Thursday, August 20, 2009
Dallas company using t-shirts to spread eco-awareness
Dallas-based Eco apparel company is giving schools, organizations, and sports leagues a new way to raise money while raising eco-awareness.
Seed Sucker's motto is to help spread environmental awareness one T-shirt at a time. The eco fundraiser is one that all parties involved (from the kids to the consumers) can be proud to support. This is a story all parents can relate to when it comes to the positives and negatives of fundraising.
The current line is a soft blend of top quality 70% bamboo, 30% organic cotton, and each shirt comes with a "PLANTABLE" hang-tag.
The hang-tags are made with Lotka seed paper, which is embedded with wildflower seeds. So, whether you plant the tag and watch it grow or throw it away ... it is biodegradable. The only way we are adding to our landfills is by adding a touch of green.
The company also provides a way for consumers to participate in giving back. On the back of each hang-tag, a code can be registered online at www.seedsucker.org. When a tag is registered, a portion of the proceeds is forwarded to the Seed Sucker Foundation, which donates large, mature, trees to communities that have been devastated by natural disaster.
Seed Sucker, Inc. is a female-based minority-owned company located in Dallas and is certified by Greenergy 2030 as a "green" business. The corporate office resides at the La France historical building.
For more information about Seed Sucker Inc., "Apparel with a Conscience" eco fundraiser, contact Nicki Jeter at nicki@seedsucker.org.
Source: Seed Sucker
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Travis Bush says:
Hope this works out for them, although I see a couple of potential problems..mainly with price.
Verified
3 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Jason Rice says:
Price... wow!
You realllllly gotta want to save a tree. On the other hand, $12 popcorn is kinda of intimidating too.
"It's for the children" <font size="1">(Ok, usually the Band Children or the Student Council Children...)</font>
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3 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Jesus Valadez says:
$32? I should just go out and buy my regular shirts and some seeds.
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3 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Pavel Lishin says:
New proposed headline: Dallas company using media coverage of their high t-shirt prices to spread eco-awareness.
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3 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Travis Bush says:
I hate buying seeds!
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3 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
nmb0018 says:
I actually purchased 2 of their shirts and a baby onesie from a retail store. Let me tell you...to touch is to believe. They are sooo incredibly soft and my kids really enjoyed planting the tags and watching their wild flower grow. So to me it was WELL worth every cent! Also, my childs' school has launced their eco-fundraiser the children get to sell these shirts for $20 and under. It is amazing what this company is doing for the community.
Anonymous
3 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Travis Bush says:
I think it is a good thing too, I just hope the crappy economy doesn't hurt their efforts.
Verified
3 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Scott Doyle says:
Seed Sucker, Inc. is a female-based
I hope Miko can appreciate how difficult it is for me not to comment on this.
Also,
It is amazing what this company is doing for the community.
Concur, taking their money is quite amazing. Obviously there are merits to what's being done, but I don't see anything here indicating their overall efforts aren't for profit. See their <a href="http://www.seedsucker.org/about.html">About Us page</a>:
Encourage everyone around you to purchase and wear a seed sucker product. By sporting the seed sucker “look”, you are saying to the world, “I support a positive change!”
No mention of non-profit...high regard to their product, though, and how to market themselves.
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3 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Jason Rice says:
It's no more surprising than the "Lite Gourmet Wrap" craze. Same capitalism - new shiny wrapper with a feel-good chaser. Ronald McDonald House for the tree hugger.
It's all about a "greener"* world. Glad to hear the base product is quality.
And "Nonprofit" --- not a discriminator in the raw money category -- or ethics (eg. UNICEF)
* <font size="1">Man! I love the English language</font>
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3 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
SandyTaylor_2009 says:
Concur again, there is a non-profit associated with this company - www.seedsuckerfoundation.com - Seed Sucker Foundation. It's mentioned on several areas of their website in reference to the "Giving Back" feature with the tags that come on the shirts.
I am sure some of their efforts ARE for profit - how can we survive this economy without trying to make some money?
But what is so wrong, to find a niche - and to try and find a way to make money? (and one that benefits others and the environment?)
But whatever your thoughts on it all, I think it's a pretty good idea (the fundraiser) and it's a whole lot better than $16 tub of cookie dough, $12.00 plastic-packaged gummy worms, $20.00 8 oz. candles or wrapping paper for $10.00 a roll.
At least people get a t-shirt out of this deal. And there are some pretty good perks and charity donations associated with it (you have to read their eco-fundraiser page).
And if read that page (which some of us didn't) the fundraiser shirts are on a different price point than the retail line. Seems they're all around 20.00 for the fundraiser program.
I just think it's great that this company is trying to do something to help the environment, get kids involved, and produce a product that leaves a smaller footprint on the world.
Maybe that has something to do with the prices as well - did you see what these shirts are made of? Could it be possible that the materials is higher-priced than typical 100% cotton?
I'm going to order a shirt to see what it's about. Mostly in spite of the skepticism here, and the idea that they're trying to scam someone. I certainly don't think it's the case. Rather, I think it's innovation during a bad time, that supports positive change.
Kudos to these girls!
Anonymous
3 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Pavel Lishin says:
I don't think anyone's suggesting that they're scamming people, or that they don't deserve to be able to pay their employees, etc., etc. I was just suggesting that I'm not paying $32 for a shirt, even if it comes with a pretty flower.
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3 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Alex Bentley says:
nmb0018 may have good reason to love the shirts -- the e-mail address associated with the comment just happens to include the name of the person who submitted the press release.
Staff
3 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
mcbjjcm says:
I have one of these shirts, my daughter has the onesie & I sent 2 of them to my son in Iraq. He loved, loved, loved them!! They are so soft & comfortable. They are priced great at $20. I personally know the owner, she is one of the most sincere, positive, loving people I know...I love ya Deb...
Anonymous
3 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Travis Bush says:
Alex..why do people do that? Are they so Internet retarded as to assume that kind of unethical crap won't get noticed?
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Scott Doyle says:
But what is so wrong, to find a niche - and to try and find a way to make money?
Very much depends on the niche.
Never said this was illegal, just that it's entirely inefficient if your goal is to actually help the environment - clearly, they're out to make a buck first, then make people feel warm & fuzzy. Just donate $32 to environmental cause of choice if that's your goal, this <s>money</s>seed sucking business is marketing to green hipsters.
Also, stop playing it off like you have nothing to do with this - nobody puts in that kind of effort on a whim (I sure has hell didn't and I'm obviously more "skeptical" than you are).
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3 months, 1 week agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
SandyTaylor_2009 says:
Honestly - My whim is that I have 3 kids, and have tons of fundraisers each year, and end up with crappy candles and stupid bolts of ugly wrapping paper that I can't use... and I just think it's a pretty cool idea.
And again - I just don't see the big issue making money AND helping the environment.
I'm truly not playing anything off - just merely commenting that I don't understand why this post and whole thing gets bad comments - and why it's bad to promote your business online.
And - I do think they're pretty smart - because the market of green hipsters is a HUGE population.
The press release is about their fundraiser program, THAT is what I think is specifically cool.
Trust me - I can be skeptical! Just not about the opportunity to stop the $20.00 for a 4 year old nasty bag of pizza dough Fundraisers. Seriously! Have you had to manage these fundraisers? What a whip.
<end rant="">
:)</end>
Anonymous
3 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Scott Doyle says:
*And - I do think they're pretty smart - because the market of green hipsters is a HUGE population.*
I don't disagree, just pissed I didn't figure out how to take advantage of them first!
And if it's a fundraiser you're after, I'm sure my associate Pavel Lishin (see above) could scrounge up <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/thingspaveldidnttake/">plenty of trinkets</a> for the tikes to sell..just be sure they've already had their shots for the year...
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Pavel Lishin says:
Lockjaw? More like mbbphhbbhhmmm, amirite?
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Scott Doyle says:
He's good with kids, promise...
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Jason Rice says:
::He's good with kids, promise
I'd have served him with a nice bouillabaisse and summer salad, but I can see him working more informally with a side of kid fritters.
And it's great that $20 will get the Glee Club off your front lawn and another non-Nike advertisement piece of apparel into your sock drawer for your kids to throw out with your estate liquidation.
Your money has to go somewhere. Walmart won't be saving a tree anytime soon.
That said, typical tshirt fundraiser products run about 40-45% less with about the same payback -($5ish a pop) - the shirts are usually cheesey so for another $8 you don't have to take the shirt straight from the front porch to your tool bench as an oil rag.
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ccwest2 says:
With you on that one! Definitely worth looking in to....maybe then I could support my daughter's school without cringing about the garbage I will, without a doubt, dump into the round file when it arrives. And I KNOW I can't be alone in my rush to dodge my co-workers when I see them tip-toeing in and out of offices...one by one....like a stalker looking for his next crush.... With school starting next week, I am already planning my escape routes!
Anonymous
3 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
ccwest2 says:
Wish I would have thought of it first, too.
Anonymous
3 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
OEsophagus says:
Has anybody actually seen the new tuba (or whatever) that these fundraisers supposedly help purchase?
Anonymous
3 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
alexander troup says:
ECO WHAT....hey there is Deep Throat again....I am aware of that too,you need some mouth wash....ok.....Eco awareness....lets see..I do pick up trash,... Almish hitchikers and I eat at Whole Foods by the Farmers Market....what else..I dont have stock in coal or in chemicals.....A/T, Are we really honesty Eco aware.....
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