In the Museum Store, we are always looking to highlight the artists and vendors that make commitments to ecologically and socially sustainable business practices. Throughout the store, this logo (left) will tell you that a company uses recycled, repurposed, or sustainable materials and is conscientious about their shipping and packaging. I recently gave a Cate & Levi repurposed wool hand puppet to a dear friend for her baby shower, and it was the perfect gift! See how cute above! And each is totally one-of-a-kind because of the material.
One of my favorite new eco-friendly lines in the store is Hemptress (below). Hemptress makes adorable and practical handbags that are made primarily of hemp, which requires few chemicals to grow, very little water, and actually replenishes nutrients in soil. Hemptress maintains its green mindset by using low-impact textile dyes and recycled paper hangtags with soy inks, and it also works with Fair Trade factories to produce their bags.
This logo indicates that a company is an active member of the Fair Trade Federation and has undergone a rigorous screening process to prove that the business is committed to fair and ethical business practices, cultivates environmental stewardship, and respects the cultural identity of its artisans and workers. Learn more about the Fair Trade Federation here.
The Museum Store recently launched its own new green initiative: recycled paper shopping bags (below)! Not only are they made from recycled paper content, but they are also made in the U.S.A. (i.e., not shipped all over the planet to get here), and can be repurposed for gift giving because they are so adorable! You can either give a gift in the bag with a bow around the handle or with some tissue paper coming out the top for a little extra flair—or take it apart and reuse the bag as gift wrap. What other ideas do you have for eco-friendly yet fabulous gift giving?
Donele Pettit-Mieding was Museum Store Marketing Manager. She organized Museum Store events, promotions, and communications and introduced visitors to art and design objects to enjoy in their daily lives.