GladRags

Infobox Company
name = GladRags/Keepers! Inc.

type = private
genre =
foundation = 1993
founder =
location_city = Portland, Oregon
location_country = USA
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key_people = Brenda Mallory Owner
industry = Natural feminine products
products =
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revenue =
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homepage = [http://www.gladrags.com www.gladrags.com]
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intl =

GladRags/Keepers! Inc. (dba GladRags), based in Portland, Oregon, United States is the manufacturer, distributor and retailer of GladRags cloth menstrual pads. The company also retails a number of related products such as Sea Sponge Tampons and menstrual cups, The Keeper Cup, The Moon Cup, and the DivaCup. The company focuses on providing sustainability in a segment of the market that is mostly one of disposable, single-use products.

History

GladRags was founded in 1993 by Brenda Mallory, whose concerns for the environment led her to use cloth diapers and caused her to question her own use of disposable feminine hygiene products. She began Gladrags as a home business. Throughout the years, GladRags expanded from cloth pad manufacturer, to online retailer of this product and other natural and sustainable feminine products. GladRags products are found in natural products stores nationwide. The company regularly attends industry trade shows and is one of the major producers of cloth pads in the country. The company currently operates out of an office in Portland.

Awards

* 1999 Founder of a New Northwest Award, from the Sustainable Northwest with the Pacific Rim Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils
* 1999 Inherit the Earth Award for Environmental Education from Connecticut College

People

GladRags has several employees in addition to president and owner, Brenda Mallory. The sewing of the GladRags is contracted out to a company in a nearby suburb, and a group of developmentally disabled workers from OESCO (Oregon Employment Services Corporation) package products in-house on a weekly basis.

About

GladRags are cloth menstrual pads, made of both conventional and organic cotton. They are a washable product used in place of disposable menstrual pads. Women choose to use GladRags for a variety of reasons. Among these are the economical, health and environmental benefits of the product.

The GladRags day and night pads are constructed of two liners (a piece of terrycloth between two layers of cotton flannel) and a holder with a set of snaps to secure the pads around the underwear. The day pad holder serves as an envelope for the absorbent liners and the night pad liners are tucked under a band of flannel to hold them in place. The night pad is significantly larger than the day pad to accommodate the changing positions of sleeping. The GladRags Pantyliner is similar to the design of one day pad or night pad liner and also has a band that snaps around the underwear. As the GladRags become saturated throughout the day, they are changed for a new pad. The GladRags Carry Bag is intended to hold both the unused and used pads throughout the day, containing a inner waterproof bag for the used bags. GladRags are machine washed with a pre-soak in cold water.

Business model

As stated by the GladRags Sustainability Pledge posted on their website:

"GladRags is in the business of reducing our negative environmental impact on the Earth... We make it a top priority to seek a lighter footprint in how we operate GladRags."

The company states a commitment to selling reusable, locally-sourced products to their customers. It also describes in-office practices of composting, recycling, and reusing as evidence of its sustainable business practices.

The company also employs a majority of women (and is run by a woman) as well as a group of developmentally disabled workers.

GladRags is a participant of Natural Product Expos East and West, a show for companies in the "natural, organic, and healthy products industry".

Customer demographics

GladRags pads are used by a range of women, for various reasons. Many women cite the environmentally-friendly nature of the products as a reason for their purchase. One set of GladRags lasts at least 5 years, with the pads often lasting for many years beyond that. Women appreciate the fact that they are not disposing of thousands of pads in their lives, contributing to increasing landfills and the carbon emissions released by the production of these disposable pads - a contributor to Global Warming. Many women are also drawn by the money savings of using GladRags, again not having to purchase disposable pads continually throughout their lives. For those women with chemical or vaginal sensitivities, they find the natural materials of the GladRags pads to be less irritating or non-irritating as compared to disposable pads.

ee also

*Lunapads
*Menstrual cycle

References

* [http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=116026844192907500/ Sustainable Life Article]
* [http://www.naturalproductsmarketplace.com/articles/7a1feat3.html Natural Products Marketplace Article]
* [http://efswest.madwolftech.com/Resource_Center/Second_Nature/profiles.nsf/5b32da488c240c128525678600643c58/ea8c7d096945b5e8852566a20064b1e2?OpenDocument Inherit the Earth Award]

External links

* [http://www.gladrags.com GladRags] (official website)