Eureco Eco Store

Tahlia's Work Experience Adventures

2011-05-26T15:00:00.014+10:00

Hi! Tahlia here, posting a blog about my week of work experience adventures at the Eureco Sydney office.

From the 23rd-27th of May I've been here at the Sydney office with Frances, getting first hand experience with what really goes on behind the scenes at Eureco!

Monday

Waking up early Monday morning, I sprang up out of bed ready for the exciting day of work experience ahead! The weeks of anticipation had finally caught up with me and I was more than ready to head on over to the office. Grabbing a quick "wake up" coffee and hopping on the bus with a spring in my step, I made my way to the North Ryde office. With Frances at the bus stop ready to greet me, I already felt right at home in the Eureco team.

Frances and I took the quick two minute walk from the bus stop to the office and got straight to work. With online and wholesale orders coming in the night before, I had plenty to learn about the behind the scenes processes already!

Firt step was to create invoices for the orders. Frances taught me how to use the business accounting software in style that I could easily understand and I got it in one go! With processes such as recording the customers name and order number, and also recording payment etc. I was already experiencing and learning about an interesting element of the Eureco business. The next step was to wrap, pack and dispatch the orders. Frances taught me how to wrap the towels protectively and aesthetically to ensure quality arrival to the customer. We then took a drive over to the post office and sent the packages on their way to be loved by their new owner!

With a couple of boxes in the car, Francis then suprised me with a quick visit to one of Eureco's stockists Planet Commonwealth to drop off some orders to Ross, the owner. I really enjoyed being able to meet Ross and browse the style of furniture and homewares he sold including a vast variety of Eureco's Bamboo towels looking lovely on the shelf.

Once we finished up at Planet Commonwealth, Frances and I headed back over to the office for some late afternoon activities. Experiencing an almost crafty element of the business I spent my afternoon making some colour sample boards. These boards are given out to retailers to advertise Eureco's available colourways to the public if the store doesn't stock all colours. As well as for Eureco's retailers, the sample boards are also going to be used for the Organic Expo coming up, which Frances kindly invited me to! The expo is coming up in early August.

Tuesday

With another early wake up, I woke up excited for what jobs Frances had set up for me. First thing were some more orders that had come in, which I had completed in a few minutes now that I had the hang of it! As we wrapped the orders we noticed we were low on ribbon which I assumed was a complete disaster... However Frances, with her easy going attitude excitedly told me about the exquisite ribbon shop and I could tell this would be another busy day.

Frances and I headed over to the ribbon shop to check out some new colours and styles of ribbons. I have to say it was possibly the most stunning variety of ribbons I had ever seen, making it possibly a highlight of the week.

On our way back into the office we popped into the Bigfish studio where I met the lovely talented Eureco photographer Warwick! I stood there envying his high tech photography equipment while Frances and Warwick chatted away.

Next thing we were on the road again, heading back to the office to draft Eureco's next days blog. This was possibly the most time consuming, frustrating part of my week. Getting the layout completely right was very challenging for me, and I'm not lying when I say I was hopeless at it! After a long day I headed home, tired.

Click here to read the blog!

Wednesday

I arrived at the office to a VERY excited Frances. "TODAY IS INTERNATIONAL TOWEL DAY" she told me excitedly! Wearing our towels, we got straight to work.

First step was to release our one day sale live up on the Eureco website. This was great for me, as I got to learn how to use website design software.

After Frances and I updated the website we sent out a newletter to all Eureco's suscribers to let them know about the sale. I also helped Frances release the blog.

Click here to read our Towel Day blog!

As Frances is going on leave for the next two weeks, Marylin popped in to get updated on what's going on in the office. This was great, as I got to meet more people from the Eureco team!

Thursday

The week was going so quickly and I felt as if I had so much more to learn! As I greeted Frances, I noticed another Eureco team member, Sophie, in the office and eagerly introduced myself!

I was put straight to work and began to organise the warehouse when suddenly, A SURPRISE VISIT from a teacher from my school! Mr. Little, my science teacher, had popped in to see how I was going and ask a few questions about what I was learning at Eureco. I eagerly told him how much I was enjoying it, and how disappointed I was that the week was almost over. With great feedback Mr. Little was on his way and the rest of my day was full of making colour sample boards and organising the warehouse! Wow was I tired!

Friday

No way, the weeks all over! I arrived here this morning, eager to make the most of my final day at Eureco. Frances set me up with an assignment for me to write this blog. And here I am, at 4pm in the afternoon writing it! Having taken me all day, I've written and completed it, and am happier than ever!

I would like to thank Frances for having me here at the Eureco office and making me feel like part of the team. I have had a great experience, learning everything I need to know about the processes and elements of the business and I could not thank Frances enough for making this happen! I hope to come back to the Eureco team sometime in the future!

Tahlia.

Celebrate International Towel Day! 15% off today!

2011-05-25T12:25:00.009+10:00

Today is International Towel Day! To Celebrate we're offering 15% off our Bamboo & Organic Cotton Bath Towel Collections for one day only!

Towel Day is celebrated every 25th of May as a tribute by fans of the late author Douglas Adams. On this day, fans carry a towel with them to demonstrate their love for the books and the author, as referenced in Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The commemoration was first held in 2001, two weeks after Adams's death on 11May 2001.

"A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-boggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough" ~ Douglas Adams - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Towel Day is a pretty big deal all over the world! Check out all the events people from all over the world are holding to celebrate International Towel Day here.

And check out this official promo video!

And here are some pics of all of us in the Eureco office embracing the spirit of the day!

Frances & Tahlia (our year 10 work experience wonder) with their towels!

Marilyn looking snug in her bamboo towel

Luckily it was an exceptionally cold day in Sydney, so we were all more than happy to accessorise with a towel for a little added warmth for the day!

Happy Towel Day! Until next year, happy travels!

Frances wraps up another successful photo shoot!

2011-05-25T09:40:00.017+10:00

This month Frances wrapped up another successful photo shoot to showcase our gorgeous new season colours!

After a lot of organisation and preparation behind the scenes, the date was finally set for the studio shoot.

Frances engaged her expert photographer Warwick from BigFish VC.

Frances & Warwick in the Studio The BigFish Studio
Day 1: The Models – Bamboo Bath Robes
Frances arrived at the studio with Sophie (her lovely assistant for the day) early to prepare before the arrival of John & Priscilla – Our friendly (and very gorgeous) models.

Sophie, Frances, John & Priscilla.

John was first in the spot light modelling his bamboo bathrobe and Frances marvelled at his professionalism and ability to keep a straight face for the camera while giggling between shots. Final Image: John modelling Eureco bamboo bathrobe in colour ‘Aubergine’.

Then Priscilla donned her robes and, after a little tweaking to make sure the bathrobes were looking their best, it wasn’t long before we were producing some truly gorgeous pics.

Frances preparing Priscilla. Reviewing shots on the monitor. Final Image: Priscilla modelling Eureco bamboo bathrobe in colour ‘Aquamarine’.

Then the real fun began with the ‘couple shots’ shooting John & Priscilla together.

Frances was kept busy directing the shots and ensuring the robes were looking lovely while John & Priscilla were relaxed and patient between shots.

John looking his very best. Ooops! We lost John! Final Image: Bamboo Bath Robes. Pricilla in ‘Pearl’. John in ‘Slate’. Final Image: Bamboo Bath Robes. Priscilla in ‘Aquamarine’ & John in ‘Slate’. Frances, Priscilla, John & Sophie winding down at the end of the day.

And that wrapped up Day 1. A big thank you to John & Priscilla for their professionalism, good humour and gorgeousness! Good luck in all your endeavours!

Day 2: The Products – Bamboo Bath Towels

Another early start followed on Day 2. Frances, Sophie & Warwick took a minute for an energising cup of coffee and a brief review of the days shot schedule before commencing.

Each product shot is carefully considered and planned before arriving in the studio. All props are sourced in advance and Eureco would like to extend particular thanks to Ross Longmuir at Planet Commonwealth, for generously agreeing to supply many of the props you see featured in the images below.

Props ready and waiting.

Re-using the studio set up from the day before, the first shot of the day featuring all 9 new colourways was quickly set. Warwick adjusted the lighting to ensure the texture of the towels was captured perfectly. Final Image: Bamboo bath towels. All 9 new colourways featured. Frances setting a shot. Final Image: Ash, Slate & Aquamarine. Props courtesy of Planet Commonwealth. Frances setting another shot while Warwick adjusts the lighting. A quick review on the studio monitor.
Final Image: Ash, Slate & Chartreuse. Props courtesy of Planet Commonwealth.

Most images require a pedantic attention to detail and seemingly endless adusting of small details, however very occasionally there will be a shot that is perfect first time around. The image that follows is one such image. It arrived perfectly formed. Final Image: Lavender, Pearl, Ash, Aquamarine. Props courtesy of Planet Commonwealth. Final Image: Pearl, Lavender, Aubergine & Ash. Props courtesy of Planet Commonwealth. Final Image: Slate, Chartreuse, Tangelo, Aquamarine, Lavender.

And with a just a few more images of product details towards the end of the day, the studio shoot came to a close.

A very big thank you to Sophie for her calm organisation and assistance throughout the shoot. Sophie made sure the towels and props arrived and departed the studio in perfect condition. She also made sure the models were kept warm, comfortable and even entertained during their breaks and made sure the robes and towels were ironed (yes, ironed!) and looking lovely in time for their shots. Thank you. Thank you.

Also a big thank you to our photographer ‘Wazza’, for his calm and methodical approach, his exceptional attention to detail and his immense technical ability. You're a dream!

Eureco continues to build its reputation for superb quality products both sourced and showcased with care and attention to detail.

FAQ's: Bamboo Vs Cotton - Absorbency & Drying Time

2011-02-15T13:49:00.014+11:00

At Eureco, there are three questions our customers ask us all the time:

· Are Bamboo Towels more absorbent than Cotton Towels?
· Do Bamboo Towels absorb more quickly than Cotton Towels?
· Do Bamboo Towels take longer to dry than Cotton Towels?

Sometimes the answer is a little more complicated than a simple yes or no, so I thought I’d post a blog to explain.

I've even included the results of some of the testing I’ve had done along the way. Megan will be horrified to see Frances’ blogging reach new nerdy heights!

Are Bamboo Towels more absorbent than Cotton Towels? Yes.

Test 1: Comparative Absorbency

Two pieces of terry cloth identical in size and construction, one composed 100% cotton fibre and the other 100% bamboo fibre are weighed and their dry weight is noted. The two pieces of cloth are then wholly submerged in water and left to soak and absorb as much of the liquid as they can. The pieces are then removed and weighed again. The new weight is measured as a percentage compared to the dry weight.

As you can see below, the bamboo sample outperformed the cotton sample, absorbing 1.76 times its weight in water, compared to the cotton sample which absorbed 1.5 times its weight.

Do Bamboo Towels absorb more quickly than Cotton Towels? Yes.

Test 2: Speed of Absorbency

The below illustration is based on the Marks & Spencer Test that registers the time for a piece of terry cloth to sink to the bottom of a glass. The bamboo sample absorbs the liquid more easily than the cotton sample and therefore sinks to the bottom of the glass much faster.

Do Bamboo Towels take longer to dry than Cotton Towels? No.

As illustrated below, the speed at which bamboo fibre evaporates its moisture and dries is roughly equivalent to that of cotton.

Test 3: Drying Time

As above, two pieces of terry cloth (one 100% bamboo fibre and the other 100% cotton fibre) are washed, rinsed and spun as per a domestic washing machine. They are then weighed and hung out to dry. At 5 minute intervals each piece is weighed again until dry.

In the below diagram the two lines run roughly parallel illustrating that the bamboo sample and the cotton sample dry at roughly the same rate.

It is important to note that in the above test the bamboo towel was heavier (ie: wetter as a function of its superior absorbency) when it started the drying process and therefore did take a little longer to dry.

Summary:

If a cotton towel absorbs 500ml of water and a bamboo towel also absorbs 500ml of water, the towels will take approximately the same length of time to dry because they have absorbed the same amount of water and they evaporate their moisture at roughly the same rate.

In practice within the home however, bamboo towels can appear to take a little more time to dry than their cotton counterpart. This is not because the bamboo fibre is slower to evaporate its moisture, rather, because the bamboo fibre is far more absorbent so it simply starts out much wetter and therefore can take a little longer to dry.

Bamboo towels are a fantastic alternative to cotton towels because they are so much softer to the touch, they are far more absorbent, they absorb more quickly so after your bath or shower, you’ll feel much drier much faster and because their production is generally kinder on the environment.

So, they look and feel better, they perform better and they are better for the environment. Next time you’re in the market for some new towels, it really is worth considering buying bamboo towels from Eureco.

Many of our customers have reported that once they had used a bamboo towel, they didn’t want to use anything else again. Experience the difference for yourself.

Do you have any other questions? Post below and I’ll see what I can do to answer them.

Frances.

Christmas and Cotton Commodities

2011-01-17T23:46:00.016+11:00

Hello!

Gosh it’s been a long time since we last posted a blog.

We are very sad to report that our regular Eureco blogger, Megan, has moved on to a full time position writing copy for a well known real estate company. We wish her well and as you can see (by our subsequent lack of blog posts) her skills are much missed already!

Over the Christmas period we were extremely busy processing customer orders from all over the world and we hope that everyone who received Eureco towels or robes over Christmas was thrilled with their gifts!

Our January Sale commenced just a few days later with 20% off everything storewide and an incredible 40% off selected ‘clearance items’.

January is always an interesting time as we take time to review the year that was 2010 and prepare for what is looking as though it will be an increasingly challenging year ahead.

There have been some dramatic developments in the global cotton markets which are set to impact Eureco over the coming year. The Pakistani floods of 2010 destroyed over 3000 km2 (that’s 30%) of their cotton crop. According to the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association over 2 million bales of cotton were destroyed which has led to an increase in the global commodities price with cotton now trading at all time high prices.

Furthermore, the world’s largest producer of cotton, China, has also had a shortfall in production for the 12th year running, cutting their stockpiles to their lowest levels since 1995 and adding further upward pressure on the price of cotton.

Closer to home, the very recent Queensland floods have wiped out almost all Queensland’s cotton crop. While it is too soon to really understand what impact this will have on global cotton prices, it will doubtlessly add further pressure to what is already a volatile commodity.

All this activity in the global markets means that our Belgian supplier (along with almost all other textile manufacturers around the world) has been forced to increase their prices. Our prices are usually set in January for the 12 months ahead however, due to continued uncertainty around the price of cotton, our prices for 2011 are set for just 3 months at a time.

While we will not be amending our collection prices at this time, the possibility exists that we may be forced to increase our prices at some stage during 2011. Just more good reason to take advantage of our January sale prices while they last!

This year, we will also be discontinuing a number of our current colours within our Luxury Bamboo Collection and launching exciting new colours in their place. We expect to launch our new colours by roughly the end of March, early April and we’ll keep you updated with news of the new releases as they approach.

Sneak Peek - Frances putting together the colourstory for new colours launching soon!

In the meantime, don’t forget to take advantage of our January sale prices while they last!

Take care until next time!

What's been happening at Eureco?

2010-10-07T11:00:00.012+11:00

Lots has been happening at Eureco! We have been busy following up our awesome expo success, and then preparing for the next big event - Christmas!

If only Christmas was the sole big event on the calendar, but alas, we like doing 20 things at once at Eureco.

Welcome to our new stockist Think Naturally at Walcha (roughly halfway between Armidale and Tamworth). If you are in the vicinity the actual pinpointed address is 3W Fitzroy St, Walcha NSW. Go and check out our awesome towels in real life! Keep posted as we'll be revealing lots of other new stockists in our next blog.

A heads up that Australia Post have increased their shipping and postage charges. Okay, well they actually did this way back in June, but we are finally increasing our shipping and postage costs to reflect the Australia Post increase: This means Regular Post has increased from $11 to $12 and Express Post has increased from $15 to $18. These are the only changes but if you want to have sticky beak at our full shipping policy click here: Shipping Policy

We have been busy updating the website making it simpler and easier to use, so these changes should start to become live very soon.

We have an exciting photo shoot scheduled for next week to improve our representation of the Organic Cotton Collection and our Gift Bundles in time for Christmas! We will post more news about the shoot in the coming weeks, complete with the pics.

We have always had totally gorgeous gift wrapping, but this has taken a step to the next level with fancy Eureco ribbon and eco friendly gift boxes! Then when you thought it couldn't get any better, we have extra special Eureco Christmas ribbon for your Christmas orders.

Sneak peek: Eureco Christmas gift wrapping!

Speaking of Christmas, we have more stock arriving to top up our supplies so we don't run out. If it was up to us, everyone would get towels and robes for Christmas. Ho ho ho!

A few weeks ago, Frances went back to her old school - Wenona - to talk about all things eco and textiles. She told the Eureco story to a bunch of senior Textiles and Design students who were studying sustainable textiles and business in relation to the textile industry. Frances promised a photo of her with the girls, but in the excitement of the day forgot all about it... Will just have to go back next year eh?!

Eureco kits out Richard Branson's award winning Superyacht

2010-09-13T12:44:00.003+10:00

Did you see Richard Branson on the X Factor last night? The female under 25 contestants went to Richard's private Necker Island, and he helped Natalie Imbruglia narrow the playing field.

So why is Eureco talking about this? What's the link between Eureco and Richard Branson?

Sir Richard is just another happy Eureco customer...

When Branson is cruising around the Caribbean, he uses his $30 million superyacht the Necker Belle for transport.

The Necker Belle is kitted out with Eureco's plush bamboo towels. When the boat was undergoing a refit last year, Eureco was approached to supply the towels, because they fit the criteria for being both eco and luxurious.

“Sustainable materials where used everywhere possible during the refit of the Necker Belle. It was difficult to find an eco-friendly collection of towels that also met our requirements for 6 star total luxury. We were absolutely thrilled when we found Eureco’s collection of luxury bamboo bath towels. 6 months on, they get so much use, they are still lovely and soft and they still look absolutely beautiful.” ~Suzanne Tobin – Chief Stewardess – Necker Belle.

The Necker Belle is used by Branson all over the world, and is chartered by guests at Virgin Limited Edition, Sir Richard Branson’s collection of award-winning retreats in the Caribbean.

To top it all off, the Necker Belle won the Best Refitted Yacht at the World Superyacht Awards 2010

We've found this video of the yacht in action, as seen on Oprah.

Could that be a Eureco bamboo towel laid out in the cabin? Or maybe just a throw...

It's our birthday and you get the presents!

2010-09-09T09:50:00.009+10:00

Yes, that's right, Eureco's online store is turning one and we are slashing prices across the entire range as a birthday gift for all our customers!

We believe birthDAYS are too short so we are celebrating for the whole month of September. That means 20% off everything for the whole month. We reckon if the queen can pick and choose when her birthday is celebrated, so can we.

We have made it very easy for you, and already marked products down by 20% on the collections page. So you won't have any surprises at the check out and don't have to multiply the price by 0.2... Which is handy if maths isn't your thing. Here are some calculations I prepared earlier:

Bamboo bath towels now only $55.20
Organic cotton bath towels now only $38.40 from
Bamboo bath robes now only $176 marked down from $220
Bamboo kids towels now only $27.20

That's not all, there are also savings on:

Bamboo facewashers, bamboo hand towels, bamboo bath sheets, bamboo bath mats
Organic cotton wash mitts, organic cotton hand towels, organic cotton bath sheets, organic cotton bath mats
Kids bamboo hooded towels, kids bamboo bath robes

What are you waiting for? Start celebrating!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-08-27T16:00:00.007+10:00

Better than a bunnings voucher, buy dad a bamboo bath robe for Father's Day! Especially as Eureco is offering 25% off bamboo robes, just for your gift buying needs.

Are you sick of getting the same old thing for dad every year? Has he got an overflowing sock drawer, far too many ties and can't get him chocolate because his cardiologist has forbidden it?

You could always get him a bottle of red... but that will be gone before you can say ''happy father's day dad" and no lasting memories of a great gift. Quite the opposite actually.

Eureco has the solution. Bamboo bath robes are eco-friendly, and dad can use it EVERY DAY. He can be reminded of how good a son or daughter you are every time he puts it on. He could even drink the aforementioned bottle of red on the couch all snug in his... bamboo robe. (Don't even think about getting dad a snuggy, those things are NOT cool.)

So to save time this Father's Day go straight here and order dad a robe. Order one for yourself too if you like. 25% off means that robes are now $165 instead of $220. That's a bargain!

Don't forget to order before 3pm Wednesday the 1st of September to ensure on time delivery to you or dad by Father's Day. If you are running late with your Father's Day gift our offer ends on midnight on Sunday the 5th of September - so don't miss out.

Organic Expo Post Mortem

2010-08-25T14:52:00.021+10:00

I was going to say Eureco merely survived the Organic Expo and Green show held last weekend at the Sydney Convention Centre. But the truth is that Eureco were an outstanding success!

Thursday saw us haul the stand mock up from the Bolton living room into the Convention Centre, only to discover upon arrival that they had not fully laid the floor in our stand. By the time we had picked up printing, afternoon tea and another van load the floor was done, thank goodness!

Fixing our floor!

Worth mentioning for Thursday was how great we all looked in our high visibility orange fluro vests! We also met neighbouring stand holders Will, with his business Every Man Jack as well as Erik and his deliciously masochistic Swedish Healing Mats.

The bump-in team

Friday was the first day of the show, and we arrived early to put the finishing touches on our stand. (The stand looked amazing, by the way). Being trade and media day, we were pleased to chat to lots of prospective Eureco stockists and other interested people.

Our fantastic stand set up

On Saturday the expo was open to the public... and the public came. I arrived 5 minutes before the doors opened and had to fight my way through to the entrance -the public were keen!

Megan and Hen

Saturday also saw the launch of "Robe Girl" or Hen, if we reveal her actual name. Swathed in a purple (nocturne) coloured bamboo robe, Hen wandered around the expo handing out Eureco leaflets and generally attracting all kinds of attention. She overheard this conversation between two expo visitors:

Girl 1: "Oh my god, have you touched her robe yet?"

Girl2: "No."

Girl 1: "I touched it earlier and it feels amazing."

It sounded funnier when Hen recounted the dialogue, maybe I'm missing something. Anyway, Hen did a fantastic job, as many people approached the stand after meeting Robe Girl and being informed about how great bamboo robes and towels were!

Frances and "The Girls"

Just as the expo was about to close on Saturday evening, the organisers told us that the Channel 7 program Weekend Sunrise would be broadcasting live from the expo the next morning. From 7am.

So at 8am on Sunday I, (that is, MEGAN) was at the expo, taking one for the Eureco team. I thought the Swedish Healing Mat people would attract attention of the TV crew, so I put on Hen's robe and took on the role of Robe Girl for the morning, waiting for the action to come to me. However, despite their charms the Swedes didn't get the crew over to their stand and we had to settle for 3 seconds of fame along with all the other stand holders. Yes, I was on Sunrise, telling the nation about Eureco. I thought I was safe, no one I knew would be up at that hour on a Sunday... I was wrong.

My personal camera shyness and early morning issues aside, having Sunrise at the Expo achieved an overwhelmingly popular response, as Sunday's crowds were a force to be reckoned with. We changed our promo and offered 20% off across the board for the last day of the expo, which proved very popular with the punters.

Frances with her pink towels

Hen aka Robe Girl had a run in with security, as a result of certain inter-stand rivalry fuelled by ugly jealousy (theirs, not ours). So she was relegated back to the ranch for the afternoon, which was great as she stepped up and processed sales along with the rest of us!

Every day of the Expo we ran a competition from our stand, where people signing up to our newsletter could go into the draw to win a bamboo towel bundle. Here are the three lucky winners:
Day 1 ~ M. Knowles, Russellvale NSW
Day 2 ~ N. Hargrave, Maroubra NSW
Day 3 ~ S. Rees, Point Piper, NSW
Look out for your prize in the mail!

And the winner is...?

So that was the end of a successful Organic Expo, and our hot trade show debut! On behalf of Frances, many, many thanks go out to the Eureco family, whose generous help and support made Eureco's expo debut the success that it was. Thanks not only for the help getting Eureco physically in and out of the expo, but for the 6 weeks of mania preceding it.
Thanks to Graham, Amy, Sophie, Mum Bolton, Kathy and Hen.

Organic Expo Madness!

2010-08-18T12:32:00.004+10:00

We are crazily busy preparing for the Organic Expo where we will make our stunning expo debut this Friday 20th August at the Sydney Convention Centre. The expo is open to the public over the weekend (Sat 21-Sun 22) and we want to see you there!!!

Despite the stress and craziness, the Eureco stand is set to be a haven of peace, pampering and tranquility... (yep, I have seen the stand in dress rehearsal glory and it's awesome).

At the expo the Eureco team will be featuring a special guest robe rover ready to wow the expo by wearing a gorgeous bamboo robe. She's eco, she's sexy, and she is ready to meet YOU!

You wouldn't want to miss the Organic Expo because there you can sign up to our soon to be launched email newsletter, and AT THE SAME TIME you will automatically be entered into our Expo competition to win a fantastic Eureco gift bundle worth over $200! We have three gift bundles to give away, and the winner will be drawn each day of the expo at 5pm.

Plus, if you spend $150 at the Eureco stand at the Organic Expo you will receive a free land towel worth $34! What's even better, is that if you spend $300, you will receive a free bath towel worth $69!

See you there!

Last chance to win Organic Expo Tickets!

2010-08-09T09:00:00.000+10:00

HURRY! COMPETITION CLOSES TOMORROW!

The Organic Expo is being held in Sydney at the Convention Centre from August 20-22 and Eureco will be there! To celebrate Eureco's expo debut, we are holding a competition where you can win one of 10 passes to the expo! All you have to do is email megan@eureco.com.au and tell us why you love Eureco. Be creative! Winning entries will be blogged for the world to see! See further details below...

Win Organic Expo Ticket Competition:
Email: megan@eureco.com.au your entry, please include EXPO in the subject line.
Entries close 5pm 11 August 2010. Winners will be announced 12 August 2010. Passes valid for 21-22 August only.

The Organic Expo will be an eco extravaganza!

2010-08-05T09:00:00.000+10:00

So we think you should all come to the Organic Expo to visit the Eureco stand, of course. However, to be fair, the Organic Expo is much more than just Eureco, in fact there will be over 180 other exciting exhibitors there!

(In case you have been hiding under a rock, the Organic Expo will be held at the Sydney Convention Centre from 20-22 August.)

The theme for this year's expo is 'Paddock to Plate' which means visitors can see the pros demonstrate their cooking skills, and learn how to cook a wholesome fresh meal at home for the family. Who are these pros? Kylie Kwong and Tobie Puttock, no less.

Other cool stuff includes the Organic Kids Fun Zone where kids can pat farm animals, plant veggies and learn about bugs in the garden. (I will be one of the big kids there, I'm sure).

Also looking forward to sampling the tasty offerings from the Organic Vineyard - yep, even wine is going organic these days...

There will also be gardening and beauty experts at the expo to give you the greenest advice, as well as lots of sustainable homewares and building exhibitors to provide ideas for your home makeover.

For green thumbs: Gardening gurus Jerry Coleby-Williams and Costa Georgiadis will be on hand to ensure your garden is greener and tastier than ever

For beauty buffs: Sample luxurious pampering treatments and shop up an organic storm while beauty expert Carla Oates reveals how to custom-blend your own skincare products from ingredients in your fridge

The most important stand to visit is number 161, because Eureco will be there! Check out our other blog post to see what cool stuff we will be doing at the expo and to WIN tickets!

Hope to see you there!

Save money and buy your expo tickets online.

Eureco at the Organic Expo

2010-08-02T09:00:00.001+10:00

The Organic Expo is being held in Sydney at the Convention Centre from August 20-22 and Eureco will be there!

To celebrate Eureco's expo debut, we are holding a competition where you can win one of 10 passes to the expo! All you have to do is email megan@eureco.com.au and tell us why you love Eureco. Be creative! Winning entries will be blogged for the world to see! See further details below...

Not sure about bamboo? Don't know what the difference between cotton and organic cotton is? Come to the stand and feel the difference for yourself!

Our stand will be in the "green" section, near the back, number 161. We would love to meet you! Come to the expo and buy Eureco products at special discount expo prices. Yep, that's bamboo towels, bamboo bath mats, bamboo robes, kids mini bamboo and the new Bio Organic Cotton collection for discounted expo prices.

Engage with our activities at the expo and claim a discount voucher to use at the Eureco online store!

Become our friend on Facebook

Enter our competition to win a special Eureco product pack.

Look out for our Robe Rovers wandering around the Expo - Eureco delegates wearing plush bamboo robes will be busy attracting people to our stand!

If you miss out on winning one of our passes to the expo make sure you buy your ticket online, as it's cheaper. The expo is a great opportunity to buy a present for dad, with Father's Day coming up just around the corner.

What else can you do at the Expo? Stay tuned for the next blog post!

See you at the Organic Expo!

Win Organic Expo Ticket Competition:
Email: megan@eureco.com.au your entry, please include EXPO in the subject line.
Entries close 5pm 11 August 2010. Winners will be announced 12 August 2010. Passes valid for 21-22 August only.

Choosing a top quality towel: Tips for discerning the duds from the darlings.

2010-07-26T13:58:00.004+10:00

There are many factors to consider when looking for new towels for your home. Some common considerations can include things like: price, colour, pattern, fibre content, absorbency, softness and even brand name.

But what about quality? How do you determine a great quality towel? Below are our top tips for discerning the duds from the darlings.

1. WEIGHT :

Towel weight is measured by grams per square metre or GSM. Towels and bath robes typically vary from between 300 to 800gsm. A high quality towel is usually 600gsm and above.
Two key factors will influence the weight of a towel:

i) LOOPS: The deeper the pile or the longer the terry loops, the more plush (full bodied) and soft to the touch your towel will feel. It will also mean a greater overall surface area which will improve the towels absorbency and have you feeling dry much faster.

ii) WEAVE: The tightness of the weave structure in combination with the length of the terry loops will influence the weight of your towel. A tighter weave structure will mean smaller gaps and more loops per square inch. More loops means a fuller handle and greater absorbency. See expert tip 2 for help determining the density of a towel’s weave.

Expert Tip 1: If you are looking at towels online, make sure the seller clearly specifies their weight.

Bamboo: 450gsm is poor. 550gsm is good. 650gsm is excellent.
Cotton: 400gsm is poor. 600gsm is good. 800gsm is excellent.

Why the difference between Bamboo & Cotton?
Bamboo fibre is denser than cotton fibre. A bamboo towel may feel a little finer than a cotton towel with the same GSM. However, since bamboo fibre is more absorbent than cotton fibre, a lighter bamboo towel will absorb more than the same weight cotton towel, making it equal to a higher weight cotton towel.

Expert Tip 2: LOOK TO THE LIGHT: It may sound strange, but it’s genius, I promise. Open up your towel and hold it up to the light – in natural daylight is best, but up to any strong light will do.

Poor Quality Cotton Towel

Our Bamboo Towel

A poor quality towel will have a looser weave and the light will stream right through. If the towel maintains its opacity, you’ll know you’ve found a great quality towel.

2. FIBRE:

When looking for a top quality towel, fibre content is another important consideration.
Cotton: Most people are familiar with cotton towels and cotton is by far the most common fibre used to manufacture towels. There are significant adverse environmental impacts associated with the manufacture of cotton towels making their ongoing and continued use increasingly unsustainable. Their more eco-friendly organic cotton counterparts are a smarter and more sustainable choice.

When looking to buy new towels for your home, why not consider the benefits of these alternative fibres:

Bamboo: More and more people are becoming familiar with the benefits of bamboo towels. They are extremely soft, highly absorbent and a sustainable alternative to conventional cotton towels.

Flax: Fewer people still are familiar with flax (linen) towels. Flax towels are generally considered more eco friendly than cotton towels. They are strong, absorbent and have a uniquely rougher texture which exfoliates and invigorates the skin as they’re being used.

Other: Seacell (derived from seaweed) and Legna (derived from wood pulp) are new fibres that are emerging in towels. Both these new fibres are soft, absorbent and considered a more eco-friendly alternative to cotton. Keep an eye out for towels made from these fibres into the future!

THE LAST WORD:
We know that truly great quality towels can come at a premium price, but we think top quality towels are always worth the investment. The better the quality of towel you buy today, the longer they’ll last, which means buying fewer over your life time. So even though you might spend more initially, you won’t be spending the same amount as often, and the more money you will save overall. Not to mention the less waste you will be creating! We recommend always buying the very best quality towels you can afford.

Organic Cotton - Farming

2010-07-19T12:53:00.004+10:00

The differences between organic cotton and conventional can be seen when the farming process is broken down into stages, such as seed preparation, soil preparation, water, weed control, pest control, and harvesting. The basic premise of organic cotton at the farming level is facilitating what the earth does naturally –thrive.

Conventional cotton growing creates a dependent cycle of chemical use which hinders nature from doing its job, and therefore creates the need for more chemicals to compensate. For example, with conventional cotton, the pesticides and herbicides used to keep pests and weeds at bay takes all the good nutrients out of the soil in which the cotton is growing. The soil therefore needs more chemicals in the form of synthetic fertiliser in order to boost its nutrients again, for the cotton to grow.

The methods used with organic farming including crop rotation and hand hoeing mean that weeds and pests are kept at bay naturally, and the soil is nutrient rich with organic matter. A staggering statistic is that conventional cotton growing accounts for approximately 25% of the world’s insecticide use – that takes a fair chunk of responsibility for spraying all those chemicals into the air.

	Conventional	Organic
Seed preparation	Toxic fungicide or insecticide treatment, potential Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seeds.	Natural, untreated seeds free from GMO!
Soil Preparation	Synthetic fertilisers, soil erosion due to mono-crop culture.	Natural balance of soil helped by crop rotation means synthetic fertilisers not needed.
Weed Control	Toxic herbicides	Physical removal of weeds, no chemicals
Pest control	Toxic pesticides, insecticides, fungicides	Healthy soil maintains balance between pests and predators, trap crop planting
Harvesting	Toxic chemical defoliation	Natural defoliation methods such as seasonal freezing, water management
Water	Poor quality soil from chemical use leads to polluted water run off	Healthy soil has water retention properties – and any run off is unpolluted

Seed preparation

With conventional cotton, seeds are treated with toxic fungicides or insecticides. Sometimes potentially Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seeds are used. Organic cotton seeds are natural, free from treatment and definitely not GMO!

Soil Preparation

Synthetic fertilisers are applied to the soil as its nutrients have been depleted due to pesticide use. Soil is also eroded from continuous cropping or mono-crop culture – always planting the same kind of crop, i.e. cotton, in the same place. This is designed to generate as high income as possible for the owner, with little regard for the soil, and is in contrast to organic cotton which is grown using crop rotation methods. This is the practice of alternating different crops on the same field to break weed, pest and disease cycles and to maintain or improve soil fertility, retention and organic matter content. Before pesticides were invented, this was the traditional method used by farmers to protect their crops.

Weed Control

Toxic herbicides are used to control weeds with conventional cotton crops. It is also applied to the soil to inhibit weed germination, and sprayed through the air. Organic cotton, on the other hand requires physical removal of the weeds rather than chemical, and weed control is exercised by hand hoeing and keeping the soil healthy.

Pest Control

Conventional cotton cultivation depends heavily on the use of pesticides to protect the plant against pests and disease, accounting for approximately 25% of world pesticide consumption. Pesticides and insecticides used are highly toxic, and the method of aerial spraying causes potential harm to workers, as well as neighbouring farms, animals and communities. Organic cotton on the other hand maintains a balance between pests and their natural predators through healthy soil, as well as using beneficial insects, biological and cultural practices to control pests. Sometimes a trap crop may be used to lure pests away from the cotton!

Harvesting

The cotton plant undergoes a process of defoliation, where the leaves are cleared, before it is mechanically harvested. Conventional cotton is defoliated using toxic chemicals, the effects on the environment similar in impact to pesticides. Organic cotton uses a natural method of defoliant such as seasonal freezing temperatures, as well as water management.

What about water?

Cotton growing both conventionally and organically uses a lot of water. The benefit of organic is the elimination of toxic chemicals, rather than the sustainability of low water use, as is seen with the bamboo crop. When it comes to irrigation, organic cotton crops are more water retentive than conventional cotton crops, as the soil is rich and healthy. So less water runs off the fields and what does in not polluted.

Refs

http://organicexchange.org/Documents/ocsymbiosis.pdf

Kooistra, K.J., Pyburn, R., Termorshuizen, A.J. 2006. The sustainability of cotton. Consequences for man and environment, Science Shop Wageningen University & Research Centre. Report 223. ISBN: 90-6754-90-8585-000-2. www.wur.nl/wewi

http://organicexchange.org/Farm/Reading%20and%20References/WUR%20science%20shop%20Sustainability%20of%20Cotton%20Apr06%20%282%29.pdf

News Update: Organic Cotton Collection Arrives

2010-07-12T12:10:00.004+10:00

We are super excited to announce that the organic cotton collection has finally arrived, after the shipment was lost at sea! Ok, well we thought it was lost at sea because it was so late, but when it finally got delivered the paperwork stated the port of arrival, Sydney Australia, and the date of arrival, 1^st of June! Needless to say Frances was very cranky, and of course there was no explanation as to what the towels have been doing for six weeks...

Anyway, a big day of unpacking has resulted in a full warehouse with six new bright colours on the shelves to cheer us up. We are already experiencing strong sales of the collection in the first week which is really encouraging. The collection is live on the site, check it out here.

The organic expo is just around the corner and we are getting excited (and stressed) about all the preparations. Frances had an uncharacteristically pleasant phone call with the bank to organise a portable merchant facility so we can sell towels from the expo. She also met with the graphic designer, which means there will be a whole bunch of printed collateral on the way, like signs and banners and info packs. Next on the list is putting together another product video for the stand – do you remember the last one...?

Megan has been busy keeping all the wheels turning in social media world. And is now the resident expert . She has also signed Eureco up to lots of different networks, the latest exciting one being care2.com where we planted a tree! There are heaps of great articles on all things eco as well as a central petition signing section where you can sign a petition about almost anything. The more you contribute to the site, the more ‘butterfly points’ you earn which you can donate to cool causes like planting a tree or feeding a child. Check out our page and if you are already part of the care2 network please be our friend!

About Organic Cotton

2010-07-06T10:58:00.006+10:00

So most of us have been using cotton all our lives – cotton sheets, towels, clothes... It’s supposed to be a natural product, isn’t it? So what’s the difference with organic cotton? I thought organic was just related to those tomatoes?

Food and clothing are two major product groups which have direct contact with our bodies. So shouldn’t we care what kind of processes and ingredients go into making these products? An easy example is organic fruit and vegetables, and the general knowledge that they are grown without the use of pesticides. Who wants to eat pesticides?

The same principle applies for other organic products, in this case, organic cotton towels. Conventional cotton is grown using lots of toxic chemicals, like pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. Organic cotton is not.

The term organic describes a method of farming without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides or fertilisers, sewage sludge, irradiation or genetic engineering, and are certified by an accredited independent organization. It is a system of farming that strives for a balance with nature, using methods and materials that are of low impact to the environment. (Courtesy of Organic Exchange)

The differences between organic cotton and conventional can be seen through farming processes, such as seed preparation, soil preparation, water, weed control, pest control, and harvesting. The basic premise of organic cotton at the farming level is facilitating what the earth does naturally.

Conventional cotton growing creates a dependent cycle of chemical use which hinders nature from doing its job, and therefore creates the need for more chemicals to compensate. With conventional cotton, the pesticides and herbicides used to keep pests and weeds at bay takes all the good nutrients out of the soil in which the cotton is growing. Then in order for the cotton to grow, the soil needs more chemicals in the form of synthetic fertiliser in order to boost its nutrients. The methods used with organic farming including crop rotation and hand hoeing mean that weeds and pests are kept at bay naturally, and the soil is nutrient rich with organic matter. A staggering statistic is that conventional cotton growing accounts for approximately 25% of the world’s insecticide use – that takes a fair chunk of responsibility for spraying all those chemicals into the air.

The certifications OE 100 and OE blended which ensure our products are organic, extend beyond the farming level, right through to production and finishing of the organic cotton towel product. After farming, the production of the raw cotton into towels requires yarn production, whitening, finishing and dyeing. The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 ensures the final product is suitable for human use, and sets strict limits on the amount of harmful substances contained in textiles.

In particular it includes:

• legally banned substances such as carcinogenic dyes

• legally controlled substances such as formaldehyde, softeners, heavy metals or pentachlorophenol

• substances which can be harmful to health such as pesticides, allergenic dyes or organic tin compounds

• parameters such as colour-fastness and a skin-friendly pH value, intended to prevent health problems

Our Bio Organic Cotton range uses cotton sourced from Europe, India and Turkey. The products are certified organic by the Organic Exchange standard OE 100 and OE Blended. It is certified safe for human use by Oeko Tex. It has been manufactured in accordance with the environmental standard ISO14001.

References:

Organic Exchange Farm and Fiber Report 2009

http://www.organiccotton.org/oc/Cotton-general/Impact-of-cotton/Risk-of-cotton-processing.php

Oekotex Standard 100

Organic exchange standards OE100 and OE Blended

Frances under the microscope

2010-06-29T14:49:00.005+10:00

This is the chance you have all been waiting for... Frances reveals all in an exclusive interview! She goes behind the scenes at Eureco and answers all the questions we have been dying to ask. Like; what's with the bamboo?!

Why did you start Eureco?

Eureco is my second company and evolved out of my first, Moral Fibre Australia, which I began in 2006. The original seed was planted during a casual conversation with a friend. I was complaining about being bored and frustrated in my job and she simply suggested I start my own thing. I had always dreamed of running my own company ‘one day’ but had assumed I needed to be older and more experienced. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realised that being young meant I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Why not start now? So I did.

Why bamboo towels?

I know. Bamboo towels seem like a strange place to start, but the decision to start with bamboo towels was not a ‘bolt from the blue’. It was the result of about six months spent researching all kinds of possibilities, options and opportunities.

I have always been passionate about textiles. Growing up, I was always involved in textile related activities. Everything from designing and sewing my own clothes, to felting, to cross stitching to just loitering in fabric and haberdashery stores. In fact, I can often still be found loitering in such stores.

At first, I figured I’d probably just start making things myself. Maybe bags or cushions or toys or something and sell them at the markets. But realising that market stalls mean lots of early mornings, it wasn’t long before I abandoned that idea!

Then off the back of another casual conversation, I started researching linen bath towels (friction towels). I had heard they were big in Europe but generally unavailable in Australia at that point. I had samples from manufacturers in Ireland, UK, Lithuania, Poland and Finland sent to me. I wondered whether there was a market for such towels in Australia?

While I was researching the flax towels I came across an article forecasting major European homewares trends. It mentioned that bamboo towels were just emerging into the market and were tipped as the next big thing! I had never heard of bamboo towels and I had certainly never seen any in Australia, so I wanted to know more. I found out that there were none being manufactured in Australia, so I contacted mills from all over the world including Turkey, Japan, China, UK and Belgium requesting samples of their products. I tested the towels and loved them!

After evaluating all of the samples, I decided upon the Belgian collection for a whole range of reasons. The quality of their towels was absolutely outstanding - far superior to any of the other collections I looked at. Their sizing was generous and more appropriate for the Australian market (towels out of Asia are usually somewhat smaller and thinner). The colours were really contemporary, trend driven and I was confident I could put together a great colour story that would suit the unique sensibilities of Australian consumers. The Belgians were easy to deal with and their staff were well trained, working in safe, ethical conditions and paid fair wages. There was less of a language barrier, they were efficient answering my questions and I felt a good relationship could be developed. Finally, they agreed to offer me the exclusive rights to distribute their collections within the Australian and New Zealand markets. What more could I ask for?

So, after a total of almost six months research, I had found a collection and a supplier I was happy with. I brought out a small shipment of towels at first and the rest is history.

Who has helped and inspired you?

There have been so many people, starting with my own parents who ran their own businesses while I was a child. I have had some incredibly inspiring and encouraging bosses and colleagues that I’ve met at various workplaces. I’ve worked almost exclusively for small companies which has given me broad experiences, versatile skills and best of all, great access to other entrepreneurial types! I continue to meet inspiring people every day. Importantly, my retailers inspire me as they are all people running their own businesses too!

What qualifications or experience did you have which helped?

Probably the best experience I had was while working for a medium sized textile company who were distributors and wholesalers of European textile collections. They also designed and manufactured their own collections ‘in house’. I wasn’t always happy there, but it was fabulous experience. I was heavily involved in the ‘nerdy’ technical specifications of the products, so I developed a solid grounding in the nitty-gritty technical aspects of the fabrics.

Just by keeping my eyes and ears open I learned lots about how the textile industry works. From design and manufacture through to importing, warehousing, marketing and wholesaling.

I also studied business at uni and worked in finance which was useful, but honestly, my last four years learning ‘on the job’ has been absolutely invaluable. I’ve learned so much just by getting stuck in and working it out as I go along.

What stops you from throwing in the towel and giving up during those frustrating days of running your business?

Ha-Ha. Throwing in the towel. Nice one!

I remind myself of the alternative - working for someone else! If I’m feeling flat it usually means I need to have another good look at my goals. If I’m bored, I take myself off for a short course in something interesting and vaguely related to get re-motivated. I have done some really great short courses. Learning something new always seems to get me fired up again.

I did a fantastic and nerdy course at the CSIRO in Geelong on technical textile production, which I loved. I’ve studied importing and exporting, social media for business and even learned about manufacturing in China - which was very scary.

How do you keep a work/life balance?

I’m not sure I really do. This is an area I struggle with, and like any person running a small business it can be hard to break away from the job.

Creating a distinction in terms of physical space was important for me. So literally moving my office out of home and taking on company premises was a major breakthrough.
I try to leave my laptop at the office and not take it home with me. This doesn’t always work. I can still access most things on my mobile and I have been known to escape from social events and return to my office at ridiculous times of night. I’m trying to be better...
Working long hours (often alone) can be lonely so I make an effort to catch up with my friends even when things are busy.
Organised sport plays an important role in keeping me sane and healthy. I find there is more incentive for me to leave the office and turn up to soccer training if I’m worried about letting the team down. I find playing sport is also a great way to relieve stress.

What was a major obstacle you have faced and how did you deal with it?

Having traded as Moral Fibre for roughly two years, I became aware of another company operating in the same market segment, running a similar operation and also calling themselves Moral Fibre. We even had a number of clients in common! While they didn’t own the Moral Fibre company or business name, they had trademarked the term Moral Fibre, which I had neglected to do. I thought that owning the company and business names was enough to prevent another person trading under the name. Turns out that’s not quite true! There’s my inexperience showing!

I got legal representation and began proceedings to oppose the registration for their trademark. The whole process was extremely stressful (not to mention expensive) and took up huge amounts of my energy. My confidence, enthusiasm and motivation really took a knock and I found it hard to continue working to build a brand which I felt was compromised in the market.

About six months into the process I had a dream where I was staring at my company balance sheet. My expenses had been completely blown out by legal fees (crippling my little company) and I couldn’t stand the look of the figure on the report. The total expense of the opposition proceedings was enough money to launch another collection and I knew that I would rather see that figure sitting on the company balance sheet as an asset.

From there it was easy enough to decide not to continue to oppose the other ‘Moral Fibre’. I’d let them have the name. I’d change my company name and rebrand for a tiny fraction of the expense and I’d launch a brand new collection!

That’s where Eureco Began. Ultimately, it’s been such an opportunity and a blessing. I was forced to stop, re-assess, re-evaluate and really examine the strengths and weaknesses of my operation. I began Eureco applying all the knowledge and learning I’d gained by running Moral Fibre.

Eureco is a stronger, smarter and more profitable entity that I’m really proud I’ve built.

Can you tell me what lessons you’ve learned over the years?

The biggest lesson I learned came out of the trade mark debacle. I wanted to oppose the trade marking of Moral Fibre purely on principle - because I knew I would win. It was about ego and pride and coming out on top. But I learned that sometimes it is smarter to tuck your ego away and make tough decisions that are good for the balance sheet and ultimately, good for the business.

I also developed an understanding of the distinction between Frances the person and Eureco/Moral Fibre the business. Grasping that Frances and ‘company’ are not one and the same - that Frances will survive and prosper even if her business fails or has to close for some reason - enabled me to gain a more objective and secure perspective. This is a better position to be in when making tough business decisions.

Of course there have been so many other lessons too, like “be nice to people” and “make friends with the people at the post office” but those two are the biggies.

How important is the eco side of business?

Very important! I guess I’ve never really been your typical ‘greenie’, but I’ve grown up as part of a generation of people who first learnt about ‘climate change’ and ‘sustainability’ in primary school. I think as a group we are inherently more conscious of our environment and aware of the limited nature of many of our resources. From very early on, we have been educated to think about our choices and the impact they have on our environment. I also think that I’m part of a generation of young people who, (maybe more than any generation before) are really empowered as individuals and understand their ability to have an impact as a collective.

Working in other fields, I had become aware of just how environmentally unfriendly many textile production processes are. I’d also become aware of just how miserable some of the working conditions within the textile industry can be. I was also conscious of how much waste was created and all these things bothered me.

Sustainable design and ethical manufacture were of primary importance to me when I began sourcing my products. Quality and aesthetic appeal are also key considerations. I’m stubborn and I refuse to launch any product that doesn’t meet all of my requirements.

This firm adherence to my values can make things difficult. When looking for new collections, I often come across gorgeous collections with little or no genuine eco-credentials, or conversely, seriously green eco-collections that are not great quality or worst of all, ugly.

But, I just will not compromise. All Eureco collections are sustainably made, ethically manufactured, exceptional quality and gorgeous. Moving forward I hope to find more and more collections which meet all my requirements. Failing that, it is very possible that in future I will move to design and manufacture our own private label collections.

What’s coming up for Eureco?

A new organic cotton collection is on the way, which I’m really excited about. I’m in the process of reorganising the warehouse to make space for the new stock. Then the next thing on the calendar is the Organic Expo in August at the Sydney Convention Centre, where we will be exhibiting, and hopefully making many new friends! Further ahead, we are looking to expand into overseas markets in 2011. Eureco already has the rights to distribute in the New Zealand and American markets so it’s just a matter of capitalising on that opportunity.

What advice would you give another person starting their own business?

Just get out there and do it, start knocking on doors and make it happen. Don’t be afraid of approaching people, as the vast majority of people want to help you and want to see you succeed. Ask them lots of questions, be annoying! Surround yourself with people who are much smarter than you and in business. They can answer your questions and you can benefit from their experience. Find an unofficial mentor – they may not even realise they’re mentoring you! My mum has probably been my biggest mentor.

Typical day in the life

First thing is get a coffee, fortunately there is a great café next to my house. Then check the post box. When I arrive at the office I check emails and respond to anything urgent. As my Belgian suppliers obviously operate during the night, if there is any communication from them I need to respond promptly. The only other consistent part of my day is packing up and sending off orders.

After that is where the typical part ends, as there is no average day in the life - every day is completely different. Some days I will be packing orders, other days I will be formulating media plans with Megan, I can be working on the advertising and marketing one day, then sourcing and looking for new collections the next. What else? I could be pricing collections, talking to my retailers, searching for new retailers, updating the website, going on a business trip to research other regions, keeping on top of the accounts, checking inventory levels, writing blogs... One of the joys of running your own business is that every day is completely different, as you have to wear many different hats.

What are you...

Reading? I’m reading three books at once. In my handbag is Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. It’s nerdy it’s all about statistics - I’m in heaven and I love it. The other two books are on my bedside table, they are the Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, and The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter.

Eating? Ice cream is my vice.

Buying? Morning coffees, sensible shoes (I very often buy very silly shoes), a winter coat.

Cooking? I’ve recently perfected my vegie stir-fry, its pretty good. Cooking is a great stress reliever.

Conversing about? The trials and tribulations of my soccer team, current affairs.

Watching? The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Weeds, Mad Men, True Blood.

Listening to? Triple J and the 702 Midnight Quiz.

Collecting? Lame dinner party jokes, vintage scrabble boards and a lot of scarves. I suppose one could call that a collection (or just a compulsion).

Passionate about? Nerdy stuff that’s too nerdy to mention.

Eureco recognised for World Environment Day!

2010-06-23T15:11:00.002+10:00

Farming future fibres

2010-06-07T15:40:00.000+10:00

-Life Cycle of Bamboo Series-

The environmental sustainability of bamboo fibre originates at the farming level, as this is where bamboo's self-sustainable characteristics best exemplify its' limited effect on the environment.

Bamboo as a commercial crop doesn’t need much help – it thrives and regenerates naturally without the use of pesticides, and with few farming inputs. A natural bio agent found in the bamboo plant is known as ‘bamboo kun’ and acts as a kind of self protecting barrier, which is what keeps the plant healthy without needing any polluting agricultural chemicals. Bamboo kun is bound to the plant at the molecular level and is the same substance which gives finished bamboo products their antibacterial properties. Bamboo also grows incredibly rapidly, and as a commercial crop will start to yield within 3-5 years of planting. Bamboo will also grow on slopes where nothing else is viable.

Unlike cotton, Bamboo does not require much water to grow, and can be grown in dry conditions thus making it a more sustainable crop. It needs about one quarter of the amount of water that cotton does.

As bamboo regenerates naturally, it doesn’t need replanting after it has been harvested, making it an easily renewable resource. This also saves heavy replanting machinery from over working the soil.

The structure of bamboo itself is also good for maintaining the soil it grows in, due to its large and deep root system being thickly clumped balls, which helps keep soil together and prevent erosion. Bamboo’s self sufficiency continues as any debris that falls from a growing clump of bamboo also fertilises the ground at the base of the bamboo culms and feeds it, eventually fertilising the soil as well.

Bamboo is a grass, not a tree. The significance of this is seen in its harvesting, as it is cut, not uprooted, further preventing soil erosion. Also, as a grass it absorbs far more carbon dioxide and emits more oxygen than a tree does, limiting the commercial affects on climate change.

Currently bamboo is not grown commercially in Australia, except as a food product. As there are no commercial plantations outside of China, there are inevitably carbon emissions associated with the shipping and transport. Temporarily we unfortunately need to take this environmental impact into account, and of course we would love to source locally if we could.

Bamboo fibre that makes Eureco’s towels originates from a company in China called Bambrotex. The raw material is grown in non-polluted regions in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces. Bambrotex produces bamboo fibre strictly in adherence with international standards ISO9000 and ISO 14000.

Our manufacturing partner Santens is committed to ensuring their supply partners, including Bambrotex employ their staff in ethical and fair labour conditions, including farmers working in the bamboo crops.

Life Cycle of Bamboo Series

2010-06-07T13:37:00.009+10:00

This is the first in a series of Eureco blogs about the life cycle of a bamboo towel, from cradle to grave... okay that’s a horrible expression, more like how does a plant like bamboo end up as a soft absorbent towel, and what is the real impact on the environment?

The point of all this is to draw attention to the real issues behind the sustainability of our towels. We don't want you to just take our word for it, we are going to show you so you can decide for yourself.

Remember the blog about The Story Of Stuff? Well this will hopefully be kind of like that, minus the cool cartoons (I can't draw).

As this is obviously a long process with many parts, it will be broken down into more easily digestible chunks as a series of blogs. Along the way I’ll also add in some comparative articles about cotton and organic cotton, so we can see what the real differences are.

The stages of the life cycle goes roughly like this; extraction (farming), production, distribution, consumption, disposal. These are the same categories as used by "The Story Of Stuff" but will be adapted to suit our purposes along the way.

We at Eureco are not going to claim that we're always perfect, or that our products are completely without environmental impact. But what we do hope to show you is that our towels are a step in the right direction for the environment. We want you to be informed about what we are doing, so that you can make your own decisions, because ultimately you have to be satisfied that what you use as a consumer is green by your own definition. Hopefully we will give you enough information to enable you to make that judgment for yourself.

Celebrate World Environment Day!

2010-06-05T08:30:00.002+10:00

Today is World Environment Day! Celebrate with Eureco and get 20% off!

WED in 2010 aims to be the biggest day for environmental action around the world. It has been going since 5th June 1972, and is the UN's way of promoting environmental change. The theme this year is: Many Species. One Planet. One Future. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon gives this message on WED:

"Biodiversity, the incredible variety of life on Earth that sustains us, is in peril. Species are becoming extinct at the fastest rate ever recorded. Most of these extinctions are tied to human activities that are polluting and depleting water resources, changing and degrading habitats and altering the global climate. From frogs to gorillas, from huge plants to tiny insects, thousands of species are in jeopardy.

The theme of this year’s World Environment Day, “Many Species. One Planet. One Future”, echoes the call of the International Year of Biodiversity to stop this mass extinction and raise awareness about the vital importance of the millions of species that inhabit our planet’s soils, forests, oceans, coral reefs and mountains. Our health, well-being and sustainable future depend on this intricate, delicate web of ecosystems and life."

-UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon

Through decades of WED celebrations, hundreds of thousands of people from countries all over the world have been mobilised for individual and organized environmental action, and in 2010 Eureco is one of them!

We are offering 20% off all full priced products this weekend only to celebrate World Environment Day! Simply enter ENVIRODAY in the discount/coupon field at the checkout to get your saving! Check out our range here.

We also love how you can Easily Green Your Daily Routine!

Please note WED promotion ends Monday, and discount code only valid if entered as appears above. Happy shopping!

Easily Green Your Daily Routine

2010-06-05T08:26:00.005+10:00

The lovely people at World Environment Day 2010 have passed on these daily changes you can make to your life which will help the environment. Don't forget to use your bamboo towel!

WED is about taking action to be a part of the solution. And the Daily do something Tips are a great start.

We can all do our part to protect the planet by using less and acting more. Going green is not as difficult as you might think. Here we walk you through 30 easy ways to green your daily routine, from the moment you hit snooze on your solar-powered alarm clock to the point when you crawl into your eco-washed, organic cotton sheets.

Make your WED commitment today. But don’t stop at today and don’t stop here. Try to incorporate all of these into your life as a matter of routine. Get others to do so the same. And get involved!

IN GENERAL:

Plant a tree! Help achieve UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign target of planting seven billion trees – one for every person on the planet – by the end of this year! Three billion are planted. Five billion are pledged. On every continent in the world trees can be planted in June, so start your efforts on WED.
Find needy homes or charitable organizations for things that you no longer need or want rather than throwing it away.

DAILY ROUTINE:

AT HOME…

It would seem to go without saying, but many of us forget that we can save water in simple ways like not letting the tap run while shaving, washing your face, or brushing your teeth.
Insulating your water heater will help save valuable energy, and you can go the extra mile by installing showerheads with a low flow in your bathrooms for bathing purposes to help save water. You can also put a timer on your heaters to save power.
Using an electric razor or hand razor with replaceable blades instead of disposable razors goes a long way to cutting back on waste. And plant a tree.
Use towels for drying your face and hands instead of tissues that are used and thrown away. Also, hang your towels to dry so that they can be reused several times. You are after all clean when you use them! [Eureco reckons bamboo towels are even better, check them out here!]
Juice or yoghurt lovers can do their bit by buying juice in concentrates and yoghurt in reusable containers instead of single serving packages.
Many of us like to leaf through the paper as we munch on breakfast, but consider reading the dailies in communal spaces like the office or coffee shops. However, if you prefer to have your own copy, make sure you recycle!
When packing your lunch, opt for reusable containers for food storage instead of wrapping the food with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
When deciding what you're going to eat for the day, go vegan once a week. Many people may not know this, but raising animals for food generates a considerable amount of greenhouse gases!
As you leave the house, don’t forget to switch off all the lights and appliances at the wall unit (if you have this feature) and unplug chargers as they continue to consume even if they are not charging; saving energy helps reduce air pollution.

GETTING TO WORK:

Don’t go anywhere without your cloth bag so you can just say no to plastic whenever you shop.
Radical as it may seem, in today’s “the easier the better” society, the easiest way to reduce your carbon footprint is by avoiding driving altogether. Power down and Instead try biking, walking, carpooling, public transport or an occasional telecommute.
If you have no other choice than to drive to work, look for the most fuel- efficient car model for your next purchase and keep your tyres inflated to the correct pressure.

If you’re one of the lucky few blessed with clear stretches of road on your way to work, use cruise control, as it saves fuel and also helps you maintain a constant speed.
If you’re among the majority of drivers who spend their mornings stuck in traffic, consider turning your engine off if you will be idling for long periods of time. And plant a tree.
For those who suffer from road rage, remember that aggressive driving lowers your mileage, so if you want to save on fuel and save the planet while you’re at it, accelerate gradually-- something to keep that in mind the next time that bad driver cuts you off! Just count to 10 and say the planet needs me!

AT WORK:

Do you have a morning hot drink routine? Using a washable mug is an environmentally-friendly alternative to non-biodegradable styrofoam or plastic cups.
Leave a cup and reusable bottle for water at work to eliminate buying drinks, which get served in plastic cups, or bottled water. 80% of plastic bottles are recyclable but only 20% are actually recycled.
When you need a pad for lists and messages, turn over an old document and write on the back of that instead.
If there isn’t an office recycling system, start one yourself! Recycling our trash actually contributes to reducing global warming emissions. And it is estimated that 75% of what is thrown in the trash could actually be recycled, though currently only 25% is.
When you must have a paper copy, make sure you default your printer option to use both sides. This is an easy tree-saver!
Most computer accessories like ink cartridges and CDs and DVDs are made of materials that could be reused. Computer cords and speakers are fairly standardized, meaning they can be used for a variety of computer models and makes.
Lower your office’s carbon footprint by seeing computers, monitors, printers, copiers, speakers and other business equipment to their energy saving feature and turning them off at the end of the day. And plant a tree!
Turning off all unnecessary lights, especially in unused offices and conference rooms is an easy way to save energy.
If you’re in search of something to personalize your workspace, look no further than the humble houseplant. Houseplants are good for the environment because they remove quantities of pollutants present in the air.

AFTER A LONG DAY:

In the summer/warmer months, consider using an interior fan in conjunction with your window air-conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home. While you’re at it, in winter, lower your thermostat and put on a jumper. In summer, increase it and wear lighter clothes, you will also save money!
Don’t place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat as it senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air-conditioner to run longer than necessary.
When cooking dinner, match the size of the pan to the size of the heating element to lower energy wastage.
When you are feeling at your laziest, don’t throw clean clothes in the hamper to avoid hanging them up! Wear jeans more than once…
When you wash, use only eco-friendly products in your home. It’s best for you and the environment! And did we mention plant a tree!

Info courtesy of WED

We love Towel Day Fans!

2010-05-26T09:57:00.005+10:00

Check out the intrepid traveller Nemo, getting into the spirit of Towel Day!

"Brisbane - me and my brand new towel (bought on Towel Day for $42 :) set out to hike...

where to? ...All hands point up... "

Thanks for your pic!

Towel Day Pics - So Far...

2010-05-25T16:21:00.006+10:00

So we thought we'd post these pics of us on Towel Day to kick things off!

Of course, you guys can be much more creative!

Don't forget there's a bamboo towel to be won! (perfect for towel day 2011!)

Email your pics to: megan@eureco.com.au

Frances working the snuggly towel look for the day!

Megan rocking her towel scarf!

Nong, our favourite masseuse got into the spirit of things!

Naming competition winner announced!

2010-05-25T15:19:00.005+10:00

Our adopted company eco pet now has a name! Meet Oshi...

We loved Belinda's suggestion so much, here is her ingenious idea and explanation:

Belinda Weihen said... "Oshi (Pronounced oh-shee) as in 'oshibori' Japanese word for the hot towels you get before a meal. I think it'd be a cute name because I think the breed of the puppy (not entirely sure but by the look of it) originates from Japan. Plus the puppy looks like a towel but is incredibly warm and cuddly :)"

Belinda will receive a luxury bamboo towel bundle worth $184!

Other entries worth an honourable mention include "Savvy" which appealed to our nerdy sensibilities, "Terry" for being an actual name and a thumbs up to the terry towel and "Rumplestiltskin" which is just cute.

A huge thankyou to everyone who entered, we really loved all your wonderful suggestions!

Celebrate Towel Day

2010-05-25T08:20:00.013+10:00

Douglas Adams, author of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, died on 11 May 2001. Towel day is on 25^th of May, and in memory of this author, fans are encouraged to carry a towel around with them all day. (It’s two weeks after the anniversary of Adams’ death, as the first one in 2001 took the fans two weeks to organise – the date stuck.)

At Eureco we love everything to do with towels and are excited to see if we can spot anyone carrying a towel for the day. If you happen to be a Hitchhiker’s fan, why not send us a picture of you carrying your towel around and we will post it on our blog? The more public the setting, the better! You will also go into the running to win your very own bamboo towel for use any day of the year, not just on the 25^th of May! (We recommend leaving it in the bathroom though.) Send the photos through to megan [at] eureco[dot] com [dot] au

Excerpt from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams:

“A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value -- you can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy river Moth; wet it for use in hand-tohand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or to avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal; you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.”

And if you want to know exactly what a Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal is, you will just have to read the book...

HURRY! Competition closes soon!

2010-05-18T16:19:00.010+10:00

Our super exciting puppy naming competition ends on Thursday at 4pm! That's just under 2 days left to get your name suggestions into the hat (or into the comments box, rather) for your chance to WIN!

Win? What do you win? The winning entrant with the best suggestion will win one of our luxury towel bundles (pictured) including 2 bath towels, 1 hand towel and 1 face washer worth $184!

Okay, so we wanted a company eco pet... we might be a little bit greedy, but who could resist her snuggly scrunched up face? Or looking just like a towel dropped on the floor?

Leave your name ideas in a comment below this post with your email address. Competition closes Thursday 20th May 4pm AEST. Colour of products shown in picture may vary in prize pack.

Care Instructions care of The Chasers. Enjoy!

2010-05-14T00:16:00.007+10:00

Remember to always wash your light and dark coloured items seperately. Here's why...

Eureco's Towels on Sydney Weekender!

2010-05-08T22:03:00.009+10:00

Hello Hello!

One of our favourite stockists, Planet Commonwealth in Sydney's Surry Hills, was featured on Channel 7's Sydney Weekender last weekend.

Two of Frances' other favourite homewares stores, Edit and Ici et La are also featured.

Check out the clip below and keep an eye out for our towels and robes!

What's news? - Celebrating spoilt Mums everywhere!

2010-05-04T23:33:00.015+10:00

So! What’s been happening this week at Eureco?

Well, this week the team at Eureco has been extremely busy ensuring Mums all over the world are being spoiled for Mother’s Day. We’ve been extra busy packing and gift wrapping all our customer orders and ensuring their arrival in time for Mother’s Day. On Sunday we’ll think of all our lucky Mums with their lovely Eureco robes.

In the middle of the mayhem, Frances stole a day or two for a quick trip to Brisbane. She swears she chatted to half the population of Paddington and Fortitude Valley and is looking forward to growing her base of retailers in the area.

Works have been continuing to upgrade our website and refine its function and we look forward to unveiling our new and improved site towards the end of May. We encountered a few technical issues this week which our Web Team have worked hard to resolve and for which we thank all our Customers affected for their good humour and understanding. All our orders still shipped within 24 hours!

Our new organic cotton collection is due to land in a week or two so work has been underway in the Eureco warehouse to make room for our gorgeous new products. How exciting!

Megan has been working on a series of blogs for future publication exploring the processes involved in the manufacture of bamboo and organic cotton towels. There is a lot of information so she’ll publish the series in easy to digest – bite size – chunks.

Part 1 – ‘Farming Future Fibres’ will be posted shortly so check back regularly, bookmark us or better yet, subscribe to our blog!

Don’t forget to get your suggestions in for our Puppy naming competition so you can be in the running to win one of our gorgeous bamboo towel bundles worth $184! We’ve been loving your entries so far, so keep them coming! Competition ends 4pm Thurs 20^th May and the winner will be announced on Thursday 27^th May.

There are only a few more days to take advantage of our Mother’s Day special offer with 25% off our luxurious bamboo robes. The robes are available in 7 colours and in 4 sizes so you’ll be certain to find a colour and size perfect for your Mum!

Hurry! Get your orders in by 12pm on Thursday 6^th May for guaranteed on time delivery Australia wide (within the express post network). We’ll even gift wrap them for you! This offer expires at Midnight on Sunday 9^th May.

That’s it for this week!

The Eureco Team.

Caring for your towels: our top tips for thick & thirsty towels!

2010-04-28T13:46:00.008+10:00

We've put together our top tips for keeping your Eureco bamboo towels looking and feeling snuggle-icious!

Tips for brand new towels:

* We recommend that you wash your towels 3 times in plain warm water before use. All new towels will shed a little excess fibre at first and we think there's nothing more annoying than towel fluff sticking to you when you're just out of the shower! A few initial washes will eliminate this problem and leave your towels ready for service.

* Brand new towels will typically shrink a little upon initial washing. That might seem like a bad thing, but actually, the small amount of shrinkage that occurs during washing serves to tighten the towel's weave structure and will bind the terry loops more firmly into the cloth making your towels stronger, more durable and ready for service. Nifty eh?

* Sometimes snags (or slight pulls) can appear in new towels that have not yet been washed (because the weave has not yet tightened up). If you notice a pull or two in your towel, don't panic. Simply use a sharp pair of scissors to cut the snag off at the level of the pile. The towel will not ladder (run) or unravel.

Tips once towels are in regular use:

Washing:

When you're using and washing your towels on a regular basis, make sure the light and dark items are washed seperately. We always suggest that towels are washed with other towels or with other fluffy items like socks or tracksuit pants etc. We like to avoid washing our towels with our lovely black work pants...

Also, we know you want to save water but please don’t overload your machine when you're washing your Eureco towels. The excessive abrasion and agitation will cause the towel fibres to break down and this will reduce the durability and longevity of your lovely towels.

Soaps, detergents and additives:

There are lots of super-dooper washing detergents and fabric softeners on the market to 'transform' your washing into bright whiteness with every wash - but Eureco says no! Please do not use chlorine bleach, bluing agents or optic whiteners as these may alter or remove colour and can weaken fibres. A basic detergent will do.

Expert Tip: To help keep your towels extra soft (depending on the amount of soiling of course) try using only half the amount of detergent recommended by the manufacturer.

Make sure your detergent is added to the load as the washer fills, instead of pouring it directly onto the bamboo towels. This will avoid damage to the fabric and prevent a detergent build up which can reduce softness.

Expert Tip: Don't use fabric softener with your towels! Did you know that fabric softener acts in a similar way to hair conditioner? It coats the fibre and leaves it smooth, but ultimately it clogs up all the little gaps and micro-holes in the fibre that make it so absorbent!

Those in the know here at Eureco get very cranky with all those fabric softener TV commercials depicting lovely soft towels being hung on the line, or super cute kids snuggling into their snuggly towels and robes and thanking mum for using fabric softener! Don't be fooled - it's a misnomer! Keep your towels thick and thirsty by avoiding fabric softener.

Drying:

After washing, remove your towels from the machine promptly and give them a shake to help reduce wrinkling. We urge you to use nature's energy and line dry your towels, but if you absolutely have to use a dryer then a medium heat setting will be best.

Expert Tip: If you absolutely have to use a tumble dryer, be patient and avoid using a hot setting. The hot setting will burn the fibres, will cause them to start to break down, will cause excess linting and will ultimately reduce the durability and longevity of your towels.

Ironing: for OCD types (an the occassional photoshoot stylist)

At Eureco, we don't discriminate. If you really are inclined to iron your towels, please go for it! They are best ironed when still damp on a medium (cotton) setting.

Storage:

If you need to pack your bamboo towels away for a while, they should be stored in a cool, dry, well aerated place. We recommend storing towels in old cotton pillow cases, as storing them in plastic bags or boxes may cause yellowing over time. We also think reusing old pillowcases is cool.

Snags or Pulls:

If you notice a snag or two over the life of your towel, simply use a sharp pair of scissors to cut the snag off at the level of the pile.

Expert Tip: Looking over your old towels and snipping off any sneaky snags that have occured over time is a great way to reinvigorate your old towels and get them looking their best again!

Dry Cleaning:

Last of all, whatever you do, please DO NOT DRY-CLEAN your bamboo towels.

So there you have it, our top tips for caring for your lovely towels and keeping them soft, absorbent and long lasting!

Name our puppy and WIN!

2010-04-19T15:45:00.008+10:00

Taronga Zoo has their baby elephant, Dubbo Zoo have their baby rhino, Eureco have their adopted eco pet!

So this puppy wandered into our inbox from the world of cyberspace and we have since adopted her as our company eco pet. Not only does she look like a towel when she is scrunched up on the floor, but she is also very cute.

Our puppy needs a name and we need your help! Our ideas are so bad that we are desperate for your input! (Frances suggested "Dobby the Doggy" - Seriously!) Please help!

The winning entrant with the best suggestion will win one of our luxury towel bundles (pictured) including 2 bath towels, 1 hand towel and 1 face washer worth $184! Get naming now!

Be as creative as you like, maybe something to do with towels or something eco or just something cool. Please let us know your naming ideas by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. Don't forget to leave your email address so we can contact you!

Competition closes Thursday 20th May 4pm AEST. Colour of products shown in picture may vary in prize pack.

It's my birthday... and I'll cry if I want to!

2010-04-13T15:02:00.001+10:00

Ok, so the heading is a little misleading, but it was definitely a possibility yesterday as Frances officially got another year older. Happy Birthday!

Being a twin, meant that she was not only celebrating her birthday but also her brother's! Being disorganised (Frances says 'busy' but we know the truth..) meant last minute present shopping- thank God for hardware stores and gift vouchers!

I have heard reports that there was much cake eating and present exchanging and apparently no tears.

More cake to be had in the office! Thanks Phil.

The new organic cotton collection is officially on its way, ETA: May! Of course we will keep you posted. After deciding on the colour story last week and taking photos for our blog entry, Frances sneakily added an extra colour to the mix - a lovely blue, which should be very popular!

Far away on the Eureco horizon is the Organic Expo, held in Sydney in August. We have just secured our spot and are already super excited. We had a sneak peek at the exhibitors and there are going to be lots of cool people there. (I'm especially excited about the farm animals! But Frances would like me to mention that she is more excited about the organic chocolate, and meeting lots of new people.)

This popped into our inbox and we've claimed her as our mascot/office Eco-pet!

Don't leave your towels lying around!

- Words by Megan (who is banned from office chocolate from now on)

The Story of Stuff

2010-04-12T17:30:00.001+10:00

We came across this video recently and thought it was worth sharing with you! It's 20 minutes you won't regret!

Tell me a colour story...

2010-04-07T15:55:00.001+10:00

One of the most fun parts of my job is creating the ‘colour-story’ for each collection, which essentially just means deciding what colours we want to release.

You might be surprised at just how much thought goes into creating our colour-stories. As I’m currently putting together the colour-story for our new Organic Cotton collection (COMING SOON), I thought I’d blog about it to give you a bit of an insight into the process.

HANG ON, WHAT’S WITH THE JARGON? WHY DO YOU CALL IT A ‘COLOUR-STORY’?

Well, just like any story you might read, our collections of colours are carefully crafted and have a beginning, a middle, an end, a climax and sometimes an unexpected twist! A simple colour can set a mood, transform a space, or transport you on a journey of the senses!

BUDGET – First things first.

Launching a new collection can require a significant investment of capital. I always work to a budget and this will often dictate (and sometimes limit) the number of different colours I can include.

SALES –

Of course, I want to make sure I include colours that I know will be popular and will sell well. Naturally, sales are a primary concern for any business and for each colour I have to ask “will it sell?”
The answer to that question is often 50% experience and 50% instinct. There are staple colours or tones that are always popular (neutral tones typically do well) but I don’t want my collections to only include neutral tones because that would be boring! So what factors influence the other colours?

TRENDS –

Yes, I’m always looking ahead to find out what colours and tones are being forecast as major home ware trends. Incorporating ‘on-trend’ colours is one of the key ways we differentiate our eco-collections. Being forced to compromise on style in order to adhere to our sustainability ideals is just so unnecessary!

We frequently review our collections and introduce new colours as trends develop.

THE EXISTING MARKET –

I don’t like to pay too much attention to the competition, but I always give some thought to what exists in the market place currently. What’s our unique value proposition? What makes our collection unique, better, best? Careful consideration of colours can distinguish our collections as superior to competing collections. I always bear this in mind.

MEDIA & MARKETING –

Of course the media is always looking for products that are ‘of the moment’. Including vibrant, quirky or exciting trend-driven colours can often be a good way of attracting the attention of the media and garnering publicity.

I often bear this in mind when creating a story and deliberately include a colour or two that I think is likely to be picked up by stylists.

GEOGRAPHY –

Incredibly, certain colours can sell well in some areas, but not at all in others! For example, (and it’s a cliché, but it’s true) in Australia, the Victorians tend to favour more subdued or neutral tones in their homes, whereas the Queenslanders very often favour our more vibrant hues.

I like to make sure I have colours that will likely appeal to both ends of that spectrum. Something for everyone.

OVERALL COHERENCE & SUB-STORIES –

It is important that the range of colours within the collection make sense together.

I always work to include colour sub-stories or to ensure that the colours work well together when co-ordinated in all kinds of different ways.

This makes it easy for our customers to choose colours to combine in their homes. It also makes it easy for our retailers to choose a selection of colours that they wish to stock in their stores (space or budgetary constraints mean that sometimes our retailers can’t take on our full range of colours).

FUN –

I like to have fun with the process. I experiment and have draft combinations that I live with for a few days and revisit and rethink.

I don’t like to play it safe and I often include ‘high-risk’ colours that may or may not sell, but that speak to a cheekiness or irreverence in me. Sometimes it’s precisely those colours that end up being a HIT!

It’s important to have fun.

So there you have it, the low down on the creation of our colour-stories!

Frances.

Spoil your Mum this Mother's Day!

2010-03-31T23:47:00.001+11:00

Look out! Mother’s Day on Sunday the 9th of May is fast approaching... and so is Winter!

Obviously, we think our snuggly bamboo bath robes make the BEST Mum's Day present ever! We're so confident that your mum will absolutely love her bamboo bath robe (and better yet, YOU for spoiling her!) that we are offering 25% off our robes for your 'mum-pampering' convenience!

I worked it out: that’s $165 instead of $220! Save $55! They are available in 7 colours and in 4 sizes: Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large. So there's just no excuse for not spoiling your mum with one of our luxurious, super snuggly bamboo bathrobes.

To take advantage of this special price, all you have to do is enter the code “Ilovemymum” in the discount coupon field as you make your way through the check out at our secure online store.

Don’t forget you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We are lonely and need friends.

Bye for now!
Megan @ Eureco

BIO Organic Cotton - Exclusive Update!

2010-03-31T23:21:00.001+11:00

To add to our gorgeous collections, Frances has been working to source a range of new products for quite some time. We are excited to announce that she has found a range of 100% organic cotton towels that meet her tough selection criteria. That is: Earth Friendly, European Design, Ethical Manufacture, Exceptional Quality and Extremely Gorgeous! Frances is stubborn and simply will not compromise on style or quality for sustainability. She always wants it ALL! So Gen-Y.

Frances hopes the new organic cotton collection will compliment her existing lines of bamboo bath towels, mats and robes, providing a high quality eco-alternative for your bathrooms at an affordable price.

Frances is still finalising the range of on-trend colours and we’ll have more news shortly! (Frances actually said she was “creating a colour-story” but I didn’t think I would be alone in being unable to decipher the lingo).

Frances putting together her 'colour-story'.

Megan @ Eureco

Earth Hour Super Enthusiasts!

2010-03-31T22:55:00.001+11:00

We turned off our lights (and all our computers and other electricals) for Earth Hour on Saturday, contributing a little bit extra to saving the planet. Little did we know we would be hosting our very own unexpected Earth DAY again when we had a 24 hour blackout on Tuesday!

Allegedly, a tall truck drove into a low hanging power line and broke it. It happened to be the power line connected to our block, right outside our office! So Frances spent a few hours packing orders in the dark before retreating to her back up office – a local cafe – to continue working on pricing a new collection... (see BIO Organic Cotton - Exclusive Update blog for more news on that!)

Megan @ Eureco.

Eureco's Maiden Blog - What's news?

2010-03-26T00:36:00.001+11:00

As you can see, Eureco has jumped head first into the world of blogging, as well as emerging on facebook and twitter to keep you all updated with our happenings.

To cater for this expansion, Megan joined the Eureco team in an official kind of way, having helped out with writing for the Eureco website and other media-type stuff in the past. She will be busy with blogging, facebooking and twittering, for starters. And she will have to figure out how to deal with Frances’ mania in the office!

So what has been happening with Eureco lately? Apart from busily promoting our business on Facebook and Twitter, we are working on improving the usability of our website. It has been working pretty well since its launch last year, but we want to make it even better! After all, our customers are very important to us. Possibly the most important people we know.

Frances has also been busy sourcing new collections, but since nothing is official yet, we can’t tell you what is on the cards. Don’t worry, new collections will be revealed exclusively on our blog so you will want to watch this space... or bookmark this page!

We would also love our readers to send in blog topic ideas for Megan, so hit her with any questions you have just been dying to ask about Eureco or bamboo or something vaguely related and she will try and answer them!

Eureco will be participating in Earth Hour on Saturday the 27th of March. But as the people at Earth hour say, it’s “Earth Hour Every Hour” and that’s what we keep in mind at Eureco.

So stay tuned for regular updates on the ins and outs of Eureco, our happenings, and anything else we fancy.

The Eureco Team (Frances & Megan)