Organic Baby Blankets Make Great "Green" Shower Gifts

An Aug. 10 press release from Robbie Adrian, Inc., says that "green" baby blankets are among the latest in fashionable organic cotton products that have been increasingly in demand for several years.

For the most part, baby blankets are typically made with non-organic cotton or petroleum based fabrics such as polyester. Unlike conventionally grown cotton, organic cotton is grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizer additives. According to the Sustainable Cotton Project website, U.S. farmers applied as much as a third of a pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for every pound of cotton harvested in 1995. That boils down to a third of a pound of chemicals for one T-shirt. Taking that a step further, if one considers what that means in terms of the 19 states that grow cotton, the environmental impact is tremendous - especially since some of the chemicals used are among the most toxic, as classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As a result, the Sustainable Cotton Project has been working with farmers, manufacturers and consumers in hopes of opening up markets for certified organically grown cotton.

Enter Robbie Mahlman and Susan Doris of El Dorado Hills, Calif. In a telephone interview with Susan Doris on Aug. 10, she said their company, Robbie Adrian, Inc., is the first company to sell blankets that are both upscale and organic. She said there are "a lot of fancy and beautiful blankets out there," but no blankets that are both beautiful and organic. "We are the first to do what we're doing," she said.

Robbie Mahlman is the company's President and CEO. In the press release she said: "We talked with many parents who wanted natural products for their children that were also stylish and colorful. That inspired us to create a line of luxury organic baby blankets, offering earth friendly elegance for discerning parents and their babies. All of our blankets are machine washable and dryable because convenience is just as important as health and style."

Doris handles sales and marketing for the company. She said that until now it's been primarily celebrities and the like who wanted eco-friendly, yet trendy, baby blankets. However, fashionable alternatives to polyester and conventional cotton fabrics just weren't available. "Many of the baby blankets now on the market are made from fabrics like polyester, which is a petroleum based fiber, or conventionally grown cotton, which is grown with harmful chemicals," she said. "Part of our goal with Robbie Adrian luxury organics, is to help educate people about the impact on the environment from purchasing different fibers, and how they can really make a difference with what they buy."

Luxury organics, as they're dubbed, are sold under an increasing number of designer labels, including Edun, begun by singer Bono of U2, his wife and designers. Barneys New York is said to be planning an environmentally themed Christmas promotion, utilizing a mascot named Rudolph the Recycled Reindeer. Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus are also said to be offering upscale organic lines.

According to Mahlman, they believe that "offering parents natural elegance for their baby and the ability to help the environment with each purchase is one of our many inspirations for launching Robbie Adrian luxury organics." Not to mention that she and Doris believe that "our blankets make green gorgeous!," said Mahlman.

Sources:

Press release, Green Gets Gorgeous with Launch of Robbie Adrian Luxury Organics; http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/8/prweb544793.htm

Sustainable Cotton Project; http://www.sustainablecotton.org/