It all began with the need for a wallet. But just buying one
would not do for Rebecca Pearcy; she’s the type of person that if she needs
something, she’ll make it. So, with a few pieces of vinyl, make a new wallet she
did. And thus the seed for Queen Bee Creations was planted. From that one wallet, she has built a bustling
hive of a small business.
In addition to wallets, the hive is abuzz making tote bags, messenger
bags, diaper bags, baby clothes, and other accessories. Recently, Queen Bee
Creations began to expand its repertoire even further by incorporating recycled
materials into its products. Using unconventional materials, such as recycled
wool felt (sourced from textile mills) and reclaimed banners (donated by
museums, developers, designs companies, etc.), Queen Bee is turning what would
be landfill fodder into whimsical, useful accessories. And recycled materials
are only the beginning – “green” materials such as organic cotton, hemp and
Tencel®, a natural cellulose fiber, will soon be added to the menu of
ingredients.
Sustainability has always been a part of the culture at
Queen Bee, and now their products are catching up to their practices. The staff
enjoys fair wages, adheres to strict recycling and composting practices, and
has formed a bike-commuting fleet (they actually finished 5th in
their category in this year’s Bike Commute Challenge). Additionally, the “local”
philosophy is whole-heartedly embraced. Everything is done in-house by their
Portland-based staff – from the design to the prototype to the manufacturing. “One
of the most unique aspects of our business is that you can actually meet the
people that are making the products that you’re buying,” said Pearcy.
It’s not just the labor that’s kept local; materials and
supplies are sourced from within Portland and Oregon as much as
possible, with the occasional need to reach a little farther out, but with the
effort not to stray beyond domestic borders.
“Being a local business, specifically in the Northwest and Portland, really fosters
a sense of community - local people and businesses really valuing each other
and what each does,” said Pearcy.
However, staying local and going green is certainly not
simple and don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand, as Pearcy has found. Making
choices about sustainability involves weighing what makes the product
“sustainable” in the environmental sense and what makes her business
“sustainable” in the economic sense. For example, in her decision to start
using organic cotton, she may not be able to meet the minimums that fabric manufacturers
require. Thus, she would need to source the fabric overseas, which obviously
increases the distance the fabric has to travel, thus detracting from its
sustainability quotient. Although this choice is not ideal, it’s a start.
“I think about this a lot! Mostly I want to make the best
choices I can, given my resources of time, energy and power,” she explains.
Being sustainable also means keeping her business stable. “I want to move away
from working with vinyl, but I don't want to do it too suddenly, because that
could jeopardize the stability of the company, and that wouldn't be good for me
or any of my 12 employees!”
According to Pearcy, there is certainly a movement towards
sustainability in the industry; it’s a movement that is both following a trend
and responding to a need for change. Although she thinks it’s exciting to see
sustainability gaining speed, she is fully aware of the mixed blessings of the
movement. On one hand, she has found that the increased interest in
sustainability has lead to an increased access to materials – with a higher
demand, it has become much easier to find the sustainable materials she needs. On
the other hand, “sustainability” is much more than meets the eye and many
assumptions are made about what is “green” or “eco.” It’s easy to call
something “green,” but it’s not easy to define how it’s green. For example, one
might think that using cotton, as a natural fiber, is better than using vinyl;
but since most cotton is saturated with pesticides, it is not necessarily the
better option. (And yes, it’s obviously better to use organic cotton, but as
stated above, there are further considerations for that option.)
Whether striving for sustainability by staying local, going
green, or finding the intersection of the two, the vibrant Queen Bee team
creates durable, utilitarian products with a unique style. Pearcy is certainly
flying high as the Queen bee for this successful local business.
Queen Bee Creations has pollinated stores in just about
every pocket of the Portland Metro area and beyond. For a complete list of the
local stores in which you can find one of their creations, visit http://www.queenbee-creations.com/pages/retail.
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