Rather than start an environmental group to clean up polluted water, scuba-diving aficionado Brian Linton started an apparel brand, United by Blue. For every product it sells, the company promises it will remove one pound of trash from waterways during cleanups it organizes. United by Blue’s measurable approach—it has removed more than 120,000 pounds since it launched in 2010—helps explain why it can charge $34 per T-shirt online and at retailers like Nordstrom (JWN). It also explains why Subaru and Sperry Top-Sider partnered with United by Blue to make co-branded apparel lines earlier this year. “[They] can position themselves in a much bigger way than they would be able to if they were simply donating to a nonprofit,” says Linton. “They [have] a great story to tell their consumers.”—NL

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