-ounce organic cotton fabric includes adjustable straps and a front pocket split into two compartments, so the apron is genuinely useful, not just pretty. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that currently this product is only available for EU fulfillment.
Kids, Activewear, and Lifestyle Products
These products are the ones I’d add to your catalog if you want to avoid ending up with a merch store that offers the same standard hat, bag, t-shirt or sweater combo as countless other sellers. Just remember they do bring a few challenges with them. Babies grow fast, swimwear returns get uncomfortable, and phone cases become useless the second a customer upgrades their device.
15. Stanley/Stella STTK184 Organic Cotton Kids T-Shirt
Pricing: Starts from $15.50 on Fourthwall
This could be an excellent product to stock if you’re a creator that focuses a lot on families, or you’re building a store that appeals to youth clubs, or schools. The 4.57-ounce shirt uses 100% organic ring-spun combed cotton and covers ages 3–4 through 12–14.
Like many other Fourthwall products, this item gives you the freedom to print on the front or back, plus the inside label. You can also choose between standard printing or embroidery.
16. Babybugz BZ10 Organic Short-Sleeve Bodysuit
Pricing: Starting at $15.64 on Printify
The great thing about baby products, like this short-sleeve body suit, is they have great gifting potential. You can sell them to new parents, relatives, or friends of the family. Plus, you can build designs around announcements, special events, or even inside family jokes.
The Babybugz bodysuit has four sizes covering newborns through to 12-18 month olds. The solid colors use 100% organic cotton, with GOTS and OEKO-TEX-certified material listed, but different colors, like Heather Grey or Charcoal can mix in some polyester.
17. Sublicolor 105 All-Over Print Sports Jersey
Pricing: Starts at $30.55 on Fourthwall
This could be a fantastic product choice for esports teams, local clubs, fitness communities, or creators with recognizable patterns. The whole jersey is available to print on, sizes run from 2XS to 6XL, and the lightweight fabric is designed to wick moisture.
Notably, the listing is a little confusing, since Fourthwall uses the word “recycled” in the title, but doesn’t give a lot of detail in the description itself. Still, the current reviews for the product are all excellent, with plenty of praise for the smooth feel and printing quality.
18. Sublicolor 025 Recycled String Bikini
Pricing: Starts at $27.49 on Fourthwall
Swimwear could be a great product option for travel, fitness, festival, or fashion creators. This bikini supports all-over artwork, removable padding, several tying styles, and sizes from 2XS to 6XL. The fabric mix is made up of 81% to 88% recycled polyester, depending on color and size choices.
Fourthwall also lists OEKO-TEX and GRS certifications for this product, plus it says that the material itself includes UPF 50+ sun protection.
19. Biodegradable Phone Case
Pricing: Starting at $13.25 on Printful
A phone case can be a great low-cost add-on product for a sustainable catalog. It’s also an easy gift, and a good place to show off repeat patterns, personalized text, or character art. Currently, Printful’s biodegradable version costs £13.25 before shipping, so I’d probably pick a price around £20.
One thing worth keeping in mind is that the material of this case does decompose in one year when it’s kept in a warm, moist environment, so it won’t just fall apart with regular use.
20. Scented Soy Candle with White Lid, 9 oz.
Pricing: Starting at $9.80 on Printify
Candles make a good sustainable product choice for home, wellness, or book selling brands, because the customer buys an atmosphere as much as the printed label. The soy candle from Printify contains 7.5 ounces of hand-poured soy wax made from US-grown soybeans, uses a cotton wick, and has a stated burn time of 50 to 60 hours. Buyers can also clean and reuse the glass when the wax is gone.
One thing worth mentioning is that the candle is assembled in the US from globally sourced parts, so it might not be the ideal product to ship to overseas customers.
Sustainable Products: What Should You Sell First?
I’ve given twenty options here, but I wouldn’t add all of them to your catalog straight away. Start with a small collection, maybe a t-shirt, a sweater, a few accessory options, and maybe a couple of extra “niche” products that match your audience, like a candle or a sports jersey.
Also, put all of the products you’re going to sell to the test yourself. Order samples, check apparel still holds up after regular washing, and double-check the sizing.
After you start selling, pay attention to what customers flock towards, and build your catalog based on what you learn. If you get a lot of t-shirt sales, you might apply different designs to the same shirt, or branch out into other apparel products. Since the POD suppliers mentioned here don’t apply order minimums, there’s no risk to experimenting with different listings, and seeing which ones earn the most.
