Mosaica Web

In case you haven’t noticed, retailers, even giants, are “going green”. It was bound to happen and it is a welcome change. Of course the Wal-marts, Targets and Sams Clubs of the world, most likely, will never go fully earth-friendly, and merely offer sections in their stores rather than become another Whole Foods, it is still a very good sign.

Smart retailers understand that it is good for them, and good for the consumer. The obvious part is that anything a person, organization, company, or group and do, in any tiny way, to leave the planet a bit cleaner than how we found it. The signs of a vulnerable ecosystem have been with us for awhile. It is nothing new. Today, one does not need to be what was commonly referred to as a “tree-hugger” to do their part in pitching in to help in their own small way by being a little more green.

I am an Internet retailer that deals in humor gifts and collectibles. I sell licensed images of my cartoon images on a myriad of products such as Tshirts, mouse pads, coffee mugs, and others. When I told my friends I was planning to open a 100% organic cotton (using nontoxic dyes) T-shirt shop as my latest online venture, a good many of them laughed. And not at my cartoons. Some felt I was “losing it”. The truth is, I am finding it. Though I don’t know if I will ever become fully green in my entrepreneurial pursuits, that is my goal. I still have a number of existing customers at other eshops who have supported us all these years, and they are a completely different market. My strategy is not to abandon them, but to cater to them, and slowly add more green products that I know many will try, and as time goes by, hopefully, go fully eco-friendly in all the stores.

I would consider myself “bad” if this opportunity to get into the “green sector” of business, not to have taken it. I had been attempting it for many years. I could not make a deal with a manufacturer that suited me. I wanted to find one in which I could provide an extremely high quality fabric, and have my cartoon images imprinted with natural dyes that would not harm the skin. There were a few our but there was always an issue or minimal purchases, quality control, and other obstacles always surfaced. Though I am a small businessman, I will not post products at prices that are not competitive. So I waited and I am glad I did.

Finally, thanks to a print-on-demand company called Zazzle.com, and contracts they have with American Apparel and Edun Organics (two of the best), I can offer the quality green tee and have it printed and drop-shipped anywhere in the world within 24 hours. Not bad, and at very competitive prices.

We Americans love our tees. According to research, the average American has at least 30 printed tees, and almost 100% have a “favorite one”. I know I do. We also are health-conscious people these days. We try to eat healthier foods, take organic vitamins, eat less red meat, consume less trans-fat. The skin is the largest and most absorbent organ the body has. Wearing non-toxic dye tees is smart. And wearing premium ones, paying about $5-6 more than one would for a regular cotton or cotton blend tee is even smarter. It looks sexier. It feels better. And one is doing their part to help the planet a little. To me, that kind of peace of mind is worth a lot more than a box of buttered popcorn at the movie theater.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 26th, 2008 at 11:55 am and is filed under Natural Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.