 Ossining, NY - Eco-Bags Products, Inc., a 20 year old company that teaches consumers to reduce, reuse and recycle, will be inducted into the Business Council of Westchester seventh annual Business Hall of Fame under the category of “Entrepreneurial Success.”
The company offers everyday green products manufactured in socially responsible environments with fair wage and fair labor.
Induction into the Business Hall of Fame is a lifetime-achievement award for local businesses and individuals who have made significant contributions to their company and the business community. Award categories include Corporate Citizenship and four areas of excellence: Entrepreneurial Success, Small Business, Women in Business and Family Business. Previous inductees include PepsiCo., Inc., Lillian Vernon Corp. and MasterCard Worldwide.
Eco-Bags Products, Inc. was founded in 1989 by Sharon Rowe as an idea to help “Clean up the Planet One Bag at a Time™.” She wanted to provide an alternative to the use of plastic bags, which she saw littering the streets and trees in her New York City neighborhood. In the 1990 Earth Day celebration on Sixth Avenue in New York City, Ms. Rowe sold out of the first product in her Eco-Bags line, a signature cotton string shopping bag. ECOBAGS® was born.
“Bringing your own reusable bag in 1989 was an oddity,” says Ms. Rowe. “Cashiers literally didn’t know what make of it. Now it’s a movement, a mindset that’s beginning to take hold. We’re seeing initiatives cropping up all over to reduce or eliminate the use of plastic bags.”
Throughout the 1990’s, Ms. Rowe continued to increase her product line, offering eco-conscious consumers functional bags in natural and organic cotton fibers. All ECOBAGS® products were also manufactured fair wage and fair labor, with sustainable environmental practices. As the Internet and e-commerce grew, so did ECOBAGS®, whose client base stretches across the U.S. and the world.
Fast forward to 2007 and Eco-Bags Products have been featured on Oprah and in other national publications including People magazine and Parade, helping to change consumer patterns and reduce plastic bag consumption. In 2005 ECOBAGS® was selected by QVC for inclusion in its “Decades of Discovery” show and the company’s Classic String Bags® sold out in record time. ECOBAGS® was the top seller in the segment and Sharon was invited back for two additional segments on QVC.
“Green living has arrived,” says Ms. Rowe. “The marketplace is dynamic and growing exponentially, with new ideas and products being introduced at rapid speed. ECOBAGS® (www.ecobags.com) is a resource for green living practices and products for the entire family; we see ourselves as social change agents. We’re honored to be recognized by the Business Council of Westchester and, of course, to be a part of the Westchester community.”
The Business Hall of Fame awards ceremony will be held April 16 at the Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle, NY.
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