Organic Baby!

I love it when our customers send us pictures!

This is Kari Parks who we met in Washington in March, 2009 when we did the Seattle Green Fest show. She's standing in front of her garden, eagerly anticipating her bundle of joy.

I'm so happy she will be putting a Recycle Me infant tee on her baby because it is free of toxic chemicals, with all the qualities we love about cotton.

It is truly important to us that we provide customers with clothing they can feel good about putting on themselves and their loved ones. We want to keep the chemicals out of the environment and off of our bodies. We are all precious and deserve to have clothing without chemicals, heavy metals, and plastics in it!

Please send pictures, comments, suggestions to alix@recyclemeorganictees.com.

Organic Cotton Production is Growing!

The world is growing more organic cotton. That's great news and that is one of our most important goals at RECYCLE ME: to increase the production of organic cotton through consumer purchasing power.

The most current statistics show that for 2007-2008 organic cotton growth increased 152 percent. And while this number may reflect better reporting, there can be no doubt it's increasing.

Organic Cotton is grown in 22 countries, including India, Turkey, Syria, China, Tanzania, and the United States. The U.S. produced approximately 2.1 percent of Organic Cotton (OC) grown in 2007. And the U.S. projects a 29 percent increase for the following year. India now produces the most OC, increasing it's production by 292 percent.

Organic cotton uses half the amount of water as conventional cotton, and is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world and uses 25% of the worlds insecticides. This intensive chemical use is not only terrible for the environment but for all the workers involved in production. The World Health Organization estimates that over 20,000 cotton workers die annualy from exposure.

It is important to support your Organic Cotton farmer's, their workers, your environment, and yourself. Look for and ask for Organic Cotton products wherever you shop.

Organic Cotton Wardrobe. What would you choose?

If there was one part of your wardrobe that had to be organic cotton, what would it be?

I've been thinking about this a lot. Of course I own an organic cotton clothing company. I have plans to expand in the future and so I've been wondering what piece of clothing do people really want in organic cotton?



I was thinking of it like organic food. Some people, a lot of people, make choices about what they are willing to buy organic because it is usually more expensive. The Environmental Working Group came out with a great list on how much pesticides are retained in vegetables and fruits making it easier for consumers to make that choice. If you can't buy everything organic, at least get the berries organic.

But how does that translate into clothing? I have my own ideas for what would be a good choice, but I can't judge what consumers will buy on my own personal ideas.

So I'm asking you to help me out. I want to change the demand for organic cotton from it's meager one percent to much much more! To do that I need to know what is important to the consumer. Please leave me your comments here or on facebook or twitter. I appreciate it!

Illinois Renewable Energy Fair

Recycle Me joined dozens of other green businesses and non-profit organizations last weekend at the 8th Annual Illinois Renewable Energy Fair in Oregon, IL.

Here are some higlights of the vendors that were at the fair.

Oregon Soap Shoppe. Everyone had to stop at this table, it just smelled so good! Hand made soaps, crafted right in Illinois. Good for you, good for the workers, good for the economy, something to definitely check out for yourself or for a gift. And the owners had a fun contest. Any kid who sang or told a joke could get a little prize. Really nice people.

Cobra Head Gardening Tools. I met the owners and creators of Cobrahead gardening tools last October. I loved their story and how they came to have their tools made right in Wisconsin where they live! This time I treated myself to one of their Cobraheads and I'm excited to get into the garden and check it out.

The Designer Comb. It was great to see the this company again. I bought four combs from them on Earth Day this year and I love them (one was a gift). They are beautifully hand made by women in South Africa, fair trade, and great quality. I am known for being hard on things which is why I am always looking for well made products as I want them to last. You can sleep with this comb in your hair, and sitting is no problem (I know many people who where clips but have a hard time driving with them because you can't sit back properly). Well worth it. I will be buying more for gifts and for myself.

Solar Cone. This is what I want for Christmas! I've been struggling with how I want to compost in my yard since we moved into our house 3 years ago. I finally have the answer, well, at least one answer. This cone is solar powered and will take in more scraps than you typically find in a compost pile, although it won't take yard waste. You dig it into the ground and just dump your food. The waste is heated up and soaked into the ground filling your earth with nutrients. Best to install in the spring. Check it out.

Inn Serendipity B & B. The table next to us was the Inn Serendipity B & B. The have a sustainable bed and breakfast growing 70% of the food needed to run the inn right on their property! They do lots of cool stuff to click to find out more about them.

Trust for Natural Legacies. This is something I've been interested in forever, natural and green burials. Many states now have similar trusts or organizations. It's a movement that is long overdue.

So what about the renewable energy? I didn't get over to that section of the fair as I was tied to the table most of the time. But you can find out more information at the Illinois Renewable Energy Association website.