Philly
Local Eco-Apparel Company Cleans up Oceans
It’s certainly honorable for a fashion and apparel company to use sustainable and organic materials. But a company that is highly active in the pursuit of a healthier environment is by far cooler…
Take United by Blue…
United by Blue is a Philly based brand and apparel company specializing in organic t-shirts, jewelry and bags. UBB decided to go beyond selling green and take action to reduce ocean pollution. Why?
The company’s founder, Brian Linton, aspires to slowly help remove the trash that’s been building up for centuries in our oceans and waterways. The cause is near to Brian as he grew up around the ocean, and has seen horrifying effects of debris in his travels around the globe.
How?
For every product United by Blue sells the company pledges to remove one pound of trash. UBB employees, interns and volunteers consistently execute cleanups in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Virginia, Washington D.C. , Maryland and Connecticut.
As of September 22 2010 United by Blue has collected 8,099 lbs of ocean and waterway garbage!
UBB is currently under way with their largest cleanup to date. Partnering with UPenn , they’re hosting a week-long cleanup. Check here for more information.
Go to United by Blue online to browse and buy their adorable apparel and jewelery collection. In addition, consider getting in on the action. UBB is always looking for volunteers.
Are you a local retailer? UBB partners with companies interested in selling their merchandise and supporting the mission for cleaner oceans.
Posted by Beth
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Beth is a Health and Wellness expert who believes sustainability goes hand-in-hand with self care. She’s the girl whipping up kombucha cocktails at parties, and extolling the benefits of canning vegetables to anyone who will listen.
View all posts by Beth Funari
Thanks for this post about UBB! It is always great to hear from local’s about our company, being a Philly company and all! Our mission is not possible without you.
I have mixed feelings about this trend for retailers to incorporate green missions into their marketing. What happens when ‘being green’ becomes less chic? Do we have a way to know whether they’re committed to cutting waste and resource use in ways that the public can’t see?
To me, measures that are built into construction to last — for instance, LEED certification for homes and buildings http://g2g-consulting.com/index.html) or, for something more dramatic, green roofs http://www.bioneighbors.com/portfolio/?album=1&gallery=2), and widely-implemented measures like low-flow or “no-flow” urinals, http://www.greenbuildinglawblog.com/2010/02/articles/codes-1/stinky-situationsthe-corrosive-case-of-waterless-urinals/) — are going to make a bigger and more lasting impact in the long run.
I completely agree with Joan.
The fact is many people will abandon some of their marketing measures if green becomes less chic. Good news is, UBB isn’t one of them. I myself am first and foremost a conservationist, second I’m a business person. I started UBB not out of love of fashion, but of love of the environment – in particular our oceans.
We are doing a lot of exciting things with the brand and just crossed over the 10,000th pound mark. We are also committing to our product until the end of their useful life with a comprehensive take-back and recycling program that gives customers an incentive of 5% of retail value to return them for recycling.
Out mission is chic and it does help market our brand, but it will never cease to be an integral part of how we operate the business.
Thanks again for your feedback!
Cheers,
Brian