Welcome. Tell us about yourself and your business
We are Huey and Wah, the two humans behind NottyPooch. We live in Penang, a small island in Malaysia with lots and lots of awesome food. We give new lives to used and unwanted banners by making them into eco-friendly, functional and eye-catching accessories. Occasionally we screenprint cool t-shirts of our own designs too!

What makes your business green?
Instead of letting those used/unwanted banners to go to the landfill, we collect them and give them new lives by making them into functional, one-of-a-kind accessories. When shipping our items, we always opt for Kraft or brown paper, and sew up the sides so we don’t have to use white glue. Once when we were at a local craft fair, we prepared a whole bunch of paper bags by cutting and sewing up old magazines!

Why is it important for you to offer products that are eco-friendly?
Re-using things has been part of our ‘family tradition’. We were taught to utilise what we have whenever possible. When we started this little business, we were very sure that we wanted to run it in a more responsible way – not only to customers, but to the environment too.

Have you found it easy to run an eco-friendly business? What difficulties (if any) have your encountered?
We wouldn’t consider ourselves a 100% eco-friendly business yet – though we’d love to think that we keep on trying. One major problem is that the local market isn’t really that sensitive to eco-friendly products yet. This has also made sourcing the right materials more difficult. The place we live in does not have a lot of eco-friendly materials to start with. Many times in between using an eco-friendly materials from overseas or to shop locally, we have to opt for shopping locally. An example would be how difficult it is to source organic cotton t-shirt locally and at a reasonable price. We’ve been keeping an eye on this for a while now, but haven’t got any luck yet – one of the reasons we are not ordering more t-shirts for printing, and intend to finish what we have now until we can comfortably get some organic ones. About 99% of the stationery available are is also not eco-friendly – that’s one of the reasons we minimize using white glue on packaging.

What plans do you have to further your green initiatives?
At the moment, we are just continuing to look for more eco-friendly materials to work with. If we cannot have the best solution, we can at least continue to minimize the not-so-eco-friendly part. In the near future, we are looking into donating part of our profit to a local animal shelter. In the far away future (well, hopefully not too far) when we are able to grow bigger, we would like to create a fair-trade working environment for underprivileged groups (eg: single mothers) in our community.

Lastly, anything else you would like to add?
Thank you Adele for this feature. I (Huey) have been enjoying reading your ‘This Self-Employed Life’ series because what you say is so true. I can’t wait to see your shop reopen with all fresh new items! :) - Thanks Huey, you are too kind.

NOTTYPOOCH ELSEWHERE
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Welcome. Tell us about yourself and your business
My name is Rikkianne. I’ve created Chakra Pennywhistle as a way to express the pleasure of making something new out of something old. Through my design, I strive to reflect the joy of using natural materials. I offer handmade, organic, and recycled products for you and your home.

What makes your business green?
First and foremost, I choose eco-friendly materials. I offer organic products along with upcycled items. I find pleasure in researching where my materials come from and everything it takes to make them. On a daily basis I strive to learn and promote everything I can in regards to the eco-friendly, handmade world.

Chakra P. items are made with sustainable materials and are packed using eco-friendly resources. My business is constantly evolving and I am more than happy to learn and grow as new “green” resources and ideas present themselves.

Why is it important for you to offer products that are eco-friendly?
I think that it all comes down to considering the source. I believe the handmade community we participate in has sprouted from this idea. Whether you produce eco goods or make an effort to buy them, you are playing a part in a type of appreciation for how things are made, where they came from, and promoting their use as opposed to a “quick fix.” We live in a fast-paced, throw-away world. The creative process for our indie community and eco handmade world, however, causes us to slow down a little bit and forces us to ask ourselves questions about the materials we use, their past life, and their future possible uses. A maker’s process is focused and deliberate. I find that as I make my goods at this reduced speed, I unconsciously provide myself with the time necessary to really research my materials… And when you research green materials, a whole new world is introduced. It is exciting to be a part of the eco/handmade community. I learn something new every single day. Of course, there is always the thought of the future and my little one’s life in it. As I learn each day, I feel that I am lucky to be able to pass on these tips to her.

Have you found it easy to run an eco-friendly business? What difficulties (if any) have your encountered?
The easy part is the wealth of information available. There are so many wonderful green websites that promote eco-friendly business practices. There are online and local communities that are always happy to share advice and experience. Fortunately, it seems that the preachier folks that can intimidate a beginning business owner are becoming less and less common as each day goes by. The eco-friendly choice is not only becoming a way of life, but a way of making as well.

Technically, the hard part is the day-to-day operation. I think organizing a simple way to run the office is in need for my business in particular. This can come down to something as simple as separate recycling bins. My studio is a room in my home. It is small, and the simple task of saving and recycling can easily dominate such a small area. I somehow manage to do it, but all the while dreaming of a way to organize things more efficiently.

What plans do you have to further your green initiatives?
I would love to be able to give part of my proceeds to a charity. I have not been able to do that quite yet, but hope to do so in the future. Basically, I just really enjoy finding new/old materials to make useful again. That’s where my passion is and I hope to be able to get a kick out of it forever.

Lastly, anything else you would like to add?
Thank you for this feature, Adele. I love your work! I truly appreciate it and look forward to reading the next interview. I wish you the most happiness and success in 2010!

CHAKRA PENNYWHISTLE ELSEWHERE
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Welcome. Tell us about yourself and your business
I am a freshly turned 40-year-old, who moonlights as a mom, wife, doggie owner and fitness nut. I am a self-taught fabric & surface designer, having segued over the past 10 years from other creative pursuits that involved building, painting and sewing (not all at once). I produce my own line of fabrics as well as offer custom surface design services to clients.

What makes your business green?
The retail fabrics I currently design and sell in my etsy shop are primarily what make Daisy Janie green. They are printed on 2 types of organic base goods: one is an organic cotton sateen made with 100% cotton fibers certified by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS); the other is an organic cotton/hemp blend canvas that is certified organic by the USDA’s Nat’l Organic Program (NOP). These are professionally printed in a digital format, using water-based, low VOC pigments. This method of printing also minimizes water consumption and fabric waste. Further, heat & pressure calendaring are used to finish the fabric rather than harsh chemicals.

I also have a collection of organic fabrics (Geo Grand) that will be offered at wholesale and will be available in early March. These organic fabrics, made from GOTS-certified cotton fiber, will also be self-produced. I am soooo excited about this line as it will allow Daisy Janie to make a more significant contribution to an industry (cotton fabric) that’s in desperate need of an overhaul. Conventionally grown cotton crops and fabrics produced from these crops are some of the worst offenders on the planet in terms of pesticide usage and toxic processing. Read “Cotton and the Environment” for more information.

Why is it important for you to offer products that are eco-friendly?
I offer eco-friendly products so I can sleep at night knowing I’ve done my part. I cannot remember a time in my adult life when I wasn’t a freakazoid about recycling, repurposing, clean living and protecting earth’s creatures. Choosing to offer green products is simply an extension of these ideals and a logical expression of my personal philosophies.

Have you found it easy to run an eco-friendly business? What difficulties (if any) have your encountered?
When I started my first solo venture in 1998 (JH Originals), it was much more challenging to procure green raw materials and market green products than it is for me today. The confluence of powerful and dynamic variables like Etsy, indie culture, internet as a mainstay for biz, green awareness and consumer acceptance has created a business segment that manufacturers can’t ignore & consumers can’t get enough of. Given that, I have definitely seen a nice shift in ‘what it takes’ to run an eco-friendly business.

The main difficulty in producing & selling a thoughtful product like organic fabric is price point. In general, organic cotton farming and processing requires more care and overall tending, so it costs *me* more to have it produced…which means it will cost my customer more as well. Not all customers understand this, and it has been a hurdle to effectively market and educate. (Interviews like this are a huge boost to that end – thank you Adele!)

What plans do you have to further your green initiatives?
On a smaller scale: I have planted seeds for additional eco-friendly product offerings using my surface designs. Haven’t gotten very far, but my research notebook is filling up! I also continue to find ways to package my products with a smaller carbon footprint.

On a larger scale: Daisy Janie is run out of my home (for as long as I can manage), and I’m very proud that we just made the switch to purchase wind energy for our electricity. There’s no way to know for certain if the electricity that makes it to the grid to power your individual house is that exact electricity you purchased. However, when you make this selection, you are casting a vote that dictates demand for this product. You are supporting the wind energy producers, and thereby taking a piece of the “electricity pie” away from coal/fossil fuel energy producers….much like choosing organic fabrics over non-organics!

Lastly, anything else you would like to add?
Eighteen years ago, I read this quote in a shop offering Native American art: “We did not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We are borrowing it from our grandchildren.” It hit me hard and solidified my desire to do what I could on an individual level to lessen my impact on the earth…a defining moment in my life to be sure.

DAISY JANE ELSEWHERE
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Image showing chair covered in Daisy Janie fabric is courtesy of Storefront.