Business done the right way

Recently, my partner purchased a shirt from a company called Bamboosa. For some time we've been purchasing food that is primarily locally-grown or organic (or, at least all natural), preferably both. For some shorter amount of time, we've been focusing on natural cleaning products and other earth-friendly household supply. In the back of our minds, we've been thinking that we should look into purchasing clothing made from organic fabrics. We've dipped our toes in the water - a pair of Maggie's Socks here, an organic tee-shirt there - but we've found the price differential to be a little extreme when considering some of the higher-ticket items.

We've finally decided that we need to put our money where our mouth is. There are several considerations: prices will never go down if demand doesn't increase; ideally we're getting a better product (one that lasts longer); and the health of the planet is more important than our pocketbooks. So when my partner needed a new long-sleeve, off-white tee shirt, we pulled out our trusty Co-op America Green Pages (actually, our trustly laptop, on which to look up the Green Pages) and did a search for women's clothing. We came across Bamboosa, specializing in clothing made out of bamboo.


Not only did Bamboosa have a reasonably priced shirt, they have a high commitment to the environment and socially responsible business practices (read more here). And bamboo, like hemp, is a "naturally organic" product. In other words, you practically can't stop it from growing, so you don't need a bunch of chemicals and pesticides to help it along. It also grows very quickly, so sustainability isn't an issue.

Needless to say, we were sold on Bamboosa. The shirt that we received is surprisingly soft and comfortable. Who knew this about bamboo?

Unfortunately, there is a problem with the garment, one which we would not have known about had the manufacturer not contacted us. (Here's one vote for giving your email address to companies!) A problem with the sewing machine caused little holes near the seams - holes that will become bigger as the shirt is worn and washed.

With no prompting from us, Bamboosa has promised to replace the garment at no cost - we don't even have to return the original. This is business done the right way, and I highly commend the folks at Bamboosa for putting practice and planet above profit. In the end, this will make them the most profitable company they can be.