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Interview with the founder of Babee Greens
In this interview, we chat with Jason Rector the CEO of BabeeGreens, a US brand specialising in reusable nappies and other organic, sustainable, biodegradable products for mothers and babies. They are committed to setting a new standard that helps our global community reverse the negative effects diaper manufacturing has had on the environment, in order to create a better world for babies.
Thank you for wanting to be part our exclusive network. What were your reasons for joining us and investing in the Ethical Brand Directory / Academy and community?
We are an ethical brand. We want to be associated with other brands who also make a conscious effort to contributing to using business to make a positive impact on the planet. Our mission is to provide an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastic disposable diapers.
Can you give me a brief overview of your brand and the type of products you sell?
Babee Greens offers a line of certified organic cloth baby diapers and other baby products developed out of a desire to provide environmentally friendly alternative to plastic diapers.
What was your WHY? What inspired you to set up your business?
We are located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, NC
Our main goal is to nurture babies and the environment.
We are committed to keeping business local. We manufacture all of our products right here in the USA.
What challenges do independent brands like yourself face?
Finding and staying committed to 100% natural fiber ingredients.
Getting people to understand using cloth diapers is not as hard as many think it is before making the change.
Access to capital.
Finding contractors and other businesses that are equally as committed to quality ingredients and not harming the environment.
Why is it important to be ethical in business?
Ethical businesses create ethical communities that contribute to an ethical world. We want to live in a great community and the best way to do that is to give more to your community than you take from it. That is true in a life and in business.
What is the link to your page on ethics on your website?
What steps are you taking to ensure your brand operates as ethically as possible?
We use only organic cotton that is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified and is milled locally, making this line of products 100% USA made.
All of our Natural Wool products are 100% Merino Wool, made from Okeo Tex 100 certified yarn.
Babee Greens also uses upcycled cashmere and wool diaper covers are also lined with Okeo Tex 100 Certified Merino Wool.
How important is sustainability for businesses? What are you doing in your business to reduce your environmental impact?
Sustainability is the ultimate important aspect of any business. At least it should be. Businesses that are sustainable have success now and in the future. Without a focus on the sustainability of a business, a business will cease to exist at some point in the future.
What are you not doing in your business but want to improve on?
I want to find more different textiles to use. Currently we use primarily Organic Cotton and Hemp. I would like to incorporate more cashmere and merino wool into our products. I also would like to find additional suppliers so we are not dependent on just a few suppliers of organic cotton and hemp. Finding more suppliers while maintaining strict ethical standards is extremely difficult.
What is your supplier and sourcing policy?
Currently we only use a few suppliers because it is more efffective to maintain our ethical standards with only a few suppliers.
In 10 years from now where would you like to see the fashion/beauty/travel world? From a business and a consumer perspective
I would like for ethics and sustainability become a must and not just an addition to any successful brand. I want every product sold through Amazon, WalMart, or any other retailer to be made of ethical ingredients and the people who make it to be treated fairly.
Do you have any favourite ethical and sustainable quotes, or any key influencers that inspire you?
“Who are businesses really responsible to? Their customers? Shareholders? Employees? We would argue that it’s none of the above. Fundamentally, businesses are responsible to their resource base. Without a healthy environment, there are no shareholders, no employees, no customers, and no business.”
— Yvon Chouinard
Why should the general public care about supporting ethical and environmentally responsible brands?
Like the previous quote said, without a healthy planet, there are not healthy people, healthy communities, healthy consumers and healthy businesses.