As I predicted in an article several years ago, retailers, including the big guys, have gone eco-friendly. I saw it coming. I wrote about it. And, of course, it is a welcome change. The Ralph’s, Targets and Sams Clubs of the world, most likely, will never go fully earth-friendly, and merely offer sections in their stores rather than become another Trader Joe’s but that’s alright. It’s a very good sign.

Why? The obvious part is that anything one person or a group of people do, in even a small way, to leave shorter “carbon footprints”, the better. The signs of a “planet in trouble” have been with us for awhile. It is nothing new. Today, one does not need to be what was commonly referred to as a “tree-hugger” to do their part in pitching in to help in their own small way to help the earth, hence us, live longer and healthier.

I am an Internet retailer that deals in humor gifts and collectibles. I sell licensed images of my cartoon images on a myriad of products such as Tshirts, mouse pads, coffee mugs, and others. When I told my friends I was planning to open a 100% organic cotton (using nontoxic dyes) T-shirt shop as my latest online venture, a good many of them laughed. And not at my cartoons. Some felt I was “losing it”. The truth is, I am finding it. Though I don’t know if I will ever become fully green in my entrepreneurial pursuits, that is my goal. I still have a number of existing customers at other eshops who have supported us all these years, and they are a completely different market. My strategy is not to abandon them, but to cater to them, and slowly add more green products that I know many will try, and as time goes by, hopefully, go fully eco-friendly in all the stores.

I would consider myself “bad” if this opportunity to get into the “green sector” of business, not to have taken it. I had been attempting it for many years. I could not make a deal with a manufacturer that suited me. I wanted to find one in which I could provide an extremely high quality fabric, and have my cartoon images imprinted with natural dyes that would not harm the skin. There were a few our but there was always an issue or minimal purchases, quality control, and other obstacles always surfaced. Though I am a small businessman, I will not post products at prices that are not competitive. So I waited and I am glad I did.

Finally, thanks to a print-on-demand company called Zazzle.com, and contracts they have with American Apparel and Edun Organics (two of the best), I can offer the quality green tee and have it printed and drop-shipped anywhere in the world within 24 hours. Not bad, and at very competitive prices.

Americans, and citizens of other countries, love their T-shirts. According to a study, the average American has at least thirty designed tees, and almost one hundred percent have a “favorite one”. I know I do. We also are health-conscious people these days. We try to eat healthier foods, take organic vitamins, eat less red meat, consume less trans-fat. The skin is the largest and most absorbent organ the body has. Wearing non-toxic dye tees is smart. And wearing premium ones, paying about $5-6 more than one would for a regular cotton or cotton blend tee is even smarter. It looks sexier. It feels better. And one is doing their part to help the planet a little. To me, that kind of peace of mind is worth a lot more than a McDonald’s Happy Meal.

Rick London is the first cartoonist to go eco-friendly. CLICK HERE to visit his organic cartoon tshirt shop