Eco Friendly. Sustainable. Green. What is the Difference?

Just recently, Dunitz & Company agreed to be part of NY NOW's upcoming Wholesale Digital Market. Participating in a virtual trade show is a completely new concept for us. (OK, it's probably new for most of you reading this too.) The on-boarding for this show has been a huge task.  It also brought up questions about words I've used so often interchangeably. But when this digital show delineated between "Eco Friendly" and "Sustainable", it made me realize there were subtleties I obviously didn't understand. Are you in the same boat? After scouring the internet, I came up with these definitions and explanations for their difference. And while I was at it, I decided to throw in the word "Green" too.

First off, so many people use the word "Green" these days.  No, not the color, green. The dictionary describes green when used in the context of this conversation as "to make less harmful or more sensitive to the environment." People tend to use this word as a catch all to describe anything that is benefiting our planet. Guilty.

Now let's talk Eco Friendly. The use of these words together isn't quite as broad as 'green.'  It means that something doesn't harm our planet.  Webster's dictionary simply says "not environmentally harmful." When it comes to fabrics, using dead-stock (not producing more) might be seen as eco friendly. Recycling or upcycling textiles and other stuff (yup, broad term, "stuff") would be the same.  We've come to realize that many people also freely use the words "eco friendly." Stop and ask them what they mean. On products, for such terms to be actually listed on their packaging, the FTC requires explanations of the whys and hows something won't harm the planet.

Dunitz Eco Friendly Designs

Great. After that, I knew that several designs in the Dunitz & Company collection would be classified as Eco Friendly. We incorporate recycled denim we buy at the flea markets in several of our jewelry designs. (I promise we wash everything before we use it.) We use vintage Czech glass buttons which hale from dead stock. (They're super cool and really beautiful.) Retired coins. Old watch parts. These too make for great looking jewelry. Our laser cut earrings are made with particle board created from recycled eucalyptus wood.

 

So what is Sustainable then? Sustainability is much more precise and is measured by so many more variables. Sustainability looks to our future. It means the item or action is generating environmental, social and economic benefits, while not using up too many resources or causing pollution. According to ecocult.com, "sustainability includes eco friendly activities and green products, but green doesn’t necessarily mean sustainable. For instance, a product made from renewable resources is considered green, yet if a life-cycle analysis shows that it required a lot of energy to manufacture and ship to you, and if there isn’t a proper way to dispose of the product, then it’s not considered sustainable."  With this definition, we know that there are very few consumer products that would be considered sustainable. And for this reason, we decided that Dunitz & Company jewelry would not be classified as sustainable. (We sure are curious to see which of our NY NOW exhibitor wholesaler colleagues will classify their items as sustainable, and what those items are.)

 

Perfect Pin

Our eyes have been opened a bit more. After exploring more accurate definitions of Green, Eco Friendly and Sustainable, it's clear we'll be using these words differently going forward. Our Pinterest boards have been corrected. Dunitz & Company is a verified Fair Trade Federation member and a gold certified Green America business.  You can always feel good wearing and selling our designs. And now you know that many of our designs can accurately be described as Eco Friendly. -ND

NY NOW and My Favorite Show Neighbors

Me. Dunitz & Company Booth

This summer's NY Now is now behind us. It's hard to believe that Dunitz & Company has been exhibiting at this show since February 1990! Let's not count up those years. The one thing that I can tell you is attending the trade shows is a little bit like going to summer camp. Each season we all arrive with big smiles and hugs for our "regulars," our trade show friends. We catch up and visit for the days of the show. Often we break bread together. And when it’s over we all pack up, hug again, knowing next time will come soon. Do you understand my reference to summer camp?





Some of my favorite trade show friends had booth locations near me this past show. And if you don’t know them you should. First and foremost, these peeps are good people. Friendly. Fun. Kind. And, if you’re a retailer, you need to know their product. Why? Because these friends of mine have fabulous offerings. And they’re all ethical vendors.

Poonam, Nancy, Harish

Harish and Poonam from Sustainable Threads have been some of my Fair Trade Federation colleague favorites for just about forever. Well, for at least all the time Dunitz & Company has also been a Fair Trade Federation member. They're warm and supportive and always helpful. They design and sell fabulous table linens and home decor textiles that are ethically made in India. And Poonam is always trying to feed me. What could be better than a show neighbor who is always trying to pawn off delicious home-cooking?

Nancy, Joan, Kovida

Joan and Kovida from Sevya also work with artisans in India and are Fair Trade Federation members too. Their goodies target fashionistas. They offer an amazing array of scarves and some scrumptious tunic tops. If you sell wearables, you should definitely check them out. These woman also know all the best Indian Restaurants in New York City. Do you think I'm getting hungry as I type this post? If I want a southern Indian meal, and I want company, I know where to look.

Samir, Nancy, Marion

The NY Now angels knew what they were doing when they placed Samir from Socco Designs near me a couple of years ago. He's quite savvy and from the moment we met, we easily shared business ideas and information. But what I like most about him is he's kind, honest and funny. He feels like family. Socco Designs covers a lot of ground. They offer classy designs that hail from Morocco. Home decor and fashion. Got a lifestyle store? Check them out.  If you're reading this blog, you probably know me pretty well. You know I'm a natural interviewer. From all I've learned, I'm certain Socco treats their artisans fairly.

Nancy, Seema, Dhruti

Seema and Dhruti from Trovelore definitely make my list of favorites. They've been favorites for quite some time. And it wasn't until this past show that their booth was only a few yards from mine. Lucky me.  Trovelore and Dunitz & Company are both members of Museum Store Association, and it was within this community that we became acquainted. Seema and I actually were roommates last season at the MSA Forward in San Diego. You definitely get to know someone well when you share a room! These women are so kind and also nurturing. If you don't know their product line, you must. They design the most exquisite beaded pins - many butterflies and bugs. And I know beadwork!

Nancy, Ann

Anything Fair Trade Federation always makes me feel proud. The staff of FTF works tirelessly to educate the public about sustainability and fair trade. It's a huge job.  One way they do this is to staff a Fair Trade Display which is often situated in the lobby of Javits convention center. That's a lot of talking and explaining that goes on over the course of the trade show. One morning I arrived early and spotted Ann, FTF's membership manager tidying up the display.  She's a sweetheart. I'm always referring potential members to her. She's definitely a favorite.

Dunitz Fair Trade Jewelry

And now I diverge from favorite people to share a few selfish tidbits about Dunitz & Company and the show that just past. NY Now staff juried those to be featured in WFTO - Fair Trade Federation Display. Our beaded and embroidered bracelet and earrings from Guatemala were featured. Plug: If you haven't sold these in your store, I encourage you to consider them. They're right on trend and some great sellers.

Dunitz, destination:new display

Dunitz & Company was also selected for the destination:new display at NY Now.  We launched a new Contemporary Colors collection this season. I was completely impressed with how our earrings were featured in this display. (Aren't you?) We're offering these modern pieces in several color combinations. I was thrilled that a few museums and lifestyle stores honed in on them.

And what is so fun, is a few stores ordered them because some of the color combinations perfectly reflected schemes of their local high school, college and professional teams. In our booth, you could find these two-tone hipster pieces in several shapes including rectangles, circles, teardrops and square studs.


NY Now debuted fashion runway shows this season. Each morning gorgeous women and men strutted their stuff in the Crystal Palace (main lobby) of the Javits Center.  And then they strutted their stuff down the exhibition aisles. Well in advance of the show, in hopes of inclusion, I (and I'm sure oodles of others) submitted designs for consideration. Farai Simoyi, a world-renowned designer curated the event. And I was thrilled that our Coral Necklace and Embroidered Pendant Necklaces were selected.What's even more luscious is Zie was the perfect model of our jewelry. This gorgeous and warm-hearted woman stopped by our booth a couple of times and volunteered to have her photo snapped. If you're "about" fashion, you must check out her Instagram account. She's done some amazing editorial stuff.

NY Now Recap Pin

So there you have it. Dunitz & Company always has a great time showing off fair trade jewelry at NY Now. And we always love seeing our show friends. Stay tuned. Camp will be in session again next February and I'm sure I'll have other wonderful neighbors to tell you about.-ND

Dunitz & Company - As Seen at NY Now

I'm back home after a very good market at New York Now. While there it dawned on me that's it's been quite a long run. This is Dunitz & Company's 29th year exhibiting our fair trade jewelry at NY Now. And at twice a year, that's a lot of New York gift show face time. I always joke that when I started exhibiting, all the boys used to come flirt with me. Now they flirt with my younger booth assistant.

I've had several of you tell me you read my email blasts before you delete them. (I'm often told that my customers enjoy my dry humor.) This season will be the last time I can report that my booth is located in the rear section of Global Handmade near the BIG bathrooms! (You never forgot where my space was, did you?) If you haven't heard, now you have. The entire Global Handmade section will be relocated next season from the River Pavilion to the 3rd Floor, near Made in USA/Europe Designer Makers and Home Design. What hook will I use next time so you can find me? Keep reading my email blasts and we'll find out together.

I always joke that I'm a bit of a machine. I work really really hard.  And if there is any opportunity for Dunitz & Company to be seen, I'm going to seize it. I submitted applications for our fair trade jewelry to be considered for three specialty displays at market this time. And guess what? We were admitted to all of them!

Fair Trade Federation and World Fair Trade Organization were provided the most incredible space up front and center at Javits this season. Did you see the Fair Trade Display in the Crystal Palace? And the wonderful staff from both these organizations manned the booth for the entire show so they could educate buyers about fair trade principles and the benefits that come from working with vendors that have been screened and verified. We submitted a fused glass necklace and earrings set for the display from our Joanie M collection. Most of our clients who have brought our fused glass into their shops have reordered and reordered again. The collection is beautiful and and we're so thankful it's part of what we do.

Have you seen our new laser cut jewelry line? Perhaps you've seen it mentioned in the press? We had nods this month from Gifts & Decorative Accessories and In Store. The line debuted at New York Now and perhaps you saw it there. If  you haven't please log into our wholesale website to check it out for your shops. We're offering a wide selection of dangles and studs that boast famous (available in public domain) images of art, botanicals and butterflies. I submitted our Starry Night earrings for the Destination New display. And, yup, they were accepted. Our soft launch of this grouping in April at the Museum Store Association indicated that this new collection would be successful for us and our customers. After posting our designs on our website, we had several gift shops order...and reorder. And based on the response at NY Now, we think we've got a winner.  And better yet, we can easily do custom designs for museums or institutions that have the need.

Finally, the display that always pokes at my heart strings is the Sustainability for a Better World display. I love seeing the creative designs my many colleagues sell using recycled components or materials that better protect our earth. For this display, I submitted our Denim Daisy Dangle Earrings. Each pair is handcrafted and will vary in color. They're embroidered on recycled denim too. We scour the local markets for discarded jeans that we can pick up inexpensively. Yes, I've donated some of my own for this project. And YES, we always wash them well before we cut them apart to make our jewelry. The jury for this exhibit also consider verified fair trade producers knowing that they make a difference in making ours a more just planet. * You remember my commenting about my dry humor earlier in this blog? I just had to post this photo juxtaposition. I scurried to this exhibit at 8:15am before the show opened on the first day to check out the display. I figured if I was able to snap some photos I could brag on social media. Unfortunately the image on the left shows what I found. The next morning I returned and thankfully found things looking much better!

So as Dunitz & Company fair trade jewelry soon celebrates our 30 Anniversary, I could still very likely continue mentioning our bright green drapes at New York Now.  I'm just wondering if when I blast about the show, I should also provide directions to the best bathrooms. -ND

Sustainability, Fair Trade, Eco-Friendly

For several years now, NY NOW has highlighted environmentally-conscious and socially-responsible products and producers from around the world. They've done this by staging a special exhibit "SustainAbility: design for a better world" which typically presents offerings from about 100 exhibitors. They take this display seriously. And it is always stunning! Exhibitors submit applications and with information and photos of new designs for inclusion. If chosen, there is no cost involved. And it is an honor to be chosen. Dunitz & Company fair trade jewelry has been part of this display several times. Ilene Shaw of Shaw + Co! Productions curates this exhibit and for admission considers newness and inventiveness as well as business ethics and environmental practices.

Several Fair Trade Federation members were included in this display this season including some of our favorite colleagues, WorldFinds, Aid Through Trade (our friendly bead competitor) and Sustainable Threads.









The information they require on our applications is not only used to evaluate the way we do business, the information is shared with attendees that actually check out the exhibit. Here's the placard they prepared on Dunitz & Company.  It shares information on our business and the fair trade necklace design we had on display, photos of some of our artisans and an organization we support, Puerta Abierta (free library) in the town where our beading artisans live.

This season, two of our Denim Frida Necklaces were featured. Yes. Yes. Two is always better than one.  We offer these wonderful embroidered (on recycled denim) adornments in several colors. We wanted to be certain that those perusing the Sustainability display would know these necklaces were available in more than one color.

Interested in fair trade jewelry and socially conscious businesses? If you have a brick and mortar shop, please check out Dunitz & Company online. Looking for a selfish purchase? We offer lots of fair trade handmade goodies for you too! Our retail site is a great place to start. -ND

Fair Trade Education...at the show!

Two seasons in a row, NY Now has provided space for a fair trade gifts display at their trade show. This display includes products from Fair Trade Federation and World Fair Trade Organization members exhibiting at the show. And of course, Dunitz & Company was part of this group. With nearly 24,000 attendees, this is such an amazing opportunity for educating buyers and consumers about our fair trade principles. Both seasons, this display has been prominently featured on Concourse Level 1 of Javits. And it is consistently staffed with managers from FTF and WFTO. I am not acquainted with those employed by WFTO. I can say that Chris, Rachel and Ann, the faces of our FTF office are absolutely the best. They definitely have the know-how to advise buyers interested in learning more about fair trade and why we, members of these groups are different. Our membership validates that we've been screened for our business practices. These days, people are more and more interested in supporting businesses that give-back and/or do good for communities near and far. The result is that many business-people use buzz words to convince buyers they're on the up and up. I've learned that many are not. I salute NY Now for creating space for this display, a display that highlights products from screened providers.

A few weeks before the show, I received an email from Allison, the manager in charge of the Handmade sections of the show.  She explained there would be a 'Fair Trade Display' and that space was limited. She asked (as she did from all FTF and WFTO members) if we wanted to be considered for this display, that we should send photos and information on the item(s) we'd want to display right away. My guess is just about everyone submitted information. I don't know how many WFTO members exhibit at NY Now. I believe we had about 60 FTF members exhibiting. That's a lot of verified fair trade gifts to choose from!

Dunitz & Company was represented in two other displays this season. Our embroidered denim necklaces were featured at the 'Sustainability Display'. (More on this for my next blog entry) And our fair trade kippot were featured in 'destination: new' - (my last blog entry.) For this reason, we submitted a fair trade fused glass and earrings set from our Joanie M Collection. And yeah! They were selected to be part of the display. I don't know another vendor at NY Now selling anything quite like our fused glass jewelry. I'm certain this is why they were the perfect choice.

If you are curious and want to learn more about fair trade, I encourage you to check out the Fair Trade Federation and WFTO websites. If you're a wholesale buyer you'll find membership lists. If you're looking to purchase fair trade gifts for yourself, you'll find FTF member stores and retail websites listed.  We appreciate the support we receive from our customers in such a big way. Without them (and you) we would not be able to sustain and support the community of artisans we've been working with since the early 90s. -ND