B Corp Collaboration Creates Best Sustainable T-Shirts in the World
When Russ Stoddard, founder of Certified B Corporation Oliver Russell in Boise, Idaho, set upon producing T-shirts to celebrate the B Corp movement, he didn’t intend to create just any T-shirt. He aspired to do it in the most sustainable way possible. He was committed to multiplying impact by collaborating with a fellow B Corp. And he wanted these T-shirts to give back financially to the B Corp community.
He quickly zeroed in on fellow B Corp TS Designs of Burlington, North Carolina, as a partner, and the two have produced a new line of T-shirts that should appeal to fans of B Corps for their design, message, and sustainability.
“Eric (Henry) of TS Designs is an OG in the B Corp movement, and he’s been thoughtfully evolving his apparel over a long period of time to become the best sustainable T-shirts in the world,” said Stoddard. “I love his commitment to ‘Made in the USA’ and his ‘Dirt to Shirt’ supply-chain mindset. Plus, he’s not afraid to try new stuff.”
The new T-shirts are sold online by Oliver Russell and incorporate several innovative features that combine to be a first for the marketplace:
• 100% Made in America from a transparent and completely domestic supply chain
• Feature a QR code connecting the customer to every step of the production process, from yarn to finished T-shirt
• Combine screen printing and Direct to Garment (DTG) printing to minimize waste and enhance small production run economics
• Use water-based inks and are garment dyed, rather than fabric or piece dyed, which addresses consumers’ number one question: a T-shirt that will never shrink
• Feature a give-back where a portion of each T-shirt sale is donated to B Lab, the nonprofit organization that oversees B Corp Certification.
“Some of these are things we’ve been doing over the years. Some are relatively new. It’s the first time we’ve combined them all together to continue the journey to make the best T-shirts by balancing people and the planet,” said Eric Henry, TS Designs president. “The collaboration with Oliver Russell gives us the opportunity to showcase the value of this interconnected, leading-edge technology approach to apparel manufacturing.”
The T-shirts are available in three designs and messages in both women’s and men’s sizing. Stoddard said the quality body-feel of the cotton is exceptional, and that the initial response has been extremely positive, adding: “We’re already looking at new T-shirt designs to broaden the product line and also exploring ways to make the process of manufacturing and shipping these T-shirts completely carbon neutral.”
B The Change gathers and shares the voices from within the movement of people using business as a force for good and the community of Certified B Corporations. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the nonprofit B Lab.
