I am totally committed to making my handbags eco-friendly and sustainable. This month, they are debuting at WHOLE FOODS, a company whose mission towards helping the planet I totally admire. They have this new LIFESTYLE store where they sell locally made, environmentally correct goods and they have choosen BETH COLT BAGS!
This is exciting.
I did a bunch of research for Whole Foods this week to be sure my sources were also up to their standards. I mean, I know my process is fair trade, local and environmentally correct... but what about the sources I use?
I discovered some interesting things. The vast majority of my wool comes from sheep that are grazed in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies. This US grown wool is then processed in a nearby plant that follows all US labor code and most workers there make more than minimum wage. As the owner told me, "We are getting more and more recognition for being a domestic company. It's more expensive but we support a large local economy. And as far as the great lives of our sheep, well I often say, I'd like to come back as one of them!"
I also use some wool imported from Peru, where the sheep are grazed in the Andes on family-owned farms, processed under fair trade standards and then imported to the US. And then I use a very small amount of mixed nylon and polymide yarns that are imported from Italy which has European labor standards.
So, I feel very comfortable in the fair treatment of both the animals and the people involved all the way down the chain in the making of a Beth Colt Bag.
Now that's good news!
