“ CONSUMERS, PARTICULARLY THE YOUNGER
DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND MANUFACTURING TO
SEE A REAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. ”
GENERATION, WILL SOON DEMAND A SHIFT IN THE
Photo Credits: Lauren Athalia Photography, LLC
A
ccording to National Geographic, 5.25 trillion
pieces of plastic debris are currently floating
about the world’s oceans. On average, it takes
400 years for each of those pieces to decompose. It’s a
global problem. But it’s one that The 30A Company is
working hard to address.
“Consumers, particularly the younger generation, will
soon demand a shift in the design, development and
manufacturing to see a real environmental impact,” says
JoAnn Ribaudo, COO of the 30A Company.
“All of our vendors and partners are vetted to make sure
their working conditions are clean, safe, and that their
employees are paid a fair living wage,” Ribaudo says.
The 30A Company is now recognized as a pioneer in
the field of environmentally friendly products, offering
an organic skincare line, bicycles, reusable bags and
drinkware.
You can find their clothing at 30AGear.com, 30A stores,
as well as at 350 retailers in the U.S. and the British
Virgin Islands.
Ribaudo spent years learning the ins-and-outs of the
apparel industry before stepping into her current role.
Since she and founder Mike Ragsdale dreamed up
an eco-friendly apparel line, the company has been
The process begins with the fiber company Repreve,
which specializes in turning plastic waste and weaving it
into cotton blend yarn—a process called “trash, shred,
weave, wear.” The result is a thinner cotton blend used
to make T-shirts, V-necks, blankets, UPF 30 coverups
and sweatshirts. Their clothing is breathable, no-fade
and shrink resistant.
The company’s ethos is all part of an emerging
movement called “sustainable fashion,” which champions
a complete rethinking of the textile production supply
chain. The fabrics The 30A Company incorporates
in its clothing line, for example, consist of equal parts
ultra-soft cotton and recycled plastic. It takes nearly
eight 16-ounce plastic bottles to create a single
30A Company shirt.
responsible for recycling over 4.7 million plastic bottles
retrieved from landfills and the ocean.