As a sustainable Asian-founded business (our co-founder is Thai!), we understand the importance of highlighting other eco-friendly brands. In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we’d like to showcase 8 AAPI-owned businesses you should support!

 

Image by Blueland via blueland.com

1. Home: Blueland

Co-founded by CEO Sarah Paiji Yoo, Blueland aims to reduce plastic consumption by creating cleaning products that you can refill and reuse. They offer kits and soap tablet packs for several areas in your home. All you have to do is drop a tablet mixed with water in their Forever Bottles and start cleaning! Blueland is also B-Corp certified and offers carbon-neutral shipping.

 

Image by yoyokulala via yoyokulala.com

2. Fashion: Petite Studio NYC

With the goal of slow fashion in mind, Petite Studio NYC was created for petite women who want to invest in long-lasting pieces. Co-founded by Jenny Wang and her husband, this fashion brand focuses on quality garment production with small batches of stock to reduce the amount of materials they use and cut down on excess inventory.

 

Image by A Good Used Book via agoodusedbook.com

3. Books: A Good Used Book

There’s something about a used book — the idea that it’s passed through different hands and the worn pages possibly filled with annotations or highlights makes it a little more special. And getting books secondhand is more sustainable than buying them new. A Good Used Book is an Asian-founded online bookstore with a variety of used books that are curated weekly and carefully cleaned before selling.

 

Image by My Subscription Addiction via mysubscriptionaddiction.com

4. Beverages: Nguyen Coffee Supply

When Sahra Nguyen was exploring coffee concepts around New York and in other areas of the world, she noticed how Vietnamese coffee was misrepresented. By creating Nguyen Coffee Supply, Nguyen directly works with Vietnamese farmers who grow organic robusta coffee beans that are imported and roasted in Brooklyn. With a variety of flavors to choose from and phin filters, coffee enthusiasts can try their hand at making and enjoying authentic Vietnamese coffee.

 

image by Cup of Jo via cupofjo.com

5. Kitchen: Our Place

Cooking from home has many benefits — from being able to consume healthier meals to saving money, investing in quality cookware can improve your kitchen experience. Co-founded by Shiza Shahib, Our Place is focused on home cooking to bring people together while including sustainable practices. Partially made from recycled materials, their products are meant to replace several pieces of traditional cookware. In addition, their packaging is plastic-free, recyclable, and biodegradable.

 

Image by Onekea Bros via IG @onekeabros

6. Home: Onekea Bros. General Store

Kawehi Onekea, a lifelong resident of Kaimuki, Hawaii, creates products for the home with the goal of being reusable and zero waste. Her products are also locally sourced from Hawaii and they repurpose vendor packaging to ship out items to customers.

 

Image by Lu France Interiors via IG @lufranceinteriors

7. Home: Lu France Interiors

Handmade and ethically sourced, Lu France Interiors is a Filipina-owned business with curated home decor for intentional design. France Malvar, founder and natural dye artist, runs Lu France Interiors on her own, along with collaborating and partnering with artisans around the world.

 

Image by Pūko’a Studios via IG @pukoastudios

8. Jewelry: Pūko’a Studios

Pūko’a Studios is a small, family-run Kapa jewelry business with a mission to authentically perpetuate the Hawaiian culture through traditional materials and practices. Founded by a hapa-Native Hawaiian artist, Page Chang is dedicated to caring for the earth, honoring ancestral knowledge, and educating others. Her products prioritize sustainable native materials that are natural, organic, and locally sourced. They also make sure their sourcing is ethical and environmentally responsible.  

 

Let us know in the comments what your favorite AAPI-owned brand is!