Earth Brands Blog #1 - 2020 Year in Review

Welcome to the Earth Caps Blog, a direct forum for all things Earth Caps––written by co-Founders Misha and Peter. Yes, we know that blogs seem as outdated as Blackberry’s or MySpace, but we also think it’s part of our job to keep you––our fans and followers––updated on our progress. And, at least to us, our growth has been really exciting, making it something we’d like to share. In addition, we see the importance of transparency when a company’s social mission is so closely aligned with its ethos.

The Past

Let’s rewind to February 2020. We found ourselves at a crossroads, a fork in the road that was our young venture. We were busy balancing schoolwork and college athletics, and were simultaneously in shock of the novel coronavirus, which had begun to spread rapidly across Asia and parts of Europe. We had a mere 200 Instagram followers, and despite our enduring desire to promote sustainability measures, our motivation was waning. We sat down and decided we had two options: give-up on Earth Caps and find other ways to promote sustainability, or re-ignite the receding venture.

We tried to think of ways to grow our brand –– raise awareness about irreversible climate damages, create a better product, make sustainability cool –– while also reducing our commercial carbon footprint. Ultimately, we decided to re-focus on Earth Caps, and this time we were all-in. We made improvements to our first batch of caps before producing a new order; we reached out to dozens of NGOs, asking for partnerships, and discussed new product ideas to expand our brand.

The Present

Now let’s fast forward to the present. Our caps are currently made from 100% cotton, and are AZO-dye free, which means they are produced without the cancerous toxins that many manufacturers use despite the harmful pollutants they release into the environment. We have released a couple new products––most notably, our limited-edition Earth Beanies. We have successfully partnered with four organizations that work to mitigate the effects of global warming on the Earth and its creatures, all of whom we trust and believe in. Each organization is paired with each Earth Cap. Our central business model has remained constant: for each Earth Cap we sell, we send $5 to the respective partner organization. Since the re-launch, we have donated over $1300 and counting! We have also worked with the organizations to make this $5 more tangible to the consumer.

For our Wildlife Line (The Rhino Cap), we have partnered with World Animal Protection, a non-profit dedicated to protecting those species most susceptible to global warming and the dangerous practices that propel its course (mass farming, illegal wildlife trade). This means that when a Rhino Cap is purchased $5 gets sent to World Animal Protection, where it might be used to provide emergency feed for up to five animals, or protect elephants in tourism.

For our Renewable Energy Line (The Wind Turbine Cap), we partnered with Bondh E Shams, a non-profit that harnesses renewable energy to provide clean water to millions of people worldwide. A $5 donation to Bondh E Shams is equivalent to 2.5L of water saved per day for 20 years, which equals 10 cups of clean water every day while their project is active.

For our Ocean Line (The Coral Cap), we partnered with Lonely Whale, a global incubator founded on “radical collaboration” that works to restore marine ecosystems. Lonely Whale employs ground-breaking technologies and unwavering dedication to protect our planet’s oceans and educate future generations. A purchase of the Coral Cap sends $5 to Lonely Whale that might then be used to fund an educational summit or ocean cleanup.

For our Arctic Line (The Penguin Cap), we partnered with Make A Change World, a young NGO dedicated to removing plastic waste from our planet’s waterways, and ultimately providing sustainable solutions to reducing plastic garbage collections on a global scale. In 2020 alone, Make A Change World has installed 25 innovative trash barriers in Indonesia's waterways, which has translated to the collection of thousands of pounds of plastic waste. When a Penguin Cap is purchased, $5 is sent their way to help fund the installation of a trash barrier or develop new sustainable technologies.

The Future

Now let’s take a look into the coming year. After months of research and development, we are excited and proud to announce that we have created an eco-friendly Earth Cap. The cap, which we hope to release in the upcoming months, will be made of 4 recycled PET-plastic bottles and organic cotton, AZO-dye free. The fabric’s blend was meticulously designed –– it maintains the relaxed and comfortable fit our customers know and love while creating a more functional and durable cap. Here’s how the process works: the recycled plastic bottles are collected and washed, then shredded and melted into yarn. We then weave this yarn into our comfortable and breathable organic cotton fabric, which we ultimately turn into Earth Caps!

With the release of our eco-friendly Earth Cap, we also hope to come out with several new cap designs. Our ideas for new designs have 100% come from you –– our fans who engage with our social media platforms and support our mission –– which is really exciting. Since you’ve made it this far in the blog post, why not share some of the front-runners: an elephant, a tree, a turtle, a shark, a wolf, a leopard, a tiger, a panda, among others.

Ultimately, we want to grow our brand and our mission; sell more caps, accrue more donations, recycle more plastic waste, make sustainability objectively cool –– because it is. So, we are actively seeking partnerships with other like-minded companies and organizations; we are expanding into online and in-person retailers; and we are looking to increase our social media engagement and exposure. Of course, to do all this, we need you, and we hope that you’ll share what will be a special adventure.

Our patient dedication is as lofty as our ambition: saving the planet, one cap at a time.

Happy Holidays to all of you from the Earth Caps Team, and here’s to a brighter and safer 2021!

P.S. Since you made it this far, here’s a discount code to get you $10 off all Earth Caps products: CODE : THANKS20