You do your dance around the recycling bins-figuring out what counts as plastic, what is compostable and what is plain rubbish. You offset your carbon footprint by hoofing it to work. You purchase eco-friendly cleaning products and scour your cosmetics bottles so that they can be recycled. You are an eco-warrior. But sometimes the daily battle just doesn't feel like enough.

A number of designers and companies go beyond the standards of environmental sustainability to find creative ways to make their products earth-friendly. Here are just a few Nordstrom brands preserving the planet with their innovative practices. We are proud to support their ingenious efforts to keep it clean.

Melissa Joy Manning jewelry

Not only does the artisan jeweler look to nature to inspire her earthy, handcrafted creations, but Manning's California studio is Green Certified. Her methods, too, include using recycled silver and gold sourced with the highest environmental standards. The stones on her jewelry are often upcycled from antique charms or made from alternative composites like refined ore from Michigan auto plants or raspberry nickel from former U.S. zipper factories. All the diamonds in her collection are conflict-free. Other stones are sourced using environmentally and socially responsible practices as well.

United By Blue clothing

For each of their comfortable and durable products sold, Philadelphia company United By Blue personally removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways around the world, starting in North America. Their organized cleanups have lifted 264,969 pounds of refuse from lakes, streams, rivers and beaches in 23 states. It's a grassroots effort, one that involves the community and the company working together to improve local spaces. Additionally, they strive to make all of their clothing using responsible and sustainable practices. You'll find shirts made from soft organic cotton and board shorts incorporating recycled polyester in their quick-dry fabrication. Not only does wearing their laid-back clothes feel good, but you should feel good about it.

Using cutting-edge vegetable-based technologies, Zeal Optics is transforming the eyewear game. Their Z-Resin frames are made with a derivative from the castor bean. Other frame constructions include M49, a cotton/wood pulp combination that is completely biodegradable after 18 months left underground or under water. Even the lenses on Zeal Optic sunglasses are revolutionary: their e-llume™ lens is also plant-based, eliminating the use of petroleum that is common in other eyeglass manufacturing. To top it off, these fabrication modifications have actually improved the functionality of the shades-the natural materials improve their durability, and the polarized lenses better combat harmful rays and glare while enhancing color contrast.

Cool as they look, these bags are incredibly geeky when it comes to rigorous environmental practices. The Matt & Nat in the company's name aren't people's names, but a play on the brand's dedication to materials that are natural. Using faux leather and recycled fabrications (including recycled bottles and bicycle tires), inside and out, Matt & Nat has been evolving its production with concern for the planet and its inhabitants, both human and animal, since 1995. Each season's styles introduce new palettes, making these well-constructed bags modern but enduring.

Most yoga mats are made using PVC, a product that emits harmful gases during manufacturing. Manduka works for zero waste and emissions-free production with mats made from recycled materials or biodegradable, non-Amazon-harvested tree rubber, providing a cushioned, grippy surface for you to practice your poses, yet leave a very small footprint.

-Britt Olson