Low-quality materials hit the planet below the belt. Fortunately, sustainable belts can hold up the environment, social causes, and your jeans.
And these brands and their sustainable accessories we’ve rounded up do exactly that. By using high-quality low-impact materials, ethical labor and transparent supply chains they help put an end to fast fashion and keep you looking sharp.
Soon we’ll be adding a few more eco-friendly notches using our new Brand Rating System. We’ll assess belt brands (and all other brands) against a range of criteria (think: climate impact, product longevity and animal welfare policies) that you read all about here.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
Ethical Belts Holding Up More Than Your Just Your Jeans
Patagonia checks all the boxes with their belts that utilize 100% recycled nylon to create flexible belts perfect for travel and active use.
While Nisolo use only Leather Working Group-certified cow leather that’s sourced as a byproduct and tanned using lower-impact methods. We’ve found the leather to be of high quality, and it’s held up impressively well after a year of regular wear.
Index: Eco-Friendly Belts
- Matt & Nat Jump to brand
- Patagonia Jump to brand
- Nisolo Jump to brand
- Elvis & Kresse Jump to brand
- NAE Jump to brand
- Unbelts Jump to brand
- ASKET Jump to brand
Matt & Nat
About Matt & Nat
Price Range: $35–$50
Though a well-known PETA-approved brand, Matt & Nat can outfit you in boots and belts alike. They primarily cater to women, but you will find some unisex styles.
Their chic yet classic belt range offers an edgy twist, like zipper detailing or a statement buckle, as seen in the Path Belt.
Matt & Nat’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Matt & Nat’s most sustainable belts are those in the Purity line, their first line to replace PVC vegan leather with a PVB (polyvinyl butyral) leather made from 100% recycled windshield glass resin and PU.
We suggest avoiding the rest of the belts made from PVC leather, until Matt & Nat fully replaces it with PVB and other innovative vegan fabrics, like fruit skin fibers—so let’s hope for a banana-skin belt in the future.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Matt & Natt employs local ethical managers, and the CEO visits each factory 2-3 times per year, as well as being audited twice yearly. One of their factories operates using the SA8000 standard, and Matt & Nat hopes to employ this standard across their entire supply chain.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
While Matt & Nat have made progress with the Purity line, we would love to see more material innovation.
Patagonia
About Patagonia
Price Range: $29–$39
A top-tier sustainable outdoor clothing brand, it only makes sense that Patagonia’s belts are engineered for active and outdoor use. Made of burly, high-denier nylon, these belts are designed to hold up (your pants) for years. Despite their durability, they’re super flexible and easy to roll up, making them idealfor travel.
Did we mention they’re flexible in aesthetics too? Available in classic black and brown alongside multicolored designs, you could wear your workout belt to actual work and no one would be the wiser.
Patagonia’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All three styles—which differ slightly in buckle design and width—feature the same 100% recycled nylon webbing body. The buckles are made of anodized, anti-corrosive aluminum, cleverly shaped so that it doubles as a bottle opener.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Patagonia is a core member of the Fair Labor Association (FLA) through which customers can know exactly where each of their products are made on the product page. The belts, for instance, are made in one of three factories in Vietnam and are Fair Trade Certified sewn, along with 86% of their overall line.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Patagonia’s recycled belts aren’t a one-off product. They join 94% of Patagonia products utilizing recycled plastic and other recycled materials. So far, they’ve transformed 900 tons of plastic into something new. Continuing the recycling chain, they buy back any old Patagonia pieces to either be recycled into new garments or resold via Worn Wear.
Products come with a lifetime repair or replacement guarantee (and we can say from experience they mean it—no disqualifying fine print), and the brand is spearing the regenerative agriculture certification movement.
Inclusivity:
While they fall under the men’s category on Patagonia’s website, they’re completely unisex and, at 46.5″ long, fit waists up to 42″.
Nisolo
About Nisolo
Price Range: $60–$70
From women’s flats to eco-friendly woven belts, there isn’t a part of the body that Nisolo can’t accessorize. The Nashville-based brand uses guiding ethical principles to create timeless pieces that will forever have a place in your minimalist wardrobe.
For the waist, that means a simple selection of smooth leather or woven textured belts in equally classic black and brown tones. You’ll find identical styles on their line of men’s belts designed to better fit men’s waistlines.
Nisolo’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Their leather belts (along with 95% of their line) are LWG certified, meaning their tanneries are evaluated for traceability, environmental impact, health, safety, and energy.
One hundred percent of Nisolo’s leather is a byproduct of the cattle meat industry, though they’re investigating non-animal leather offerings for the future.
Supply chain & labor practices:
A Certified B Corp, Nisolo’s Tier 1 factories are committed to their Code of Conduct, ensuring “100% living wages”, ethical working conditions, and equal treatment—and by founding the Lowest Wage Challenge, they’re encouraging other fashion brands to do the same.
All of their factories (in the USA, Peru, Mexico, and Kenya) provide benefits like healthcare, paid time off, and financial bonuses. Many locations also offer professional development training and opportunities for continued education.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
As part of their 0% Net Carbon commitment, this Climate Neutral Certified brand measures (and publishes) the emissions generated by each sector of business, before offsetting them completely through verified conservation projects.
Leather isn’t the most sustainable material, but this repairable shoe brand ensures its durability of all its accessories by providing leather cleaning kits and education on maintenance. They’re in the process of creating a Resale program and Repair strategy.
My Personal Review of Nisolo’s Belts:
“Who doesn’t need a classic leather belt that matches any outfit? Okay, maybe it’s just me because I have very athletic legs and a tiny waist, which clothing manufacturers don’t make pants to fit, meaning I need to buy everything a size too big at the waist. As much as I hate HAVING to wear a belt with literally all my pants, Nisolo’s minimalist chic belt has certainly simplified the process, as it goes with any outfit, so I don’t need to waste (or rather, waist, in this case) time matching. The leather is very high quality and has held up super well to a year plus of frequent use.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Elvis & Kresse
About Elvis & Kresse
Price Range: $43–$97
Elvis & Kresse’s innovative product line echoes the King’s words: “Do something worth remembering.” Through traditional craftsmanship and ingenious designs, they create belts, wallets, handbags, and other low-impact pieces for both men and women.
Elvis & Kresse’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Elvis & Kresse has elevated ethical belts made from innovative materials, like fire hoses, printing blankets, and recycled leather. The Big Yellow Belt is constructed from retired fire hoses after 25 years of service in the London Fire Brigade. The material softens over time while retaining strength and durability. Other items, like the Fire & Hide Belt, are constructed with high-quality leather scraps from the Burberry Foundation.
Supply chain & labor practices:
As a UK Certified B Corp and Living Wage Foundation member, the brand ensures fair wages and does not tolerate unfair treatment of their workers in either their local Kent or Istanbul workshops.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Everything this sustainable wallet and accessories brand does is reclaimed, including packaging made from tea sacks, tea bag paper, and recycled shoe boxes. They manufacture goods using renewable energy, and all of their items are backed with a lifetime repair guarantee.
Community & charitable giving:
Elvis & Kresse donates 50% of profits to charities like The Fire Fighters Charity and The Costa Foundation. 50% of profits from the Fire & Hide Collection go to Barefoot College, an organization dedicated to training female solar engineers, entrepreneurs, and educators.
NAE
About NAE
Price Range: $38–$75
NAE has a simple guiding principle: “No Animal Exploitation.” Their product line of vegan shoes, belts, bags, wallets and other accessories is 100% vegan and PETA-approved.
You’d never guess, considering the real, full grain leather look mimicked by the vegan materials in their Vegan Belt. All the classic style with none of the cruelty.
NAE’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
NAE belts that mimic various leather textures using a mix of microfibers, including cotton (though we’re not sure if it’s organic cotton), polyester, and usually recycled nylon. Whether you pick a braided style or one of their microfiber suede styles, rest assured knowing its OEKO-TEX certification promises a hypoallergenic, toxin-free tightening.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Protected by Europe’s stringent ethical standards, NAE ensures their four factories in Portugal and two in Spain follow strict Hygiene, Health, and Safety Protocols and their Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
This vegan store creates all pieces using a carbon-neutral and water and chemical conserving manufacturing methods
Unbelts
About Unbelts
Price Range: $59–$135
Unbelts puts workers first, with dedication to dignified working conditions, quality jobs, living wages, and fair treatment. Items like the Intrepid Belt are stretchy, comfortable, and made from entirely recycled materials.
They also come with a Lifetime Guarantee for free repairs and replacements and come in unisex sizes and styles.
Unbelts’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Unbelts makes the only kind of acceptable plastic belts—the recycled kind. Theirs are made from recycled polyester and elastic from recycled water bottles.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All products include information on where it was made, usually in their Edmonton, Alberta studio. For those made in other partner factories, Unbelts ensures their partners provide all employees living wages and safe working conditions. Their component partners receive annual audits and twice-annual visits.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Unbelt extends its pieces’ lifetimes by providing free repairs and replacements for life. They also plan to re-introduce their belt buyback program and secondhand Unbelt marketplace.
ASKET
About ASKET
Price Range: $80
ASKET is one of the few men-only sustainable brands, offering a range of items from underwear to overcoats. Their collection of eco-friendly men’s dress belts are handcrafted and you can see all the specs right down to where it was manufactured.
ASKET’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their mens vegan belts are made from soft and durable Italian-made elastic from cotton/viscose/natural rubber blends. Some, like the Braided ASKET belt, also include\ bio-leather trim from 75% bio-based polyurethane and 25% viscose.
Supply chain & labor practices:
They publish a list of all suppliers and manufacturers, which are regularly visited and WRAP, SA8000, OEKO-TEX, and/or GOTS-certified.
Each ASKET product includes an Impact Receipt, displaying the cost, traceability, CO2 emissions, and where it was processed, sewed, laundered, dyed, and milled. Belts are cut and braided in an artisanal studio in Florence, Italy.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
For shipping, ASKET avoids air transport, uses reusable materials, and has a proprietary tool to help customers find the right pieces to reduce returns. They also provide repair and recycling programs, alongside selling garment care kits—only adding to the longevity of these already durable men’s belts.
Reducing their carbon footprint doesn’t stop at company operations, either. ASKET employees receive five additional vacation days if they travel by train instead of plane.
