Eco Art Productions, Inc.

Best Practice Awards

Green Business Award

Eco Art Productions, Inc.

What the company does: Eco Art Productions, Inc. is an environmentally friendly clothing and accessory company, based in New York City, that combines a love of art with a love of the environment. The company screens original artwork made by American artists onto everyday items, such as handbags, flip flops, and t-shirts. When Eco Art Productions started in 2008, they used the work of three artists, but they are currently working with nine, all of whom represent the country’s ethnic and cultural diversity.

Best practice: Eco Art Productions uses water-based dyes to screen their designs onto Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)–certified organic cotton bags. Their commitment to environmentally friendly products extends even to best practices in running their business. Eco Art Productions items are wrapped using recyclable tissue paper, and all products come complete with an artist bio printed on a recyclable paper tag. Should a customer want more information on the product, the company can send certification papers that ensure it’s authentically organic.

Besides its products, Eco Art Productions makes sure the company as a whole is as environmentally friendly as possible. They use recyclable and eco-friendly products in their office, and work with green vendors including a socially responsible credit card service company that operates sustainably as a certified green business. The company also participates in green festivals, such as the San Francisco Green Festival and the New York Green Festival, organized by Green America.

Tips for implementing your own best practice: Becoming an environmentally friendly company is simpler than you might think, says Eco Art Productions president and founder Rebecca Singer. “It’s so much easier to go back to doing things as naturally as possible,” she says.

To make your company environmentally friendly, Singer suggests that you start with the basics. Small things, like the paper you use in your office, can make a difference. Look into your vendors, from your suppliers to the banks you do business with, and try to find environmentally friendly companies. “There are so many people out there and so many sources. In a short period of time, it’s gotten a lot easier to find people and find resources,” says Singer. Join Green America and get certified as a green business, which will make it even simpler to connect with environmentally friendly companies.

Since becoming green can often increase costs, Singer recommends that you make sure you’re offering something people want first and foremost. Concentrate on your product, then on becoming environmentally friendly. “I think the way to be successful is to have a crossover,” she says. “Organic should be a plus that seals the deal.”