It's our birthday and you get the presents!

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!

The Organic Expo will be an eco extravaganza!

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.

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!

About Organic Cotton

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

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.

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

Tell me a colour story...

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.

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