Reusable Bags News

I’d like to welcome the innovators at Rishi Tea to our eco community. They produce only authentic loose leaf teas straight from tea gardens across Asia using ancient artisanal practices, organic cultivation methods and fair trade practices. It began in 1997 by a man named Joshua Kaiser, a long time traveler and student of asian tea-making techniques and the 1000′s of years of history behind tea-making in the far east. He had a vision to bring this unique taste to North America.

Each year Rishi Tea travels thousands of miles to find the points of origin where the tea leaves are harvested creating personal bonds with the families who have been cultivating the leafs for generations and setting up relationships that benefit the tea farmers and helps them sustain their industry and ancient techniques. Here’s Rishi’s dedication to sustainable organic manufacturing of their teas…

Rishi Tea’s commitment to sustainability is a core company philosophy that stems from the organic tea gardens where our teas are harvested. Our firsthand experience in many tea-growing regions led to our heightened awareness of the dire need for social responsibility. Rishi Tea was among the first to earn organic certification under the USDA’s Natural Organic Program in November of 2002 and at the forefront in the advancement of Fair Trade Certified tea, becoming one of the highest payers of social premiums from the sale of Fair Trade tea. The TransFair USA Fair Trade Certified projects with which Rishi partners directly support a better life for the tea-farming families and their communities through fair prices, fair wages, safe working conditions, environmental sustainability, education and community development.

Visit Rishi Tea and browse all of their different unique flavors and blends. You will notice a distinct difference in flavor and quality when you taste the true origin of loose leaf tea from asian tea gardens.

I’m honored to add Solar Richard to our eco community. He is an innovator in the field of solar energy whom is running many projects across the world to implement energies from the sun for building efficient houses to helping third world countries sustain electricity. He has actually stood on the North Pacific Gyre and witnessed first hand the extent of the repercussions on the waste society is creating.

SolarRichard is Tacoma Washington, USA’s own answer to how to make solar energy work in homes and offices, even in the Pacific Northwet, where, “We don’t Tan, we Rust.”  As the name implies, SolaRichard has devoted a good chunk of his adult life (over 30 years) to solar energy.  He has been speaking and teaching on the subject for some time. He was honored at the 50th Annual Solar World Conference in Orlando, Florida, USA at “2005 Solar World Congress” as a Solar Pioneer with more than 25+ years in the solar industry. See his Summer Solstice party.

Most recently, he spoke on Solar Energy and LED Lighting at “Solar Nigeria 2007″ in Abuja, Nigeria, Africa.  He is now working on a plan to electrify rural Nigerian villages with solar energy and bring them LED lighting. He offered to build a solar production plant using materials from Nigeria and allow Nigeria to become a World player in the photovoltaic market.

He is a font of solar ideas.  You can see his idea for using solar LED light to illuminate the Tacoma Narrows Bridge at www.NarrowsBridgeLights.org .  He has been published in Solar Today, REfocus, the Kiplinger Report, Mother Earth News, and interviewed by several TV stations, radio and newspapers.  Locally, he is working with students at Bellarmine High School on solar projects that have won 1st place at the INTEL Science Competition for Solar Engineering these past four years.

He is a font of solar ideas.  You can see his idea for using solar LED light to illuminate the Tacoma Narrows Bridge at www.NarrowsBridgeLights.org .  He has been published in Solar Today, REfocus, the Kiplinger Report, Mother Earth News, and interviewed by several TV stations, radio and newspapers.  Locally, he is working with students at Bellarmine High School on solar projects that have won 1st place at the INTEL Science Competition for Solar Engineering these past four years.

And, as one might expect, he was the first in Tacoma to have a solar tracking grid-tie that allows his electric meter to go backwards.  He uses a photovoltaic solar tracking system so that his solar array is always facing the Sun at the optimal angle for peak efficiency.  He has number of solar demonstration projects, including a 1.8KW remote solar power system in his Chevy Suburban to solar power Al Gore’s movie, “An Inconvenient Truth” at local libraries and schools. He also has a solar electric scooter, solar massage chair, solar attic fan, solar LED security lights, solar Stereo/CD and more.  He will be using his solar know how to power the PA system for the Daffodil Parade and provide solar power for the Jazz & Blues Music Festival later that afternoon.

This is just a small subset of Richard’s breakthroughs in utilizing solar energy on a mass scale. Keep up the good work, you are setting the table for our sustainable future Richard!

I’d like to welcome Theresa with five ACCESSORIES to our eco community. They have a unique approach that mirrors our own by fully supporting the countries where their bags and other accessories are manufactured. Here’s what Theresa has to say about their approach to sustainable business.

Designer handbags

five ACCESSORIES is a socially conscious company featuring handbags and accessories sourced through fair trade practices in FIVE countries.  Our mission is to help generate income for individuals in developing areas, donate a substantial portion of the revenues to worthy causes in those areas, and to foster the use of sustainable materials in fashion. $5.00 from every handbag sale is given back to the country it originated in.

In addition to our work with artisans in Bali, India, Honduras, and Cambodia, five ACCESSORIES is also partnering with several local organizations.  In April 2009, we launched an accessory line titled ‘Off The Street’, which is sourced and produced by vendors of StreetWise, a Chicago based social enterprise designed to help elevate severely impoverished men and women out of poverty.  By employing individuals that have formerly been homeless and using littered material “off the streets” of Chicago, we are offering a unique eco-friendly accessory line consisting of bracelets, buttons, belts, pins and picture frames constructed and adorned with items such as transit cards, bottle caps, ticket stubs from sporting events and other urban refuse.  As with all of our accessory sales, 15% of gross income will be donated back to the local organization, StreetWise.

I personally love olive oil, I cook all my food with it and being a Psoriasis sufferer I supplement my diet with a good amount of olive oil to help my skin. I just swallow a spoonful everyday! I’m happy to welcome Steve McCulley with Apollo Olive Oil to our eco community. They are celebrating their 10th anniversary and have been awarded Five Golds, Three Silvers, and a Bronze so far this year along with – Best US Organic Olive Oil – Biol, Italy 2009 and Best of Class at the LA County International Olive Oil Competition 2009. Here’s what Steve has to say about their approach to making delicious organic olive oil…

Our olive oil is 100% raw, first-crush, cold-pressed on the only mill in America designed to maximize polyphenol (anti-oxidant) extraction, resulting in oils with extraordinary intensity of flavor and health benefits. Apollo Olive Oil is one of just a few California olive oils that are certified both organic and extra virgin.

In 2006, Apollo Olive Oil was named one of the Top Ten Olive Oil Producers In The World, by the prestigious Milan judging panel, I Mastri Oleari, the first California oil to be so honored.

Our commitment to craftsmanship extends from grove to bottle. We propagate our own cuttings from superior stock, tend our trees with organic, sustainable methods, harvest by hand at optimum ripeness and closely monitor every phase of the milling process. Our oil is a pure, unadulterated product, certified as Extra Virgin by the California Olive Oil Council, and documented by a top Italian lab for its extremely high polyphenolic content.

Check out his website to learn more about their olive oil selections!

I’d like to welcome Cecilia at Green Poppies Florists to our eco community.  Green Poppies has an excellent commitment to eco friendly practice and organic flower arrangements. They have very good prices even though they take every measure to provide only the finest and most beautiful flower arrangements and special wedding flower arrangements as well. Here’s Cecilia’s vision and cause as an eco friendly Florist…

Eventhough no existing company is perfectly environmentally responsible, here in Montreal, at L’atelier de Fleurs Green Poppies we do our best efforts to become one.  We created this small business in Quebec and is managed by individual proprietors.  Our flowers are either fair trade, local or organic and therefore its production minimizes the release of toxic chemicals into the environment

Some efforts are being done such as using all the packaging of recycled materials and reuse all the materials that come from the original vendor. Environmental considerations as production, distribution and disposal are always integrated on our daily sales and floral creations. Our flowers are certified fair trade and we try to buy all other products sold in our shop from local artists, products that are locally made or that have a social impact.

We open our doors to clients, students and people in general to our volunteer program, for people to get in touch with nature and with the fair trade concept. And of course are trying to get known by consumers and getting them to buy fair trade flowers not only for their green events, but also in their day-to-day life.

Our floral arranging workshops are fully loaded with information not only regarding the floral arranging, but the importance of buying fair trade products.

I’d like to welcome Andy at SayItGreen.com, he just wrote a great article on the concerns of global warming and insurmountable statistical proof that if we don’t make large scale changes we could see a 6 degree increase in climate by 2050, Yikes! Here’s Andy’s vision with his organic cotton apparel outlet…

Say it Green! offers custom-printed apparel made exclusively from organically grown materials and produced according to fair trade/fair labor practices. At our wind-powered website, visitors can custom design eco-friendly gifts or personal wear including shirts, aprons, bags, and baby clothing. We also help many organizations provide their own organic and fair-trade apparel, and offer wholesale and non-profit pricing upon request.

Even though Say it Green! is a for-profit business, we do not delight in encouraging American over-consumption. Instead, we strive to not only honor our customers with environmentally and socially sound goods and services, but also empower our customers by providing education and transparency about the real impacts of the t-shirt printing supply chain.

All of our products are 100% certified organic cotton, which means non of the pesticides and harsh chemicals typical of conventional cotton are used in our products. In addition, we are proud that all of our products are made with fair labor practices: produced in a healthy and safe working environment by adult (not children) workers who are paid fair wages, work fair hours, and have the power for collective bargaining

Visit Andy’s organic apparel store and stay up with his blog for more insightful information on eco issues.

Green Teas have played a significant role in healing and herbal remedies dating back to ancient far eastern cultures. The health benefits, anti oxidants and natural elements detoxify cure and keep the body healthy. I came across a wonderful Green Tea provider and here’s what they have to say about their fascination and dedication to Green Teas.

GreenTeaLovers.com is a socially responsible company that sells healthy green and white teas for health conscious consumers. Whereas supermarket green teas contain about 5%-6% antioxidants, our teas have levels as high as 20%. We sell teas from Asia and Africa. Our teas have various organic, fair trade, haacp and ISO 14001 environmental certifications and also belong to the ethical tea partnership. Finally we make our own efforts to reduce our carbon footprint by reinvesting into renewable energy like solar power (90-95% of our current consumption) and energy star heating systems 25% reduction in the use of heating oil.

A strong dedication to eco friendly production  and mastery of the ingredients in their tea, GreenTeaLovers Virtual Tea House is a must visit, there is a lot more good information on the history of tea remedies and their unique formula on their website.

Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of the celebrity touch. From Jay-Z making Cristal cool (and then taking it all back) to Bob Dole making it OK to talk about “problems down there,” a strong celebrity endorsement is often what it takes to bring a brand into the limelight. I still remember drinking Gatorade with my Wheaties thanks to number #23. While my palette has since advanced; I must admit, I still want to be like Mike.
In the above examples an individual product or brand is being promoted, but the same effect can be had for an entire cause or movement. From Brad Pitt freeing Tibet to Pamela Anderson baring it all for PETA, celebrity endorsements are often what it takes to rally the masses. Now it is the environments turn. Celebs are now seen everywhere from the red carpet to the red clay roads of Georgia (Ludacris’ new hybrid) displaying an eco friendly message. Green has gone chic.
Actresses such as Natalie Portman are ditching the Louis Vuitton in favor of eco bags. Why spend so much in this economy when for under a $1.00 you can be just as stylish, and convey a positive message, with a custom reusable bag? Eco friendly bags have endless options and designers at Factory Direct Promos are ready to assist in making your creative vision a reality. A good nonwoven bag should last up to two years of regular use. When you are done with it, the recyclable raw materials mean that it can return to the Earth, not sit in a landfill. If a stylish eco bag is good enough for Natalie Portman or Gwyneth Paltrow, it should suffice just fine for the rest of us as well.
Quality reusable bags are just the start, eco friendliness is starting to pop up in celebrity driveways as well. Next time you see Ludacris cruising down the road know there is a lot more to his ride then just a set of chrome wheels and a thundering sound system. Under the hood you’ll find a hybrid engine that uses methods such as regenerative braking to increase his MPG, decreasing harmful emissions in the process. Perhaps he is going back to his mansion, where he has solar panels on the roof. Brad Pitt is another convert. He recently traded in his fleet of convertibles for the new Lexus RX 400h luxury SUV hybrid. Once the new Tesla electric sports car goes into mass production, look out for motorists cruising past you in eco friendly style.
These celebrities didn’t do anything dramatic or life altering. Ms. Portman simply opted to use reusable bags, while Ludacris and Brad bought a few new cars. This is exactly the point; there is no longer a reason not to use eco friendly products. They are cool and chic, display a positive message about your brand or self, and are quite affordable. The trendsetters are going the eco friendly route, so why shouldn’t you?
The impact is even more felt for business owners and marketing managers. No longer is it acceptable in the public’s eye to be wasteful or a polluter. Opting to use eco-friendly products, such as polypropylene bags in place of plastics, means that you are sending a message to your potential customers that you care about this Earth of ours. The little decisions we make really do add up. Next time you are in need of custom manufacturing, do the right thing, choose Factory Direct Promos.

The first thing made apparent is that product options don’t suffer. A look at their reusable shopping bags, for instance, shows a range of options. From typical custom printed bags to green shopping bags with shoulder straps or even wholesale wine totes, they offer a full product line-up. Their custom promotional bags offer a range of options to display your logo or message. Creativity is definitely not lacking in Factory Direct Promos’ products.
Next, you see that an eco-friendly take on promotional business items can actually expand your product catalog. Factory Direct Promos offers a wide range of promotional products, from seed bookmarks that bloom when you plant them to their unique Turf’n’Tin item (wheatgrass that grows out of a branded tin.) Eco friendliness not only helps the Earth, but from a marketing standpoint brings a breath of fresh air to product lineups.

Finally, and most importantly, is the benefit to all citizens of this planet. Their custom recycled bags, once the user gets two years of life out of them, decompose harmlessly. Likewise, imprinted pens made of corn (rather than plastic) don’t occupy space for long in our already overflowing landfills when they run out of ink. Further, seed paper products actually benefit the Earth, leaving behind a nice blooming flower.

At last count, over 360 billion plastic bags have been consumed this year. This is a truly frightening number, especially considering businesses can easily switch to reusable shopping bags. The benefits are apparent. Reusable bags are a better product, far more durable, eco friendly, and give business a great opportunity to shape their image or message. I encourage all stakeholders to turn to Factory Direct Promos for their next eco-friendly custom manufactured items. We can, and must, all work together to make sure we leave our children with a strong Earth, and shopping with Factory Direct Promos is but one of many simple ways to do this.