Organic Bug Artist Spotlight: Josh Jakus- Founder of FUZ

A new year brings more new artists and designs to the Organic Bug family.  We were thrilled to add FUZ; an innovative line of modern home accessories to our sustainable collection.  Designer Josh Jakus of Berkeley, California is the artist behind these smart and elegant pieces for the home.   His work is inspired by the connection between form and function.

Josh embraces what he calls a “strict material sensibility~using materials in their simplest form so intrinsic qualities show through~and a rigorous design efficiency that strives to get the most impact out of the fewest moves.”

We are not surprised to learn that Josh is an architect by training with an M.Arch from UC Berkeley. Studying architecture was a way to continue his lifelong interest in the nature of structure, space and materials. With his understanding of the built environment and how it is inhabited, coupled with his innate curiosity and passion for pushing the envelope, Josh founded his design practice in 2005.  He began by designing pressed wool felt UM Handbags made from industrial factory excess and went on to experiment with other post-industrial waste materials.  Some of his current products the Josh Jakus FUZ Winepocket made from recycled grey wool from factory excess (featured on our homepage)  and (I love this one!) the 6-Pack Set of Coasters made from recycled rubber from tires and other factory excess.

All of the Josh Jakus collections are made in the USA. By producing small batches to meet customer demand, the company not only stays lean and local, they can better oversee quality and offer reasonable pricing that remains competitive. This labor of love keeps Josh in the driver’s seat and I, for one, am happy to ride along and enjoy the scenery.

Happiest making things that are meant to be used, he hopes his functional designs will attempt to foster a more intuitive understanding of all objects in the people who use them.

Organic Bug’s Favorite Eco Friendly Toy Companies

..By offering children toys that send a positive message about protecting our planet helps to educate the younger generation about how to make good choices for our environment. It may even create young ambassadors for Mother Nature. -Laurie Hyman, Co-Founder of Green Toys

Part of our philosophy is to provide consumers with offerings that are safe, good quality and help to promote a better world.  What better way to do this than to teach future generations to respect and preserve the natural resources of our planet? One way to teach this lesson is to lead by example, talk to your kids about the importance of recycling, conserving our resources, and supporting companies who embrace sustainable practices.

The holidays are an important time to share these ideals by giving toys that foster their imagination and creativity while while keeping true to the values of an eco-conscious home.   I want to highlight some of the companies we adore who provide a line of well made toys that will out last the others and are made with the safety of our children and planet in mind.

Green Toys

Green Toys makes a line of eco-friendly classic toys that are free of phthalates or Bispenol-A (BPA).  These unique toys are constructed from recycled milk containers!  Founders Robert von Goeben and Laurie Hyman created this company out of their desire to provide consumers with an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastic toys while making an effort to improve and preserve the world around us.  Their toys have been nationally recognized by media, and have won awards from Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Dr. Toys, and Fat Brian.  We love them because they have adopted enviromentally sustainable practices into their manufacturing by:

• Doing business locally. Their operations are located within close proximity of one another in California, helping to further reduce its carbon footprint by avoiding long transportation distances.
• Packaging their products in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties.
• The toys themselves are 100% recyclable too. So, not only are they earth-friendly they are ready for your recycling bin.

Piggy Paint was highlighted on our blog last October- but felt the need to mention them again for their wonderful selection of holiday themed nail polish sets.  Girls of all ages can have fun decorating their fingers and toes with these vibrant, natural & non toxic polishes.   It’s as natural as mud in the sense that every ingredient is biodegradable with no residues left behind to harm the environment.  Our favorites this season: “Mistle Toes”, “Jingle Nail Rock” and “Snowflake Fairy”.

Montgomery Schoolhouse of Maple Landmark Woodcraft

Founded in 1971, the legendary Montgomery Schoolhouse products have been a part of the Maple Landmark family of Vermont since 2001 .  These products are made at the highest level of quality & eco-safeguards to insure many years of good clean fun.   Maple Landmark Woodcraft was founded by Mike Rainville who took up woodworking as a hobby in as a teenager, and launched his wood crafting company after his college graduations in the mid 80s.

Today, Maple Landmark Woodcraft continues to offer high quality American made toys and other wood crafts. Product safety remains their number one priority and the company does as much business locally as is possible including the many services needed and most material sourcing.

Concerns about toxic chemicals leeching from toys and ongoing environmental risks inspired the company to launch a line of  non-toxic wooden toys called Schoolhouse Naturals.  These toys are made from maple hardwood with no added chemicals that has been responsibly harvested from sustainable Addison County, Vermont forests. Be sure to check out the award winning My Best Blocks-Advanced Builder and the Natural Scoots Toy Vehicles from this line, one of our favorite offerings.

For My Kids

For My Kids, LLC is a company devoted to finding (and making where none currently exist) products that are beneficial to our children and our planet.  They offer a line of safe, natural & organic cleaners and personal care products that are a wonderful healthy alternative to chemical disinfectants. The company was founded by Christine Stewart when she learned about the potential long-term ill effects of the cleaning products she was using.  She set out to create effective cleaners that used non toxic ingredients for the sake of family.

Her latest triumph is Happy Fun Dough, an all natural and non-toxic version of play dough.  This soft, pliable dough is made from flour all natural ingredients- even the colors are all natural.

MiYim

MiYim, a Shanghai based company, believes they have a special responsibility to protect the environment for future generations and offers safe and chemical free products for babies and children.   The company is committed to protecting the health and safety of their employees and safeguarding the environments where they do business.

Miyim is the ancient word for water. And seeds, rich fertile soil and water are the basis for all MiYim products. MiYim collectibles are woven with organic cotton that is untreated, unbleached, and unprocessed with color dyes acquired from nature.  Here are some of the other reasons why we love the toys from this company:

Low-Eco Impact Manufacturing.  They use a specialized natural filtering system purifies waste-water from coloring process before releasing back to the environment.

No chemicals or harmful substances are used in making of miYim products.

Socially Responsible Management: They follow the highest International labor standards and treat each employee with respect and fairness.

Sustainable packaging: Each miYim collectible is housed in a handmade box crafted from recycled materials and the miYim gift box is meant to be reused! Make the most of your miYim purchase and use it to store anything from photos to recipes.

BizLightenment- A Place to Find A Conscious Business

 

Part of our mission is to seek out ways to present better options to consumers who want to make socially conscious decisions when it comes to purchasing products and services. We recently became associated with a wonderful online resource called BizLightenment and found they share these ideals with us. 

On their site, they beautifully define what is considered a conscious business:

     
• From the BizLightenment perspective, Conscious Business is a way of doing business where the creation of value is considered the foundation for creating wealth.

       

• Value is defined here as contribution to both the individual and the common good

       

• In addition, Conscious Business recognizes the interconnectedness of Life and strives to be socially and environmentally responsible while respecting the sacredness and dignity of all life.

       

• It is business infused with what might be called “spiritual” values including integrity, generosity, honesty and service.

       

• Ideally, a Conscious Business operates with heart and soul and seeks to be aware of its impact on the lives of its employees, its customers, its community and the world.

We have a directory listing on this site and have decided to help promote this valuable resource by donating a Half the Sky Designs Recycled Juice Pack Silver Runway Backpack to support the BizLightenment Conscious Gift Basket Giveaway Event, a promotion they are doing this month. All you  need to do is sign up for their email newsletter to enter for a chance to win one of these gorgeous baskets filled with great gifts.