Maggie’s Organic Menagerie from Maggie’s Functional Organics
by Jennifer Chait, 05/01/09
Before organic was mainstream, Maggie’s Functional Organics was busy at work creating wonderful lines of organic clothing. They started with items like organic and fair trade socks, scarves, tights, loungewear, legwarmers, and tees, but their line now includes baby items and some amazing new organic and reclaimed stuffed animals, like the adorable organic sock monkeys shown above.
Maggie’s Organics also has some super cute reclaimed fabric penguins available. Each sock monkey is handmade with “less than perfect” Maggie’s Organics Solid Cotton Crew Socks (85% certified organic cotton and filled with post-industrial polyester fiber from mill scraps). Because of their recycled quality, you can’t request a color choice, but whichever color you get is sure to be adorable. The penguins are made with excess fabric and irregulars of 100% certified organic cotton and filled with mill scraps. Because each penguin has embroidered eyes and a tightly sewn on tie-dyed hat, they’re even safe for tiny tots.
Maggie’s Organics eco-facts:
- Each Maggie’s Organics item is made with Certified Organic Cotton or Certified Organic Wool as their main component. When other fibers are used (to improve longevity or performance) it’s fully disclosed on the label.
- Supply chains are located within close proximity to the company to minimize transport and oil use.
- Minimal packaging is used for all items.
- Lastly, Maggie’s Organics only works with business partners who, “Guarantee livable working conditions and independence for their workers.” When they manufacture in countries with poor labor and environmental laws they, “Find or create worker-owned cooperatives to assure that workers have independence and control.“
+ Maggie’s Functional Organics
[...] Maggie’s Functional Organics’ menagerie of reclaimed soft animals just got a whole lot bigger, with a new limited-edition collection of lovable barnyard critters ready to join your home on the range. These sweet farm friends are hand-stitched by a worker-owned cooperative in Morganton, North Carolina. Made with certified-organic cotton fabric leftovers and sock rejects, each machine-washable cow, pig, sheep, and funky tie-dyed chicken is stuffed with reclaimed polyester mill scrap to make it extra cuddly. [...]