Basic Revolution Giveaway

Solving two hole-y problems with one box. Welcome to the revolution! And a giveaway :)

Winners drawn 9/17 : Robert Y. and Kelly T. Please check your email! 

Fab friends!! I'm so excited to introduce you to Basic Revolution and its amazing, Chicago-based founder Andrea. Let's get right into the basics of her revolution and what she's offering TWO of my lucky readers!

Ok Andrea, what’s this revolution all about?

It’s a pretty small revolution, but a big idea. We want to change the way you dispose of your unusable unmentionables. Yes, I'm talking about hole-y socks, stained t-shirts and worn-out undies. What do you usually do with them? We used to throw them in the trash, and we're guessing you do too because what else can you do with them - donate them? Ewww! Of course not. 

Of course not. And if that's what we're all doing, I'm guessing we have a pretty embarrassing problem on our hands, right?  

Yup. Did you know the average American throws away 80 lbs of clothing a year?!? I sure didn’t, but now I want to weigh all my clothes and see what that looks like. Here’s another dirty fact: about 85% of all post-consumer clothing ends up in a landfill. The other 15% gets donated to charities and other organizations that accept clothing items in good shape to resell or to give to people in need.

Well, those are revolting numbers. And that's why you started Basic Revolution? 

We understand there are tons of other things hurting our environment - ocean plastic, carbon emissions, overuse of resources, water pollution - the list can feel endless. So we wanted to create a fun and simple way to help a lot of people make a small change, in turn creating a big difference. A way for you to easily recycle those hole-y socks, sad undies, and torn-up T’s. A Basic Revolution.

Wait - you said you're solving TWO problems with one box. What's the other one?

We understand that no matter how careful you are, your basic items - like socks - need to be replaced more often than other items of clothing. So part of our solution is making sure that you never run out of fresh, sustainably-made basics. 

You're like a planet-friendly sock fairy! So tell us how it works.

To put it simply: Wear. Recycle. Repeat. 

Wear. Order your basics from us and you’ll receive your box of fresh, sustainably-made basics. You’ll get to feel good about buying items you know were made in an environmentally friendly way, so wear the heck out of them!

Recycle. With every shipment you receive, you can recycle your old, worn out, un-donate-able clothing items. All you have to do is re-use the box your items came in and apply the shipping label we sent with it. Just fill it with socks, undies, t-shirts...whatever you can’t donate but can fit in the box goes. Then drop it off at your local post office. That’s pretty easy!

That box goes to our recycling partner who sorts and distributes the items to places that will give them a second life. You’d be surprised what your old clothing can be turned into. Old t-shirts might become wipe rags, jeans can be turned into insulation, and other items might go to a fabric recycler to be broken down and turned into stuffing for car seats and dog beds, or carpet padding. 

Repeat. Receive your sustainable basics every 6 months or every year. Don’t worry, we aren’t just going to ship stuff without checking in first. And if you aren’t ready for new basics, you can delay your shipment. Once you receive the new shipment, the process starts again. Send us your old, your hole-y, your tattered and we’ll help give them a new life.

What basics can I order right now?

We are starting with socks! Black, white, crew, ankle, sport. We’re keeping it simple, basic if you will.

Choose your box size - 7 or 15 pairs

Choose your sock type or create a mix

Choose your fabric - bamboo or organic cotton

Choose your frequency - every 6 months or once a year

 

Done! We’ll take care of the rest. Your items will arrive in a sustainably-made box (full circle), with the shipping label needed to send it on to our recycler. Pack the box full of your old, worn out unmentionables and send it off again... Marie Kondo is already proud of you!  

"I LOVE these socks and can't believe I waited so long to sign up. Not only are they great quality and comfy thickness but it feels great to be part of reducing waste. I donate clothes but used to throw away old personal items. Sending back old socks and such is super easy thanks to BR!" 

--Heather

Fantastic! Last question: what's different about the socks in your box? 

We spent a lot of time looking for great socks for our sock box. We wanted socks that were sustainably made, by companies that care about the environment, their employees, supply chain, and are socially conscious. AND we wanted quality socks that are comfortable. After much testing we settled on offering two kinds of socks - bamboo and organic cotton.

Our bamboo socks are super soft and comfortable. They are lightweight and great for wearing with dress shoes or boots, or your everyday sneakers. Our organic cotton socks are thicker than the bamboo and more like what you might think of as a traditional cotton crew sock.

"Thanks for the great socks! The bamboo athletic socks are the softest I've ever had! And I'm super happy I'm now able to recycle my old ones instead of throwing them away!! 

--Doug"

And there you have it. Awesome, new, sustainably-made socks that you didn’t have to scour the internet for and the great feeling of getting rid of stuff you don’t need in a way that doesn’t hurt the planet.

WHAT CAN I WIN? 

TWO of my readers will win a 7-pair sock box valued at $89. Your prize includes one shipment of socks (either men's or women's; your choice) and one recycling return. Free shipping. Whether you choose men's or women's socks, you'll be able to choose your mix of materials and styles - bamboo, organic cotton, crew, ankle, sport.  There's no obligation to continue the subscription, just email info@mybasicrevotution.com to cancel

Rules:  

• Giveaway opens Sept 1 and closes at midnight Sept 16
• US RESIDENTS ONLY
• Must order your shipment within two weeks of winning
• Once order is placed it will ship in 1-2 weeks
• No obligation to continue the subscription - just reply to the email that you’d like a one time shipment and we will cancel the subscription
• If you forget to respond, no worries, you’ll get an email before it renews, at that time you can change your mix or cancel the subscription

a Rafflecopter giveaway . 

Any final thoughts on what we can do to cut down on textile waste?

 

• Be more deliberate in your purchases. It’s fun to get new stuff, but if it’s low quality and you’re only going to wear it once, is it worth it when you look at the bigger picture?
• Buy quality items that last. Ok, they cost more but that pair of boots I bought 15 years ago are still in my closet (and they get worn!)
• Repair items. It’s amazingly easy to fix a tear along a seam yourself or to sew a button back on. And the time you invest is little compared to the cost of a new item. Don’t want to repair it yourself? Find a good dry cleaner or seamstress. Most towns have one, and if you live in a city they are probably on every block. They can make fixes big and small for a fraction of the cost of a new high quality item.
• Donate. If you’ve gotten all the use out of an item and it’s still wearable, donate it to an organization to get it in the hands of someone else who needs it.
• Recycle. Some organizations that take donations will also take items that can’t be worn and recycle them. But be sure to do your research! Many only want to take items that can be resold and will throw out the rest.
• Join the Basic Revolution! Send us your old, your hole-y, your worn out! We’ll make sure it gets to the right place … aka not a landfill.