Spotlight on an Eco Friendly Shipping Resource Business - EcoEnclose

EcoEnclose is a sustainable and eco-friendly shipping supplies resource. Among other items, they carry boxes, mailers, bags, fill, and shipping tape. These items aren't just made in a sustainable way - many are biodegradable and compostable. Customers are able to personalize the boxes or mailers with their business logo or designs. Customers can also order samples before they buy. Here are two samples of their offerings:

 






My friends at EcoEnclose have a vision to keep sustainable businesses eco-friendly in all aspects. I am sure that you can see the irony in purchasing a sustainable item that is given to you in a container made from virgin trees or petroleum.

I just can't say enough about Erin and Dave Kimmett, the owners of EcoEnclose. Amazing company, amazing people. They will always treat you with respect, and know how to take care of their customers. They are committed to the environment, and have a passion for what they do. Kudos to them for all of their hard work to make this resource a reality! Oh, and did I mention that they source and manufacture almost everything in the USA?!

Now, I know that this company is not a clothing resource, but it is a resource for those companies that sell sustainable clothing. If you purchase sustainable clothing and their shipping containers are not eco-friendly, please share the EcoEnclose link with them and urge them to make the switch!

You can visit them on the following social media sites:
http://www.pinterest.com/ecoenclose/
http://ecoenclose.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/ecoenclose
https://www.facebook.com/ecoenclose

Photos courtesy of EcoEnclose

The Case for Organic Cotton by Green America

GREEN AMERICA is a wonderful resource for eco-friendly and sustainable living. Their National Green Pages are filled with sustainable businesses which have to meet certain qualifications to be listed. The Green American has many useful articles on eco-friendly living, and today I would like to share an excerpt from their article The Case for Organic Cotton with you:

"Conventional cotton farming is one of the most environmentally destructive agricultural practices—harming the air, water, soil, and farmers’ health and safety. The blame for that harm lies mainly with the huge amounts of pesticides used in conventional cotton farming. Although cotton occupies three percent of the world’s farmland, it uses more than ten percent of the pesticides, a category that includes herbicides, insecticides, and defoliants."

You can read the complete article at: http://www.greenamerica.org/livinggreen/organiccotton.cfm
You can find sustainable and eco-friendly businesses in their National Green Pages: http://www.greenpages.org/

Sustainable living starts with awareness. It is very important for me to know not only if the item I am purchasing is organic, but how and where the raw materials are grown, how they are manufactured, and how and where they are finished. Using a guide such as the National Green Pages helps to make the eco-wise purchasing decisions without having to do all of the time consuming research yourself.

Spotlight on Pashen

While surfing the web for sustainable clothing resources, I came across the site Eco Fashion World, and in turn its owner and editor Magaly Fuentes-Sagan. This woman’s accomplishments and sustainable vision are inspiring, and I would like to spotlight her women’s clothing company Pashen.

Pashen is an online women's ethical clothing boutique. “The Pashen collection is a womens' clothing and accessories brand created as an homage to art, craftsmanship, culture, sustainability and ethics in fashion.”

Ethics in fashion - that is a very important yet often overlooked aspect of sustainable clothing. It is not just about the materials. It is also about the aspects of how, where, and by whom it is made; as well as how long the item is going to last. I think that Magaly has overcome a large hurdle in the fashion industry of finding and enlisting artisans to make beautiful handmade items to bring to the market. These handmade items are not only sustainable and fair trade, but quality items you can enjoy for many seasons.

Pashen is a true beacon of light in the fashion industry, and I hope that you will visit their website to see what they have to offer! I absolutely love the Heart Strings Alpaca Wool Shawl below - what a beautiful way to be sustainable!

Images courtesy of Pashen

Images by Becky Prada of Secret Garden Photography

Like what you see? You can follow Pashen on the following social media sites:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pashencollection
Blog: https://www.pashencollection.com/blog/
Twitter: @followpashen
Instagram: http://instagram.com/pashencollection