Green Business
of the Week

October 12, 2008

Ten Thousand Villages

Ten Thousand Villages has been around for awhile, and you may very well know it as a great place to shop for Fair Trade goods. But, as manager Susanne Donoghue explains, Fair Trade is, by its very nature, good for the environment. The beautiful coiled paper picture bowl from the Philippines is made from the scraps left over after magazines have been trimmed to size. The Tree of Life wall hanging was made by Haitian artisans from recycled 55-gallon metal drums. Other products in the store are made of sustainably grown materials such as cane and bamboo. When people are so poor that they have to start with only what they can find around them, they are naturally green.

The Ten Thousand Villages store in Evanston is one of 160 in North America, each a registered non-for-profit in the state where it is located. The organization works with artisans around the world, often helping them to find and develop a product. They buy only from groups that pay workers fairly and show concern for their welfare. Ten Thousand Villages makes long-term commitments to artisans and buy handicrafts that reflect and reinforce rich cultural traditions, that are environmentally sensitive and that appeal to North American consumers

That last point is abundantly clear in the Evanston store as it is in all the Ten Thousand Villages stores. When you walk in, you’re surrounded by rich colors and textures, delights to the eye wherever you look. There’s jewelry made from silver and garnet or beads and buttons; toys and musical instruments; gorgeous scarves bags and hats and delicately tinkling wind chimes made from bamboo or cadiz clam shells. You can pick up a set of salad servers or a teapot, cucumber-scented soap or hand-made paper. At this time of year, the store carries stunning oriental rugs made in Pakistan by fairly paid adult workers, dyed with natural dyes.

Be sure to ask the manager or one of the volunteers to tell you some of the stories behind the goods. They’re worth the visit, whether you buy anything or not.

The address again is 719 Main Street in Evanston, just west of the Main Street el and Metra stops, and the website is www.tenthousandvillages.com.