Innovation

Cinder and Salt creates apparel for men, women, and children of all ages. The brand also offers various home goods, bags, jewelry, beauty, and wellness products. Cinder and Salt proudly celebrates 10 years of making eco-friendly and artist-made products.

Cinder and Salt has a clear mission to foster eco-optimism with fun, coloring and images based on the joy of the natural world. It also spreads awareness of certain causes and provides an opportunity to contribute positively to those in need through direct donations to partners and non-profits. The Cinder and Salt website highlights its eco-initiatives and the origin of its products in order to provide a transparent shopping experience that proves its commitment to sustainability and global change.

Cinder and Salt has pioneered a clear and precise business model that aims to give back directly to the environment, non-profit organizations, and helps create as well as fund eco-initiatives that change the world one step at a time. The process of creating the designs and clothing is unique and involves artists evoking a message and purpose with every image. Screen printing is a technique used to transfer designs onto flat surfaces using ink or paint. The desired fabric is placed under a screen that blocks out ink from some parts and allows it to print on others with various stencils. The ink is pulled from the top to the bottom of the screen using a tool called a squeegee. While the practice of screen-printing dates back centuries and originates in China, it is widely used to this day. DeCavage found a way to encompass this technique she learned as a child with sustainable resources such as old paint and responsibly sourced materials that become clothing. She bought her father's printing equipment and started her own business to positively impact her environment through her eco-optimism mission.

The business model that Cinder and Salt represents allows customers who want to source responsibly the opportunity to shop for shirts, tanks, socks, etc., while also directly donating to various organizations through their purchases. The clientele is aware of the negative impacts of fast fashion and mass-produced clothing on the environment and the ethical repercussions. For those who stumble upon the website, it is almost impossible not to understand the mission behind the designs and the fabrics origins. Cinder and Salt provides a crystal clear and informative description of their products. Often, the article of clothing will be shown with text on the right-hand side that states the makeup of the fabric, where it was made, and what causes it directly supports. The website is clear in its mission to give back to the planet and community. A great example are the socks that are available to purchase that are titled “Socks that save…” The customer is then provided with plenty of options ranging from design and colors that state exactly what part of their money will be used for funding. For instance, “Socks that Plant Trees” is a pair of black socks with small tree details. To the right of the image, the customer can see that with every purchase, four trees will be planted, the product is made in India, and they are Fairtrade, Global Organic Textile Standard and Vegan Certified. The direct connection between the customer and the impact that they have on the environment is channeled in such a reliable and interesting business model.

Inspiration

In a world where mass-produced clothing is the societal norm, this leads to unnecessary pollution, sweatshops, and environmental harm. Cinder and Salt finds creative ways for everyday people to share their compassion and drive for the world in an easy and fun way: shopping. This small business has mastered the art of sustainable production while enticing new and existing clientele to become more involved in the preservation of nature. By spreading its message, Cinder and Salt has obtained profits while also doing good for its community and others. DeCavage doubled down on the attractiveness of her business model by stating, “We ended up doing double our sales the following year because people realize that we were a company that was putting their money, in their time and resources, where our mouth was and where our message was.” Many people seek to give back to their community in simple ways, such as being responsible for the products they choose to consume. Her business provides just the right solution.

Company founder DeCavage had “always wanted to become a small business owner,” and after studying fashion and arts in college, the background knowledge she gained allowed her to begin making clothes herself. She was able to expedite this process by buying out the family printing shop and equipment, which allowed her to start her product line soon after. The ultimate goal and purpose of these products is not only to add an eco-friendly alternative, but to make people excited about the clothing, and remind them of the nature around them. The idea is that the message of the company will be spread much faster when people enjoy being in the clothes they have, and feel they are also making a small change in society. With a mission to promote eco optimism, the small business that was once her dream has been a success.

Overall, the main driver for the innovation of her business is creativity, where all designs are made by her and her team. Before she started her business, her family owned a print shop. As her idea for her business began to develop, she took control of the business and made it her own. This allowed her a space to create and curate her designs. In addition, she has complete control over what materials are used to create her products which allows for brand transparency and accountability in curating wholesome clothing and products.

Overall impact

Some short-term effects of this were that DeCavage had clear decisiveness and control over what she wanted to use and how she wanted to use it. Additionally, she did all the hiring for her business, which allowed for employing people with the same sustainable and eco-friendly beliefs as her. Long-term, her brand has grown and adopted many eco-friendly initiatives to serve her brand and beliefs. It is found that 50% of her profits are sourced “back to the earth” through environmental programs. Daily Cinder and Salt reuses, recycles, and repurposes materials to make or donate products. She emphasizes their commitment to zero waste as the store is also a center point for recycling materials. Aside from her passionate “can do” attitude, there are multiple statistics on Cinder and Salt’s website of recycled materials, eco-initiative activities they are participating in, donations to environmental organizations, and much more.

Business benefit

Through its sourcing processes, Cinder and Salt demonstrates an unwavering commitment to sustainability and environmental consciousness. Emphasizing eco-friendly and recycled textiles in addition to ethically sourced materials like bamboo and modal highlights their dedication to honesty. They also take great care to reduce the amount of chemicals and microplastics, even if that means sourcing from further away. In keeping with their philosophy of minimizing environmental impact, prioritizing North American suppliers lessens the burden of transportation. Working with partners who have earth-forward facilities strengthens their commitment to environmental management. Their astute eye for sustainable, female-made, fair trade, and eco-friendly materials for retail goods is indicative of a comprehensive commitment to sustainability. Their strong stance in favor of biodegradable packaging and strict 'no plastic' policies demonstrates their commitment to protecting the environment. From sticking to these principles, DeCavage was able to open a second store and in total has around 10 employees which are all paid well over the state minimum wage.

Social and environmental benefit

Cinder and Salt transforms the retail space as it is a great example of a successful eco-friendly and sustainable business. The practices and holistic features that are used to curate and sell these products prove that more businesses can be profitable and dually beneficial to society and the environment.

Interview

Rachel DeCavage, Founder

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