When you think of the "tree hugging" environmentalists of the world, the last thing you would relate them to is fashion. Well, Little Earth is a company that has spent the last ten years trying to change that image.
The company was founded by Rob Brandegree and Ava DeMarco in 1993. They met a mere six months before Little Earth was created. Starting their company out of the basement of their house, Rob and Ava did all of the manufacturing by hand. Today Little Earth is based out of the Hill District in Pittsburgh. Their products are sold in more that 1000 stores nation and worldwide.
So by now you're wondering what exactly is it that they do so well? I'll tell you. They are now known as "the designers of the coolest recycled accessories on the planet." Now, that's a big market. The accessories that they create include belts, purses, even CD books, journals and photo albums (perfect for that road trip through California!)
Though this isn't all that they sell, these are some of the most popular items. All of the CD books, journals, albums and purses are made from authentic, old license plates, and the straps for the purses are made of recycled rubber. Who knows... they may even come to you with a small scratch from whatever happened to them while they were still on the car. How neat is that?
Little Earth's belts are also made from recycled rubber. Yes, they take old car tires, grind them up, and melt them into the shape of a belt. Ingenious! Next they use old beer caps, soda caps, and also old pins to adorn the belts. If there's a certain beer that holds some sort of, say, sentimental value to you, you can even get a belt custom made. And hey, do you remember those belts made from old car seat-belts? You can get your hands on one of those from Little Earth as well.
Now to the best part. The purses. They are made out of license plates that are wrapped around six inch hubcaps. They have recycled rubber handles and feet, and the interior is covered with felt. They even come with a lipstick holder inside. Even my boyfriend commented on how cute it was! Now that's a first!
The Little Earth products can be found all over the world. Not just everywhere in the US, but they can also be found in all of the world's fashion capitals. This includes France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. These guys know their stuff. It's nice to know that a company that not only makes great fashion accessories is also helping make the entire world a cleaner place! Not too many people can say that.
Last year alone, Little Earth recycled more than 30 tons of rubber, 40,000 license plates, and a quarter million bottle caps! That's a lot of junk off of our streets. Not to mention that the products are available for incredibly reasonable prices. The belts go from $28 to $39 US, while the purses range from $59 to $79 US. These stylish and funky accessories have been seen on TV programs such as Party of Five, and ER. Even the stars are carrying them; Brook Shields and Chelsea Clinton have recently been seen wearing them.
For those of you that want to make a difference, you can purchase these funky items online or in boutiques. I bet now we'll all think a little longer before we throw out our old junk.
For more information on Little Earth's recycled accessories, visit www.LittlEarth.com
When you think of the "tree hugging" environmentalists of the world, the last thing you would relate them to is fashion. Well, Little Earth is a company that has spent the last ten years trying to change that image.
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