Clean and green baby products: 6 company founders leading the way
Plum Organics introduced the first spouted baby food pouch in 2007 and set off a trend that’s been gaining steam ever since. It also grew into the fourth-largest baby food maker in the U.S. before being bought by Campbell in 2013. “We’ve focused on bringing convenience and innovation to the baby food aisle (and beyond), while not compromising our values as a mission-driven business,” Grimmer says. On that note, Plum is a Certified B Corporation and runs an initiative called The Full Effect in which it works with nonprofits to donate a specially formulated blend of organic fruits, veggies and grains to families in need across the country. In addition to a new line of heat-and-eat soups, Grimmer says new products in the company’s baby and tots lines are in the works.
When environmental engineer Barry Cik couldn’t find a crib mattress for his soon-to-be grandchild that didn’t have any harmful plasticizers, fire retardants, pesticides or toxic waterproof materials in it, he took matters into his own hands. He and his two sons set out to create a mattress that was structurally and chemically safe but also comfortable for babies. The result was Naturepedic. It began as a single crib mattress made out of organic cotton and non-toxic materials, and over the past few years has grown into a line of 11 organic crib, bassinet, cradle and bed mattresses, plus accessories like changing pads and sheets that all meet GREENGUARD Emission Standards. Cik is also an advocate for chemical reform. Last year, he spoke before a Congressional subcommittee to argue the need for changes to the Toxic Substances Control Act.
If consumers care more than ever about what they’re putting in and on their own bodies, then it makes sense that their concern would also apply to the products they give to their little ones. Growing awareness of potentially harmful ingredients in baby skin care products, diapers, toys and food has driven growth in the kids personal care market over the last decade and led to some companies reformulating their products to remove these ingredients. Natural ingredients and low sugar content are now some of the top priorities for parents buying baby food and drinks. In the following slides, meet six entrepreneurs who have led the charge to make eco-friendly, healthy baby products accessible and affordable and the new normal.
A nurse by training, Olson’s love of helping others merged with her passion for herbs and plants when she began formulating herbal remedies for friends at her Oregon home many years ago. That blossomed into Earth Mama Angel Baby, which offers expectant and new mothers a variety of natural, zero-toxin products, from a line of USDA Certified Organic teas to soothing lotions for baby. Several products also carry NSF/ANSI and non-GMO certification seals, which get to the heart of Olson’s commitment to honest labeling. “Earth Mama believes in leveling the playing field to help mamas find the best information about truly safe personal care and herbal products,” Olson says. “We know that what goes on a pregnant mama goes in her baby. It’s our job to make sure Earth Mama products are always as safe as Mama’s arms.” Fun fact: Olson is the proud mama of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Kaitlin Olson (Sweet Dee).
Nearly two decades ago, when Jessica Iclisoy got pregnant for the first time, she became obsessed with purifying her lifestyle – eating organic foods, stocking up on cloth diapers, gardening and reading labels. Disappointed to learn that companies were making baby care products with synthetic fragrances and sodium laureth sulfat, a foaming agent that’s also a common irritant, and marketing them as natural, she turned her kitchen into a chemistry lab on a quest to formulate her own baby shampoo. Through experimentation with organic herbs, plants and essential oils, she developed a shampoo and baby wash free of harsh ingredients, common allergens and pesticides. Then she spent much of the mid-to-late 1990s working endlessly to educate retailers and consumers on the benefits of sulfate-free products, and why they were worth paying so much more for. Today, California Baby’s 80+ skin care products are sold in stores like Target and Whole Foods and globally, from Singapore to Switzerland. “California Baby has and continues to set higher and higher standards for the industry in order to bring about meaningful change: from ingredient selection to manufacturing to packaging and beyond,” Iclisoy says. “In 2015 we are working to dig deeper into our organic flower growing field and extraction processes to ensure that we maximize and utilize everything that mother nature has to offer.”
Cannon founded i play. as a values-based, eco-friendly natural baby company back in 1982, before green and clean was the status quo. Originally, the company was a mail-order baby products business that sold reusable diaper covers she imported from Japan. But as business grew, Cannon began offering more items, like rainwear, swimwear and apparel made with organic cotton and without harsh chemicals. Now, a second brand called Green Sprouts sells feeding products, toys and accessories free from PVC, BPA and formamides. A third line in the works, called Grow Health, will offer staples for homemade baby food.
Health-conscious, eco-friendly mom Ormsby began selling cloth diapers online out of her Bozeman, Montana, home in 2003. But, having used them on all of her children, she knew their shortcomings. Working with a local seamstress, she developed a line of natural, eco-friendly disposable and cloth diapers that she says have redefined modern cloth diapers. The Natural Baby Co.’s signature product, GroVia, comprises a waterproof shell and organic cotton liners that snap in and can be removed and washed when they’re soiled. There’s also a disposable liner made without chlorine, dyes or fragrances. “It has literally changed how people are diapering their babies,” she says. Ormsby also has a brick-and-mortar retail location in Montana and says 2015 is shaping up to be the company’s busiest year yet.
Health-conscious, eco-friendly mom Ormsby began selling cloth diapers online out of her Bozeman, Montana, home in 2003. But, having used them on all of her children, she knew their shortcomings. Working with a local seamstress, she developed a line of natural, eco-friendly disposable and cloth diapers that she says have redefined modern cloth diapers. The Natural Baby Co.’s signature product, GroVia, comprises a waterproof shell and organic cotton liners that snap in and can be removed and washed when they’re soiled. There’s also a disposable liner made without chlorine, dyes or fragrances. “It has literally changed how people are diapering their babies,” she says. Ormsby also has a brick-and-mortar retail location in Montana and says 2015 is shaping up to be the company’s busiest year yet.
Clean and green baby products: 6 company founders leading the way
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