Ty Press Release

We finally sent out an offiicial press release for our first product: Ty. We launched last March and have been lucky to get a bunch of blog press but now it is time to really reach out to let people know what we've been up to over here at Grain. Download the full release with photos here.

For more info, email us at info@graindesign.com or call us at 206.965.9302.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Young Designers Launch Their First In-House Product: A Recyclable Shower Curtain

Bainbridge Island, WA

July 6, 2009

With the ambitious goal of ridding the world of off-gassing vinyl shower curtains forever, Grain, a young start-up of designers and social entrepreneurs who first met as students at Rhode Island School of Design, launched their first in-house product, Ty. Ty is a simple shower curtain that is non-toxic, and as a #2 plastic, can be recycled at the end of its lifespan. Made from the same PVC-free material used for Fed-Ex envelopes, Ty is durable and breathable – making it less likely to grow mold and mildew.

Have you ever experienced that “new shower curtain smell”? According to Grain spokesperson Chelsea Green, that is actually the smell of toxic chemicals being released into your home and lungs. Green cites a 2008 study by the Center for Health, Environment & Justice, finding that chemicals off-gassing from a typical vinyl shower curtain are linked to adverse health effects, including respiratory irritation, central nervous system disorders, liver and kidney damage, nausea, headaches, and loss of coordination.

Grain’s response to these health and environmental concerns is Ty, a product that is safe and healthy for homes and families and performs better than its vinyl alternative on every level. Ty is currently being made in the consultancy’s shop on Bainbridge Island (a 35 min. ferry ride from Seattle) and is being sold for $30 from their website, www.graindesign.com. Printed designs are in the works.

Along with Ty, Grain has recently launched a chair, called Café America, that is made from reclaimed chain-link fencing and flat-packs for efficient shipping. It is also available for purchase from their website.

About Grain

Founded in 2007 at the Rhode Island School of Design, Grain is a collaborative of design thinkers with the shared vision of a more sustainable future. As a full service design consultancy, Grain offers expertise in research, strategy, and design for companies interested in uniting sustainability and business through design.

Grain has recently received press on the following blogs: Cool Hunting, Contemporist, Mother Nature Network, Core77, Apartment Therapy, HOW Magazine, Metropolis P/O/V, Design Glut, and Interior Design, and in the following print publications: RISD Views and Bainbridge Review.

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