We think global. We hire local.

For 17 years, baabaazuzu has been rescuing unwanted wool sweaters, blankets and garments – items that were just steps away from going into the nation’s landfills – and upcycling them into one-of-a-kind, fashionable felted wool hats, mittens, scarves, jackets, bags and accessories.

Each year, American textile waste, according to the EPA's 2008 study on the United States Generation of Solid Waste, accounts for over 3.3 million tons of the solid waste stream. Baabaazuzu helps to lessen this load by upcycling 750 pounds of wool garments and textiles every week.

In addition to simply reusing something that would otherwise go into a landfill, baabaazuzu takes these additional “green” measures:

• Felted wool “scraps” not used in larger pieces are made into other products and accessories such as hats, mittens and pins. Very little of the original wool textile goes unused - even the buttons used to adorn baabaazuzu’s products are all reclaimed and vintage.
• Use of Selestial Soap – a locally-made (less transporation involved), concentrated, biodegradable, phosphate- and dye-free laundry soap.
• Use of high-efficiency machines – though baabaazuzu’s sales have increased dramatically over the years, by replacing our standard washers with high efficiency, custom made machines, we have been able to keep our energy and water use the same, even with the increased output.
• Re-use (recycle) of boxes for shipping.
• Fleece lining in hats, mittens, etc. is made from recycled plastics.
• Baabaazuzu’s facilities – a former kiln building for a hardwood lumber company – is highly energy efficient, boasting a foot of insulation in its walls.
• Use of recycled paper in marketing collateral.

“We know our clients appreciate that our products are upcycled and that we take as many “green” measures as we can,” says Sue Burns. “It makes us feel good too, to be good stewards of our environment.”