Vinyl shower curtains are scary!

Matt Hickman posted a great response to the question of why standard PVC shower curtains are so dangerous to our health and environment on the Mother Nature Network yesterday. Here is an excerpt:

"...PVC vinyl shower curtains... contain the infamous and ubiquitous chemical plasticizer, phthalates, and a slew of other toxic chemicals that can easily off-gas in a hot ‘n’ steamy bathroom and pollute the air in your home. In various studies, phthalates have been linked to a myriad of health concerns including genital deformation, abnormal breast development, lowered IQs and ADHD in boys; shortened pregnancies in expectant mothers; and damage to the liver, kidney and reproductive system."

On recyclability he wrote:

"...PVC, a compound of chlorine and petroleum products, is the hardest to recycle of all the plastics and the production of it is highly polluting and releases carcinogenic dioxins into the air."

On safer alternatives he wrote:

"Mercifully, there are numerous alternatives to vinyl shower curtains made from materials like hemp, organic or non-organic cotton, and non-off-gassing EVA plastic, but be warned, you’ll probably have to pay a bit more. But as evidenced above, I think you’d agree it’s worth it. While perfectly acceptable, non-vinyl shower curtains can be found at major retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond and Target, I’m a huge fan of Grain’s Ty Shower Curtain that’s made from recyclable, long lasting and breathable — less mold and mildew! — HDPE (#2 plastic). For a couple bucks more, Grain also offers a Ty DIY Edition that comes with a permanent marker for shower curtain doodling."

Thanks Matt!

Ty D.I.Y. Edition in the news...

After a long week of editing photos from the draw-a-thon, we were super excited to see Ty D.I.Y. Edition up on Apartment Therapy, Re-Nest and MoCo Loco last week. HUGE thanks to Anne and Harry for that!

MoCo Loco is actually giving away one of our Ty D.I.Y. Edition's. If you need one, just leave a comment here letting them know what you would draw on it. The best idea wins!!

We had a busy weekend keeping up with incoming orders. Our first Ty D.I.Y. Edition order actually came from Denmark. It will ship out tomorrow. Skol Tanja!

UPDATED 12/08/09: Ty D.I.Y. Edition was selected as one of the five favorite shower curtains on Apartment Therapy. See the full list here. Thanks Beth!

NEW: Ty D.I.Y. Edtion

After many months of work, we are excited to announce that Ty D.I.Y. Edition is finally here!

Ty D.I.Y. Edition is a "draw-it-yourself" shower curtain kit complete with blue, green or black permanent marker. It allows creative types the ability to customize thier shower curtain with their own hand-drawn designs and illustrations. The "canvas" for Ty D.I.Y. is our popular Ty recyclable shower curtain which is non-toxic, machine washable, recyclable and made in the U.S.

You'll probably notice that we've updated our packaging for both Ty and Ty D.I.Y. Edition. Our simple paper packaging is now printed on 100% post consumer recycled content chipboard using locally sourced soy-based inks by Pinball Publishing in Portland, OR.

In an effort to offer and even more durable product, both Ty and Ty D.I.Y. Edition will now have metal grommet hanging holes.

We've also joined 1% For The Planet, so 1% of all our sales will go directly to environmental causes.

For more info, here is the official press release. Ty ($30.00) and Ty D.I.Y. ($33.00) are available for purchase in our shop.

To help us launch, on October 23rd we hosted a draw-a-thon at our studio on Bainbridge Island. We had a group of local artists, designers and friends create their own custom designs. Below are the results. Pictured left to right are Andrea, James, Darin, Loc, Paul, Claire, Dylan, Natalia, Susanna, Regan, Eric, Laura, Tayler, Chika, Jared, Katie, Chrissy, Lauren and Tara. The details are from curtains by Jamie and Brian, Andrea, Catherine, Dylan, James and Laura. Here is a link to larger photos.

Ty - Recyclable Shower Curtain

We're celebrating the launch of our new online shop and our first in-house product, the Ty Recyclable Shower Curtain!  

Ty is a simple plastic shower curtain. Unlike other shower curtains made of vinyl, Ty will not off-gas in your home (learn more about the problems with vinyl here). Also unlike vinyl, Ty breathes, making it less likely to grow gross mold and mildew. To clean, use soap and water or even throw Ty in the washing machine and air dry (no dryer please). Ty is stronger than vinyl. Ty will last a very long time and then can be recycled. 

Ty is made of 100% high-density polyethylene (HDPE) #2 plastic. Often used for milk jugs, HDPE is the most commonly recycled plastic and is PVC free. 

There is more info available on the shop page.  Tell a friend!

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