Abby B. Planning to build a sustainable print on demand business? Interested in circular fashion? Here are 17 eco-friendly POD sites to use!
To be honest, I was already done with fast fashion before knowing about print on demand – I simply couldn’t keep up! Besides being too costly, it didn’t make sense to buy something mass-produced.
If you feel the same, I’m sure you’d consider embracing minimalism as much as I did. When I finally stumbled on print on demand (and actually made a quick buck at it!), I thought it would be nice to occasionally make something I personally would like to wear.
In this article, I’ll be sharing 17 fulfillment sites you can use to design sustainable print on demand products and the types of items each site offers. I’ve also included a quick step-by-step guide on how you can get started down below.
*This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission (at no cost to you) if you sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link!
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- 7+ Best Websites For Print On Demand Candles
17 Eco-Friendly Print On Demand Companies
1. Printify
One of the best print on demand sites for beginners is Printify. They have a wide range of products including a whole category for sustainable merchandise – list down below.
Printify works with multiple printing partners all around the world so while you can expect a great selection of items to work with, not everything is made in the USA. You can find details on organic materials used on each product page.
For instance, their scented soy candles are made with 100% natural wax blend and 100% cotton wick. These are organic, unmodified and harmless to nature when disposed.
You can save even more on product cost (about 23%) by subscribing to Printify Premium – prices in green. Highly suggest doing so once you’ve made enough monthly profit to cover the monthly fee!
Here’s a sample of Printify’s eco-friendly phone case I created using a design downloaded on Creative Fabrica. Since the case comes in a natural beige color, I decided to use a transparent design that matches the color tones – in this case, an avocado design!
You can see that the prints only covers the flat areas and does not cover the sides. It’s perfectly fine for me but if that bothers you, you’ll have to consider your options!
| Eco-friendly products you can design | T-shirts Soy candles Biodegradable phone cases Canvas prints Baby clothing Desk calendars Hoodies Tank tops Sweatshirts Tea towels Lunch bags Tote bags Wrapping papers Dresses Bento boxes Posters |
| Available integrations | Shopify WooCommerce Etsy eBay PrestaShop BigCommerce Wix Squarespace Printify API |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | USA |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
Read: 5 things to consider when comparing prices between Printify and Printful
2. Printful
Compared to Printify, there isn’t much choices for non apparel items on Printful so I would recommend the site if you’re looking for eco friendly t-shirt printing. Aside from the usual t-shirts, they have a range of sustainable tops, aprons, bags and hats.
You can easily see the individual reviews on each product page and decide if it’s something you want to sell. Some items may even be on clearance for you to grab them at a cheaper price.
Product base prices are slightly more expensive than Printify, plus you’ll need to pay a one-time digitization fee for every embroidery design starting from $3.95. Embroidery is applicable for items like t-shirts, hoodies, bags and hats.
If you’re someone who loves designing repetitive patterns, Printful is best known for their all-over-print products as most categories offer these. AOP products can be designed on all corners, leaving no spaces unattended!
Here’s a sample of an eco-friendly hair scrunchie I created on Printful using one of their quick designs. All I did was browse their collection of designs and chose one that I liked.
I then changed the background color to my brand color and chose the same design for the bow part. That’s it, no design experience needed when you can choose from Printful’s ready designs!
| Eco-friendly products you can design | Athletic wear Kids clothing Aprons Drawstring bags Eco tote bags Sweatshirts Baseball caps Bomber jackets Bikinis Bucket hats Polo shirts Sweatshirts Crop tops Hoodies V-necks Swim wear Scrunchies Beanies |
| Available integrations | Shopify WooCommerce Etsy Wix Squarespace Magento BigCommerce Ecwid Weebly Prestashop Shipstation Big Cartel Gumroad Shift4Shop Launch Cart Webflow Square Nuvemshop BASE Amazon eBay Storenvy TikTok API |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | USA |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
Read: Is Printify or Printful cheaper? 5 pricing elements to know!
3. Gelato
Gelato works pretty much like Printify and has fulfillments in multiple countries. This works to your advantage as orders are usually fulfilled in locations closest to the receiving customer’s address.
Most of their organic apparel are unisex so you can expect smooth daily operations for your store. You don’t have to answer to too many questions on sizes and just have a single listing for both men & women. Less headaches!
The only drawback is sizes are quite limited from S and up to XXL only.
| Eco-friendly products you can design | Crewneck t-shirts Pullover hoodies Zipped hoodies Crewneck sweatshirts Kids t-shirts Biodegradable phone cases |
| Available integrations | Shopify WooCommerce Etsy Wix Squarespace BigCommerce API |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Norway |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
4. AOP+
Want to operate your biz using the Euro currency? Prices are displayed in USD/Euros/GBP on AOP+. Regardless which one you choose, almost all their products are made and shipped from the UK!
AOP+ is more focused on print on demand apparel including t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts and even kids clothing. They have less products in other categories but you can source the usual organic tote bags with AOP+.
| Eco-friendly products you can design | Organic tote bags Hoodies Sweatshirts T-shirts Tank tops Kids t-shirts Tote bags Dresses |
| Available integrations | BigCommerce Shopify Etsy |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | USA |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
5. Prodigi
If you’re interested in designing sustainable paper print on demand products, Prodigi has some of the best. Prodigi’s eco paper products include eco canvas, matte art prints and postcards – all made using recycled or sustainable materials and printed using water-based inks.
Eco-friendly apparel on Prodigi are from the Stanley/Stella collection which is pretty popular with other fulfillments too. Just so you know, organic apparel is usually more expensive than others!
You can get a feel of their best-selling papers and canvas prints by ordering their sample pack. It includes a variety of items in mini versions!
| Eco-friendly products you can design | Canvas prints Postcards Art prints Biodegradable phone cases Matte papers Photo tiles T-shirts Long sleeved shirts Hoodies Kids clothing |
| Available integrations | Shopify WooCommerce Etsy Squarespace Wix BigCommerce |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | UK |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
6. Apliiq
Looking for eco-friendly and heavy-duty tote bags to design? Apliiq has a nice selection to design including sustainable hemp print on demand tote bags. These are thicker and sturdier thanks to its shape, making them suitable for bringing heavier items like groceries.
Aside from tote bags, Apliiq offers sustainable t-shirt printing and headwear including caps, beanies and hats. Though they’re only available in one size, these products come in multiple base colors. Most can be embroidered for a one-time digitization fee of $11 (for every new design).
Read my other article on 11 ways to compare Apliiq and Printful here. Apliiq offers some cool branding services including adding woven labels and your own embroidered patches to products.
| Eco-friendly products you can design | Eco tote bags T-shirts Hats Baseball caps Beanies Leggings Hoodies Sweatshirts |
| Available integrations | Shopify WooCommerce Etsy |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Los Angeles, USA |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
7. Tpop
One of the more popular sustainable and ethical print on demand company in Europe is Tpop. Although their catalog has limited choices of products, almost all are eco-friendly and made of organic materials.
For apparel, Tpop offers organic t-shirts, tank tops, sweaters, t-shirt dresses, hoodies and crop tops. You can design the perfect product for every season!
Products are printed and shipped from their facility in France.
| Eco-friendly products you can design | T-shirts Tote bags Crop tops Dresses Shopping bags Tank tops Hoodies Sweatshirts Stickers Baby clothing Kids t-shirts Kids sweatshirts |
| Available integrations | Shopify Etsy WooCommerce |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | France |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
8. SPOD
If you’re a fan of Spreadshirt, you’ll love SPOD. Since they’re from the same parent company, products and printing quality are alike. While Spreadshirt is a POD marketplace (great for beginners), SPOD is their white label counterpart.
Aside from the usual organic t-shirts, SPOD offers organic clothing for babies too. You can design bodysuits for newborns and children up to 18 months (1.5 years). I personally find making designs for babies easier than brainstorming one for adults!
The only downside is SPOD cannot integrate with Etsy directly and you’ll need to use OrderDesk for it.
| Eco-friendly products you can design | Kids clothing Baby clothing T-shirts Hoodies Baseball caps Tote bags Zipped pouches |
| Available integrations | Shopify OrderDesk WooCommerce Magento Squarespace API |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | USA |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
9. Shirtee
Keen on sourcing products that are shipped from Europe? Shirtee is another fulfillment company to use for print on demand sustainable clothing. They have an entire category set up for sustainable wear!
Some cool finds on Shirtee are their camouflage wear, dip dye apparel and half zip sweaters – these are not available on other sites. Compared to others in this list, they have larger sizes (up to XXXXXL) and offer most apparel in over 10 base colors (few over 30!).
| Eco-friendly products you can design | T-shirts Sweatshirts Hoodies Tank tops Joggers Crop tops Oversized t-shirts Polo shirts Dip dye clothing Shorts Dresses Beanies |
| Available integrations | Shopify WooCommerce Amazon eBay Shopware PrestaShop Etsy Rakuten Hood.de Wix Squarespace CSV Integration |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Germany |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
10. Inkthreadable
Looking for an eco friendly print on demand UK-based company? Inkthreadable is a great alternative for sustainable wear as they print in-house in the UK. They even label products according to organic and vegan clothing (two different things by the way).
Unlike organic clothing which are generally made using natural products, vegan clothing is anything that is made without animal products or whatever’s derived from its exploitation. This include materials like leather, silk, fur or feathers.
Inkthreadable’s eco-friendly apparels come in a variety of base colors – up to 54 colors for adult t-shirts and 40 colors for adult hoodies. There’s also 16 colors for baby t-shirts, so all of your customers will never go bored!
| Eco-friendly products you can design | Baby t-shirts Baby hoodies Baby bodysuits Baby sweatshirts Bucket hats Sweatshirts Hoodies T-shirts Polo shirts Tote bags Joggers Shorts Tank tops Beanies Crop tops |
| Available integrations | Shopify Wix WooCommerce Etsy |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | UK |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
11. Two Fifteen
Another POD company based in the UK is Two Fifteen. They have similar products to Inkthreadable including vegan products but with slight variations. You can also filter your search for organic wear, recycled wear and/or vegan wear.
Few things that caught my eye are their splatter sweatshirts and splatter t-shirts. These are individually made using garment dyes to get a splatter design and only available in one color. None of them should look the same!
| Eco-friendly products you can design | T-shirts Long sleeved t-shirts Hoodies Sweatshirts Tank tops Baby clothing Splatter shirts Tote bags Dresses Shorts Joggers |
| Available integrations | Shopify WooCommerce Wix Squarespace Big Cartel EKM BigCommerce Etsy API |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | UK |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
12. Contrado
If you want to source your products from the UK but operate your biz in USD, check out Contrado. Although their sustainable catalog is limited to eco friendly print on demand t-shirts and fabric, they have a ton of unique items to offer including rugs and home decor.
Prices are slightly on the higher side with Contrado especially for their sustainable line. However, depending on the type of product you’re designing, you can enjoy multiyear printing guarantees. This way, you know you’re in good hands!
Unfortunately, Contrado only offers integration with Shopify, so you can only use a Shopify store with it.
| Eco-friendly products you can design | T-shirts Long sleeved t-shirts Fabric |
| Available integrations | Shopify |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | London, UK |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
13. Teemill
Everything that is sold on Teemill are organic products. They work on being a sustainable print on demand company and actually gets it done. Even their UK-based factory is powered by renewable energy!
Their Remill collection is made of materials sourced from recycled worn out Teemill apparels. Customers can send back their worn out Teemill clothes to be recycled into new ones over and over again. Circular fashion is the future!
You can find organic products across all categories of apparels for men, women and kids. Read more about Teemill’s Remill process here.
| Eco-friendly products you can design | T-shirts Longline t-shirts Baseball t-shirts Sweatshirts Tanktops Long sleeved t-shirts Hoodies Sweaters Tie dye Shorts Joggers Crop tops Jumpers Dresses Kids clothing |
| Available integrations | Shopify Etsy |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | UK |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
14. T-shirt Elephant
If you’re looking for a POD company to sell to a Canada-based audience, T-shirt Elephant is one of my recommendations. All products are made and shipped from Canada, plus products are sold in Canadian Dollars.
Their eco-friendly range may be basic but I think it’s always worth mentioning when a site categorizes them properly. A little work goes a long way and a shout out will encourage others to do the same too.
T-shirt Elephant has a nice selection of sports jerseys, unavailable on most sites. Unlike others in this list, it does not integrate with ecommerce sites and all orders are placed directly on their platform (you can set up a custom webstore or order manually).
| Eco-friendly products you can design | T-shirts Long sleeved t-shirts |
| Available integrations | – |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Toronto, Canada |
| Ships to | Canada (Consult customer service for international orders) |
15. Shirtigo
Want to source your sustainable wear from Europe that’s not UK or France? Shirtigo is the next option after Shirtee. Their main site is in the German language so don’t confuse yourself, they have an English version too (link below).
Just like Tpop, Shirtigo has a good list of organic apparels including dresses, hoodies and t-shirts – for both adults and kids. They also offer organic eco-friendly headwear and bags! Not all these products are available for embroidery though.
Shirtigo allows customer’s personalization on some products and offers multiple branding services for your brand to stand out. This includes neck prints for organic apparels (€1.50) and using plastic-free shipping packaging for just €0.60 per piece.
| Eco-friendly products you can design | T-shirts Oversized t-shirts Dresses V-necks Tank tops Sweatshirts Hoodies Zipper jackets Kids t-shirts Kids hoodies Kids sweatshirts Baby t-shirts Baby hoodies Baby sweatshirts Apron Tote bags Shopping bags Gym bags Jogger pants Jogger shorts Snapback caps Baseball caps Beanies |
| Available integrations | Shopify WooCommerce Shopware PrestaShop eBay Etsy OrderDesk Amazon API |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Germany |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
16. HelloPrint
If you’re looking for eco friendly paper product options, HelloPrint is your best bet. It’s a Europe-based print on demand company that has a catalog that’s quite comparable to VistaPrint and Photobook.
When browsing their site, simply look at the top right corner of their header menu. You’ll find a tab named “Eco” that’s written in green – you can see it in the screenshot I’ve shared here.
There’s a few customization options you can make on HelloPrint when ordering any product (reason why I love it!). For eco paper products specifically, you will be able to choose recycled paper as your preferred material.
HelloPrint’s recycled paper options are made of 100% recycled materials and comes with warm undertones. Hence, they recommend that you avoid white color for your design as it will appear blank when printed.
Aside from the usual promotional paper products, HelloPrint also has a selection of eco friendly apparels, drinkware and accessories (list down below). Different products have different minimum ordering quantities but you’ll get to enjoy bulk discounts on most items!
| Eco-friendly products you can design | Business cards Flyers Banners Kraft labels Vouchers Bookmarks Envelopes Notebooks Pens Tote bags Tank tops T-shirts Long sleeved tops Desk accessories Drinkware |
| Available integrations | – |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Netherlands |
| Ships to | Worldwide |
17. Kin Custom
If you’re looking to design eco friendly tote bags as a start, Kin Custom is a good option for you. There’s bulk discounts for you to enjoy (from 3% and up to 15% for orders above $10,001).
Kin Custom’s tote bags are quite similar to the ones seen on Apliiq as they’re much larger than the usual tote bags – you can see a sample of a standard-sized tote bag I ordered here. The entire product is made of 100% certified organic cotton including the handles.
Although some items on Kin Custom are shipped from China, their organic market tote is printed in the USA so you can get your orders in 3-5 business days!
| Eco-friendly products you can design | Tote bags |
| Available integrations | Shopify Etsy Big Cartel Weebly Squarespace BigCommerce WooCommerce |
| Free to use? | FREE |
| Based in | Columbus, Ohio, USA |
| Ships to | Only these 36 countries |
39 Eco Friendly Print On Demand Products You Can Design
- T-shirts
- Longline t-shirts
- Baseball t-shirts
- Sweatshirts
- Tanktops
- Long sleeved t-shirts
- Hoodies
- Tie dye t-shirts
- Shorts
- Baby t-shirts
- Joggers
- Crop tops
- Jumpers
- Dresses
- Baby hoodies
- Kids t-shirts
- Beanies
- Baby sweatshirts
- Caps
- Bucket hats
- Baby bodysuits
- Candles
- Canvas prints
- Calendars
- Baby bibs
- Tote bags
- Shopping bags
- Gym bags
- Lunch bags
- Posters
- Wrapping paper
- Phone cases
- Art prints
- Photo tiles
- Aprons
- Bomber jackets
- Bikinis
- Tea towels
- Athletic wear
How To Start A Sustainable Print On Demand Business
Starting an eco-friendly print on demand business is relatively straightforward. All you need to do is follow exactly the steps I’ve explained below.
1. Choose a niche for your store
The first thing I recommend anyone doing is to decide on a niche for their designs. Before you sell a sustainable print on demand product, you’ll have to know what is printed onto them? I’ve listed some of the best-selling niches here (works for Etsy) but it’s really not exclusive to that.
What do you personally like?
2. Decide to sell on Etsy or Shopify website
If you’re a complete beginner in ecommerce and have no idea on how to run your own ads, selling on Etsy is a good stepping stone for you. Some people might complain about the fees, but it’s a fair platform to learn if you’re short on time and doing this as a side hustle.
If you’re up for some challenge and have extra funds, creating your own branded Shopify site can be rewarding as well. You’ll have to learn a couple more things including how to bring in traffic to your website.
Read: 13 best fulfillment with Etsy integration
3. Pick a fulfillment company that aligns with your goals
Most fulfillment companies offer integration to both Etsy and Shopify. So it doesn’t really matter which platform you’re going for, it’s settled. My advice is to sign up for one company in the beginning and grow as you go.
Faster learning, less headache, simpler cash management and not spoilt for choice (even if you have the chance). Choose from the list above!
4. Pick a product you want to sell
Each of the company I’ve listed above offers different products. But it’s pretty obvious that apparels are popular eco print on demand products to focus on.
If you decide not to go for apparels, Printify has the best alternatives.
5. Make designs based on recommended dimensions
Once you decide on a product to make, get details on their print area size and maximum resolution needed. These are best practices to give your customers the best product experience – example below for Printify’s organic canvas tote bags.
You’ll want to apply these settings in Canva or Photoshop before designing. If you’re outsourcing, provide these details to your designers. Super useful to download the design template (if available at individual product page) – very important!
6. Upload ready designs to products
Once your designs are ready and well-optimized for the product, export in JPG or PNG formats then upload them directly. It’s super straightforward, just ensure the designs are placed correctly on the products and in alignment.
What you see when uploading is what your customers will get – so do it right once!
7. Sync products to your store
Uploading the designs to products does not mean the products are readily available in your online store. You can save them to drafts or dashboard, to be synced to your stores at a later time.
The same product can be synced to multiple e-commerce platforms. Do it once you’re ready!
8. Price your products and start selling!
Naturally, you’ll have to price your products every time it is synced to one of your stores. You can always come back and change it but I recommend always starting with something higher – a margin of at least 40-50% from product cost (excludes shipping since it varies).
This way, you have more room to play around for fees, advertisement and paying yourself for the work you’ve put into. Stick to this rule and if all fails, test different prices by setting up discounts.
9. Create impressive product mockups
Whether you’re making eco-friendly tote bags, paper products or t-shirts, Placeit has professional mockups to offer. You can start with their free mockups as a beginner and get a better plan later once you progress – some can be found on Canva.
Most print on demand fulfillments provide nice adequate mockups but if you’re looking to impress your customers further, professional ones will do the trick. They provide a more realistic setting and allow your audience to have a better visual look of the product.
10. Repeat the process to build your product collection
I know it might sound counterintuitive at first for an eco-friendly printing business to have a wide range of products but hear me out. Increasing the number of designs and products you offer will increase your chances of making a sale, whether it’s on Etsy or your own website.
People are more inclined to flip every webpage you have instead of just looking at 1-2 products and if they fancied something, they might just checkout with three different products (or more!).
Plus, all these products are only made when there’s an order so you’re definitely living the sustainable lifestyle. You’re getting your voice heard by a wider audience who loves eco-friendly products. Nothing to worry about!
5 Things To Consider For Sustainable Print On Demand
With so many new emerging best practices in the sustainable industry, it can get hard to keep up with what eco-friendly means in this business. Perfection requires practice and the desire to seek greater knowledge.
I encourage you to read more on what it means to be eco-friendly and how to be more eco-friendly in today’s world. You’re changing the world with your awareness!
Here are few things I believe you should consider to give the best experience to your soon-to-be loyal Earth loving customers!
- Target audience – Think of the market you’re selling to, what would they like from their favorite eco-friendly business in both short and long term? What are their core principles in embracing sustainability?
- Product shelf life – It’s great to offer green print on demand products but not all last for the long term. Printify’s eco-friendly phone cases naturally biodegrade 160 days after disposal. Do some research and include these details in your product description.
- Pricing & affordability – Some eco-friendly products can cost more than a similar item that isn’t. Sticking to the 40-50% margin rule would mean a higher price for your customers which may deter them from purchasing. Alternatively, you can offer greater variety of cheaper eco-friendly products or get better at copywriting to persuade the purchase of more premium products.
- Packaging of products – Not all fulfillment companies deliver their products in a sustainable packaging (like this sample I gave for posters) and this may look bad on you. I know this can be a great concern for eco-friendly people like us – if so, get to know how your products are delivered!
- Ways to dispose – Educate your audience on best ways to dispose your products. They will appreciate the extra info.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Print on demand in itself is an eco-friendly concept as products are only printed once a purchase has been made, compared to fast fashion. However, not all print on demand products are eco-friendly and sustainable to mother nature. Eco-friendly products are made of organic materials and easily decomposable.
Sustainable print on demand t-shirts are easily made by uploading designs to eco-friendly t-shirts on Printify or Printful. Sign up to a fulfillment company, choose a print on demand organic cotton t-shirt and upload your file. You can place orders for yourself or sell them in an e-commerce store.
Bottom Line
There’s no one formula to succeed when it comes to building your eco-friendly print on demand business. Everything comes with trying your best and getting enough feedback to continuously improve on.
It’s definitely a growing segment all fulfillment companies are prioritizing so this might be the sign for you to finally start!
If you’re still confused with which eco-friendly POD products to go for, browse through my print on demand product guides. Some of these categories have great sustainable product options!
Here are 17 sustainable print on demand companies to design eco friendly products for your business:
- Printify
- Printful
- Gelato
- AOP+
- Prodigi
- Apliiq
- Tpop
- SPOD
- Shirtee
- Inkthreadable
- Two Fifteen
- Contrado
- Teemill
- T-shirt Elephant
- Shirtigo
- HelloPrint
- Kin Custom
Still looking for the perfect product? Check my guides – all the best tips included!
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Photo by cottonbro
