What is United By Blue?
United By Blue is an outdoor and lifestyle brand known for casual apparel, outerwear, bags, and everyday essentials. The brand has built its identity around environmental responsibility, especially through its promise to remove one pound of trash from oceans and waterways for every product sold.
At Eco-Stylist, this is a brand we know well. United By Blue was previously certified, which makes this update disappointing. This is not a brand that always fell short of our standards. But based on the current rating, it no longer shows the level of public accountability and performance we need to maintain certification.
That distinction matters. Sustainability is not a one-time achievement. Brands have to keep showing their work. When the public evidence no longer supports the rating a brand once earned, the score can fall.
We reached out to the brand several times to share its new score, offered help for free, and did not receive a response. As a result, we are revoking certification.
How Sustainable is United By Blue in 2026? Full Ethical & Environmental Rating
United By Blue’s new score is 37/100.
That puts the brand below the standard we require for certification. The rating is not driven by one weak area alone. Instead, it reflects a mixed picture: some meaningful strengths in transparency and sustainably made, but weaker performance in fair labor and DEI.
There is another concern too. Between our review of United By Blue and the writing of this article, several links on the brand’s manufacturing and materials pages stopped working, which suggests the public record is becoming less transparent, not more.
We kept the brand’s score the same because we do not yet know whether this is a temporary issue. However, if these pages remain inaccessible, the brand’s score would likely be lower because public transparency is a key part of our rating.
Here’s how the score breaks down:
Transparency: 9/14
Fair Labor: 5/33
Sustainably Made: 22/49
DEI: 1/4
Our Principles: 0
The clearest takeaway is that United By Blue still shows some positive signals, especially in transparency and sustainably made. But those strengths are not enough to offset the lack of public evidence in other core areas.
That is why this update matters. A brand can use better materials and still fall short of the broader standard for ethical and sustainable fashion. To maintain certification, we need to see stronger accountability across the full picture.
Is United By Blue transparent?
United By Blue scored 9/14 for transparency.
The brand provides detailed information on factory locations, including suppliers in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and India, and shares information about raw materials and suppliers. United By Blue also provides a robust Code of Conduct that restricts and assesses supplier subcontracting.
However, it is not clear what percentage of the supply chain is traced, and the brand does not engage manufacturing facilities beyond the final production stage to promote human rights and environmental sustainability. It is also worth noting that, at the time of publishing, some of the brand’s manufacturing and materials page links were reportedly not working properly, which raises an additional transparency concern if the issue is not resolved.
For those reasons, United By Blue received 9/14 in transparency.
Is United By Blue ethical?
United By Blue scored 5/33 for fair labor.
The brand’s stronger areas in this section include factory audits conducted by Quality Audit by ISO 9001, amfori BSCI, and SMETA, along with certifications including Fair Trade and WRAP. United By Blue is also B Corp certified and has a robust Code of Conduct that its factories are required to follow.
However, United By Blue does not show public evidence of worker voice programs, living wage commitments, or investments in programs that improve community-level well-being at its factories.
That does not automatically mean the brand is doing nothing behind the scenes. It means the proof is not there publicly. And if a brand wants credit for ethical labor practices, it has to show its work. That gap is a big reason United By Blue no longer meets our certification standard.
Is United By Blue sustainable?
United By Blue scored 22/49 for sustainably made.
United By Blue shows real strength in this section. The brand demonstrates an understanding of the relationship between social and environmental impacts, prioritizes significant supply chain issues, and makes efforts to reduce manufacturing and packaging waste. Its animal-sourced material suppliers also engage in animal welfare practices, and the brand is a Canopy member, showing a commitment to more responsible sourcing.
However, the company does not disclose greenhouse gas emissions data, water use, or a commitment to reducing toxic dyes and hazardous chemicals. While United By Blue shows real environmental, human rights, and waste reduction efforts, the public information is still not comprehensive enough to support a stronger overall rating.
DEI Rating
United By Blue scored 1/4 for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
That does not mean the brand is necessarily doing nothing internally. It means there is not enough public evidence to show meaningful leadership diversity or clear public commitments around inclusion in the workplace.
United By Blue does not publicly share enough information to support points for diverse leadership representation, but it does include non-discrimination language in its Code of Conduct across its supply chain. As with other parts of this review, the issue is not just what may exist behind the scenes. It is what the brand is willing to show publicly.
That matters because DEI should be part of how a company defines responsibility, not an afterthought. Right now, this is another area where the public record falls short.
Our 3 Principles
United By Blue received 0 points deducted in Our 3 Principles.
That is an important distinction. This is not a case where the brand lost additional points for obvious fast fashion behavior or a major values mismatch. The lower score comes from the rating itself, especially the gaps in fair labor, transparency, and DEI.
In other words, United By Blue was not pushed down by a penalty here. Its score fell because the public evidence no longer supports certification strongly enough across the core categories.
How do United By Blue’s sustainability efforts hold up?
United By Blue’s overall score is 37/100.
That is not enough to maintain certification. While the brand still shows real strengths in supply chain transparency, sustainable materials, audit practices, and certifications, those positives are outweighed by weaker labor practice disclosures, limited environmental impact reporting, and a lack of public DEI information.
To meet our standard, a brand has to show broader accountability. Right now, United By Blue is not providing enough public evidence to support the level of trust certification requires.
That is why the rating dropped and why certification is being revoked. We reached out several times, offered free support, and did not receive a response. If the brand re-engages and improves its transparency, that story could change.
Is United By Blue vegan?
United By Blue is not a vegan brand.
The brand uses wool, recycled wool, and recycled cashmere in some products, so it would not qualify as vegan. That said, many of its basics are made with plant-based materials like organic cotton, so some individual items may still be vegan-friendly depending on the fabric.
For shoppers looking specifically for vegan clothing, the safest approach is to check materials product by product rather than assuming the whole brand meets that standard.
Why Trust Our Ratings?
At Eco-Stylist, our ratings are based on public evidence, not marketing claims. We evaluate brands across transparency, fair labor, sustainably made practices, DEI, and our core principles. That helps us look at the full picture, not just one strong claim or one better material.
That matters here. United By Blue still shows some positive signals on materials and production, but the public evidence is not strong enough across the rest of the rating to maintain certification.
Our goal is not to punish brands. It is to help shoppers make informed choices and to hold brands to a consistent standard. When a brand improves, we want to see it. And when the public record no longer supports certification, we need to say that clearly.
Ethical Alternatives to United By Blue
If you like United By Blue for casual outdoor style, everyday basics, and a sustainability-minded brand story, there are better options in Eco-Stylist’s certified brand directory.
1) Outerknown
Outerknown is one of the best alternatives for shoppers who want easy, everyday clothing with a laid-back outdoor feel. Eco-Stylist highlights the brand for eco-friendly and ethically made apparel including jeans, shirts, sweaters, and more, making it a strong fit for readers who like United By Blue’s mix of casual style and sustainability messaging.
2) Toad&Co
Toad&Co is another strong swap for United By Blue fans. Eco-Stylist describes it as a leader in fun casual clothing, making it a natural choice for shoppers looking for relaxed, outdoor-inspired pieces with a stronger sustainability record.
3) tentree
tentree is a great fit for shoppers who liked United By Blue’s environmental mission and casual outdoor feel. The brand is known for using eco-friendly materials like organic cotton and hemp, along with vegan products and more sustainable packaging. That makes it a strong alternative for readers who want everyday clothing with a more nature-focused identity.
More Sustainable Alternatives to United By Blue
The good news is that there are better options for shoppers who want casual, versatile clothing with a stronger ethical foundation. Eco-Stylist’s current certified directory includes brands like Outerknown, Toad&Co, and tentree, each offering a mix of everyday wear and stronger public accountability than United By Blue’s current rating reflects.
That means you do not have to give up comfort or casual style to find a better brand. If you like United By Blue for laid-back essentials and outdoor-inspired basics, there are certified alternatives that better back up their claims.
