Ethical Products at Target to Watch Out For

As I was running errands at Target one weekend, I recognized something exciting! The big-box retailer, which recently announced ambitious climate goals, has expanded its selection of sustainable products. Since these products are not easy to spot, I put together a handy collection of ethical products to look out for at Target. And the best part is these items are all very affordable!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

In this post, I focus mainly on Home & Fashion items from Target. You can also watch a summary on my Instagram reel HERE.

Home: Nest Certified Ethically Handmade Baskets

Out of all the certifications I researched, this one was most new to me. Nonetheless, I am excited Target has expanded its assortment of ethical products to include home decor. For those not familiar, Nest is an ethical handcraft program. Its purpose is to apply similar Fair Trade standards to small artisan businesses around the world, specifically to hand-woven products.

If you search for ‘nest handcraft basket’ on Target, you will find a bunch of great options. Here are some that I’ve been eyeing as good storage and decor pieces.

Home: Goodweave Certified Rugs

Goodweave is an organization that fights child labor in the handwoven goods industry by supporting local artisans. One way is through funding education for at-risk children in India, lowering their risk of entering forced labor. Rugs with this certification must meet strict manufacturing standards.

I did not find this tag easily in the store, but rather, learned about it through online research. As a tip, I would suggest searching for goodweave on Target.com first and seeing which styles are available at your local store. For items that are Goodweave certified, you will find a tag that looks like this (left), as well as the following symbol on their site (right):

I am sharing my round-up of some cute, Goodweave certified accent rugs I found at Target below:

Goodweave Certified Rugs at Target: Style 1| 2 | 3 | 4

Home: OEKO-Tex Certified Bedding & Linens

Out of all the certifications I found at Target, I was most impressed by their selection of ‘Standard 100 by OEKO-Tex‘ products. If you check out the linens and bedding section, pretty much all of their private labels have this label: Room Essentials, Threshold, Casaluna (one of their higher-quality brands), Opal House.

What does the ‘Standard 100’ label mean?

It is one of the most well-known certifications that screens materials for hazardous substances, using unbiased third-party testing laboratories. Under this stringent program, everything gets tested including dyes, fabrics, and trims. To my delight, this label can be found on a huge range of products. Bath towels, wash cloths, blankets, and more.

Here are a carousel of products that are Standard 100 certified, including a few home basics I use often:

Not to be confused with OEKO-Tex’s Standard 100, you will also see some products with their ‘Made in Green‘ label. I did not get to take store pics on these, but did research into their differences. In short, ‘Made in Green’ products are also Standard 100 certified. The bonus is that these products are also confirmed to be made under socially responsible conditions.

Home: GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) Certified Linens

GOTS is one of the most well-known textile standards for organic fibers, that accounts for both social and environmental footprint. Most commonly, I have seen this label on organic (usually cotton) clothing outside of Target. While I hope Target will carry more GOTS-certified clothes in the future, I did notice a few Casaluna towels with this certification:

Fashion: Sustainable, Inclusive Activewear Brand ‘All in Motion’

One area I would love to see more ethical product in is fashion. However, Target is taking visible steps forward. Recently launched brand All in Motion provides size-inclusive and affordable activewear pieces. Some are made from recycled materials. While I don’t think having recycled materials automatically makes a piece of clothing ‘sustainable’ (see my earlier post: Is recycled polyester really good for the environment?), it is a good start.

Rather than breaking down all of the certifications I found through this brand, I thought I would list them in bulk. Feel free to dig deeper into these if you are interested:

• Fair Trade: I am sure you are familiar with this term already. The well-known seal enforces strict environmental and wage standards to protect the people and resources that make our goods.
• Responsible Down Standard: Ensures that down and feathers were not taken from animals subjected to harm (e.g. live plucking)
• Recycled Polyester: Not a certification, but just a ‘sustainability’ call-out

*All products share at least one of the claims I presented above

Please note that my list may not be conclusive, as I only focused on Home & Fashion products. However, I am hoping to update with new products as I see them in stores. While these items don’t feel like much, it means a lot to see big stores like Target care about people and the planet.

A destination for budget shopping, Target is showing consumers that sustainability does not have to be expensive. In fact, much of it comes down to our everyday choices that collectively add up to big impact.

Next time you go shopping, let me know if you find (and love) any of these ethical products at Target. For a full list of Target’s sustainability certifications, please visit their website here.

Thanks for reading!