Allmade AL3000
4.5
Unisex Heavyweight Recycled Cotton Tee
Eco-Friendly Custom T-Shirts
Take a step toward a more sustainable custom apparel industry (and planet!) by choosing from Real Thread's selection of sustainable custom t-shirts made from organic, recycled, and eco-friendly materials.
:quality(50))
:quality(50))
A shirt is more than a shirt
A custom t-shirt is a megaphone for your mission, a way to bring the team together, a symbol of solidarity. It's also everything that goes into the shirt itself—from the materials it's made of to the processes used to bring your design to life.
:quality(50))
Collections
Sustainable Products
econscious EC8040
5.0
Organic Cotton Canvas Market Tote
Original Favorites SUPLONG
5.0
American Grown Supima® 100% Cotton 6oz Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Allmade AL2100
5.0
Unisex Organic Cotton Tee
Original Favorites HOOD
5.0
Organic Cotton Hooded Sweatshirt
AS Colour 5001G
5.0
Staple Organic Tee
AS Colour 4001G
Women's Maple Organic Tee
econscious EC5650
5.0
Men’s Zip Hoody
Royal Apparel 64051
5.0
Unisex Viscose Hemp Organic Tee
Known Supply U100
4.0
Unisex T-Shirt
Anatomy of a sustainable custom t-shirt
:quality(50))
Eco-friendly garments
We are about partnering with sustainable suppliers in order to provide you with a variety of ethically produced, sustainably made custom apparel from wholesale partners like Bella + Canvas, Allmade, Royal Apparel, econscious, Known Supply and more—which means you can choose from a variety of eco-friendly materials like organic cotton, hemp, and bamboo to print your designs on.
:quality(50))
Water-based inks
Industry-standard plastisol inks are made with polyvinyl chloride (aka PVC)—which was dubbed the “Poison plastic” by Greenpeace.
Our water based inks are completely free of PVC resin and are water-soluble—making them easier to clean, safer for our team to print with, and better for the environment.
:quality(50))
In it for the long haul
Water-based prints, printed on high-quality garments, have a lifespan that extends far beyond that of a standard custom printed t-shirt—which means that you'll be wearing these shirts for a long time. Creating durable, comfortable garments reduces the likelihood that the shirt you design will end up in a landfill.
:quality(50))
Environmentally friendly custom t-shirts made for telling your story well
Intentionally sourced & thoughtfully produced. Because looking your best today doesn't have to come at the cost of the planet's best tomorrow...
Eco-friendly custom t-shirt FAQs
This depends on a few factors—from the design you choose to the garment you decide to print it on. You can expect to pay more for sustainably-sourced and printed apparel, but we think it is worth spending! That said, we're all about finding ways to help you be more sustainable, so the best bet for getting a more detailed and accurate quote for your project—they can work to find the best design to fit your needs and budget while meeting any design/garment goals.
We're glad you asked! There are a lot of things that go into making an environmentally friendly custom t-shirt. Many of the eco-friendly shirts we source have been constructed with blends of eco-friendly materials like hemp, bamboo, and organic cotton. Others get a little more ambitious in their commitment to sustainability—for example, the Allmade AL2004 Unisex Tri-Blend Crewneck T-Shirt consists of 25% recycled plastic from water bottles!
No! We try to keep our catalog manageable (and un-underwhelming for you!), so we only add our most popular products. If there's a specific garment you have in mind for your project, it's pretty much a sure thing that we can source it (or at least something very similar!), so reach out to our team, and we'll get you moving in the right direction.
You betcha. Our eco-friendly custom t-shirt options (as well as our custom tote bags & other sustainable products) are ready and waiting for you to customize them with our water-based inks, custom embroidery, or even a ~wild~ mix of both.
We love this question because we could talk allllllll day long about our water-based inks (if you have yet to notice). The biggest pro is that water-based inks are much better for the environment than traditional plastic-based inks. When printed, water-based inks result in longer-lasting prints, extending the life of your custom t-shirt and reducing the likelihood that it will end up in a landfill. From a pure garment perspective, shirts made of eco-friendly materials last just as long (if not longer) than any run-of-the-mill shirt—which means that you and your people can wear it proudly for a long while, knowing that you've taken a step toward a more sustainable apparel industry.
Trying to make your company t-shirt order or a large custom t-shirt order for an event more sustainable? Go, you! You can order in high quantities, and we'd be happy to help set you up with a great garment.
The apparel industry’s past and present are riddled with stories of being not-so-kind to the environment. In the past ten years especially, the rise of fast fashion and unsustainable production practices have put a strain on the planet's natural resources—from raw materials to people and beyond.
At Real Thread, We are passionate about reversing this trend—which is why we carry a wide variety of sustainable products, ethically made, and environmentally friendly custom apparel options.