our products

Be Green T-shirts are made of 100% organic cotton, manufactured in the US and printed in Burlington, NC using a revolutionary non-toxic and sustainable printing process created by TS Designs, our printing partner.

Why Organic Cotton

• Cotton farming is one of the most hazardous crops for our environment and our health.  So the perfect place to start making change:
• Cotton uses approximately 25% of the world's insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides. 
  It takes roughly 1/3lb. of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just one Tshirt. 
• 7 of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton were categorized by the EPA as "possible," "likely," "probable," or "known" human carcinogens.

Enough said.

About the Cotton

Cotton is the world’s most pesticide sprayed crops.   Our skin, our bodies’ largest organ, absorbs 80% of what we put on it.  You can see the problem.

The cotton used in these t-shirts is made of 100% organic cotton and manufactured by American Apparel.  The organic cotton is certified organic and imported primarily from Turkey.  The climate in the US has limited the availability of organic cotton and the majority of certified organic cotton is coming from Turkey where there is an ideal climate for growth. 

American Apparel t-shirts are manufactured in downtown Los Angeles using fair trade labor (in accordance with the State of California).

About the Printing Process

TS Designs (TSD), located in Burlington NC, has some of the world’s most innovative and sustainable screen printing and business practices.

TSD uses water-based technology in its printing and, through our patented REHANCE technology, can provide a bright, vibrant water-based print on a dyed t-shirt.

What we love about TSD:  

• They use WATER based inks in their printing process and inert, non-toxic binders (like Elmers Glue)
• They work with local farmers and manufacturers along with other sustainable business in procuring organic cotton or locally manufactured t-shirts
• Their dyes are low impact, require lower water temperatures and less energy.
• They reduce their carbon footprint with innovative sustainability including:
  • Wine turbine Biodiesel fueling station on site  
  • 2.5 kw and 8.6 kw solar arrays
  • Onsite vegetable garden and beehive
  • Methane digester and compost area

Overall, they are just a fabulous company that has been doing business “green” since 1977.

Why Are Some T-Shirts NOT White

The natural or off-white T-shirts are raw, natural cotton and have not undergone any “bleaching” process, thus, their off-white color.

Sizing

The American Apparel sustainable t-shirts are slimmer fitting.  We recommend one size larger as they are also not pre-washed and will shrink slightly.

Packaging Materials

All packaging materials are made of 100% post consumer recycled content.

We use Greenerprinter.com for the t-shirt hang tags and stickers.  Both are printed using soy ink and the stickers with non-toxic adhesive.

Our Kraft Paper is made of 100% recycled paper waste like old corrugated cartons (post consumer waste - that’s the stuff we throw out) and paper processing production waste (post industrial). It is biodegradable, easily recyclable in existing waste streams, and compostable.

Even our Merchant Services Provider is Green

We go to great lengths to minimize our impact on the Earth.  We also look for partners who are doing the same.  Our merchant services partner, who enables us to accept credit cards, is Dharma Merchant Services.  In addition to fair consumer practices, they enact sustainable business practices every day.