Christmas and Cotton Commodities

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!

Eureco at the Organic Expo

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!

• Sign up to our mailing list

• Become our friend on Facebook

• Follow us on Twitter

• 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.

Organic Cotton - Farming

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

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!

Celebrate World Environment Day!

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!

Name our puppy and WIN!

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!

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)

BIO Organic Cotton - Exclusive Update!

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!

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.